The Salt Creek Recreation Center was the scene of a mock disaster zone last weekend as the Chula Vista Recreation Department, in conjunction with the American Red Cross San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter, offered emergency shelter operation training to prepare community volunteers to assist with running emergency shelters during a disaster.
“Part of what we’re doing today is that the Department of Recreation in Chula Vista can actually open and run their own shelters,” said Sue Mayberry with the American Red Cross.
Mayberry said a lot of municipalities throughout the state are having the American Red Cross train their workers so they can open their own shelters as the Red Cross isn’t always the first to respond.
The Chula Vista Recreation Department is in charge of opening and running a shelter in case of an emergency or disaster.
The Park and Recreation Department’s first experience with setting up a shelter with the Red Cross came during a SWAT situation at the Mission Gardens apartments last May when a 41-year-old man held his wife and two children in their home after shooting and killing a neighbor outside in the early morning. The standoff lasted about 10 hours.
Kristi McClure Huckaby, director of recreation for the city of Chula Vista, said that unfortunate event made her realize the city and Red Cross should conduct more training opportunities for volunteers and staff; it should take a proactive approach.
The Norman Park Senior Center served as the evacuation zone for more than a dozen Mission Gardens residents where they were met with snacks, water and a safe place.
Ruthie Heuton, an employee for the Parks and Recreation department, is responsible for setting up a shelter at Parkway gym in case of an emergency or disaster.
Heuton was the manager of this mock shelter and her responsibilities included making sure the shelter ran smoothly and efficiently.
The 20 participants from both the city of Chula Vista and Red Cross learned how to register people in a shelter, the proper dormitory skills and how to handle the media.
“If you have a dorm it should be in the corner of a room where public activities take place,” said disaster instructor with American Red Cross Sue Mayberry. “It should be near a wall and close to the restrooms.”
The training also focused on how to handle unexpected situations like if a fight broke out at a shelter or if an intoxicated person checked himself or herself in.
There was a mock drill were two underage intoxicated teens check themselves in the shelter drunk and caused a raucous.
Mayberry said normally when there are intoxicated people in a shelter the best course of action is to call police.
As a prerequisite participants were required to take CPR classes and other emergency services classes.
“You just never know when the Red Cross will be available to actually come to the site, therefore the recreation department will open and operate shelter until the Red Cross shows up,” McClure Huckaby said.
