City of Alameda Activates Emergency Operations Center
Published on March 25, 2020
March 25, 2020, 6:00 pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Sarah Henry, Public Information Officer
510-747-4714
City of Alameda Activates Emergency Operations Center
The City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) opened on March 16, 2020, and is currently staffed at a Level 2, the second highest level.
On March 17, 2020, the Alameda City Council adopted an urgency ordinance declaring the existence of a local emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar actions have been taken at the county, state, and federal level. The City initially opened the EOC virtually on February 28.
The main objectives of the EOC Action Plan include:
- Providing for emergency personnel and public safety at all times;
- Slowing the spread of the disease, flattening the curve, and ensuring social distancing for the public and staff;
- Maintaining local, state, and national situational awareness in collaboration with the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alameda County Public Health Department;
- Ensuring coordinated, timely, and accurate release of information to the public and staff;
- Forecasting potential contingencies and developing appropriate mitigation strategies;
- Protecting property, improvements, and infrastructure; and
- Maintaining fiscal accountability and keeping costs commensurate with values at risk.
The EOC Director is City Manager Eric Levitt, with support from the Emergency Manager, Fire Department Captain Sharon Oliver, and Public Information Officer Sarah Henry. Four Section Chiefs operate the EOC: Operations Section Chief Rick Zombeck, Fire Department Deputy Chief; Planning Section Chief Andrew Thomas, Director of Planning, Building, and Transportation; Logistics Section Chief Carolyn Hogg, IT Director; and Finance Section Chief Carrie Dole, Finance Supervisor. Each Section works to support the main objectives of the EOC. For the purposes of flattening the curve, the EOC is being run using strict social distancing and many staff are participating virtually.
The City of Alameda’s website has a COVID-19 resource section that is updated daily at www.alamedaca.gov/alerts.