SUMTER COUNTY
Amateur Radio Emergency Services Association (ARES)

 Sumter County, Florida

Points of Distribution Deployment (ESF # 6 - Food, water, ice)


When you make the decision to activate, assemble a team. A POD team consists of a Manager, a Loading team, and a Support team. The manager is responsible for everything at the POD; staffing and supply levels, supply chain flow, safety, and reporting.  Under the direction of the manager, the Loading team conducts loading operations.  They keep the vehicles moving safely through the line.  The Support team resupplies, unloads bulk commodities, and sustains staff operations including rest areas and trash removal. A public information officer is part of the support team too. You will need one on site to talk to the media and provide information to residents.  Safety at the POD site is paramount! Inspect your work area daily, wear proper gear, and report injuries or incidents immediately.  Each LEMA has different issues to consider. You can see why planning ahead is
vital to your POD operation and your community’s recovery.

 

The United States Army Corps of Engineers has developed a typing standard for PODs which you may want to adopt. 

Type III POD is the smallest. It is 150 by 300 feet. A staff of 19 supports three loading points and one vehicle lane. This POD can serve 5000 people per day.

Type II POD is 250 by 300 feet. A staff of 34 supports six loading points and two vehicle lanes. The POD serves 10,000 a day.

 

The largest, Type I is 250 by 500 feet. A staff of 78 supports 12 loading points and four vehicle lanes. Type I is only used in large metropolitan areas and serves 20,000 per day.

PODs are generally open to the public for twelve hours a day. Recommended hours are 7am to 7pm.
Shutting down for re-supply from 7pm to 7am is a good practice. Staff issues decrease. This gives your personnel and volunteers a break and also reduces the amount of time the POD is open to the public in low light conditions.

 
A vehicle enters the POD through a 12-foot wide lane marked with traffic cones.  The Traffic Controller stands at the front where everyone can see him or her and signals a vehicle to stop.   Once everyone stops, the Traffic Controller blows one long whistle blast and shouts “LOAD!”  “LOAD” is echoed by the loaders.   The Loaders load supplies into the car then step back and shout “CLEAR”.  The Traffic Controller visually verifies that veryone has cleared the line. Another long whistle blast, hand signal and the car leave, the next one enters the line and the process repeats.  The POD manager monitors the burn rate to keep the supply chain flowing. The consumption rate is reported to LEMA each day. Once the disaster winds down, these inventory reports validate costs and are used to recoup costs.  When recovery has reached a point where the local community can sustain itself, the
POD will close. Give advance notification  of closing! Let LEMA, the property owner, and the public know 24-36 hours  before you shut down operations.

Have a plan in place of where to send anyone who shows up after closing. Some people may still need help.

Make sure the site is completely clean when you leave. This maintains good will with the owners so you can use their site again should the need arise.

 

Radio Operator Role

You may be asked to Shadow the POD Manager or his designate and provide radio communication with the EOC. Stay clean of the vehicles and loading of the vehicles and provide an overview of the operation to identify where re-stocking is needed or where bottlenecks are occurring.

This is generally a daytime, in-the-sun operation.

 

 Last Update:  07/03/2018    © Copyright Sumter County ARES. All Rights Reserved.