San Francisco outlines Fleet Week preparedness, plans citywide CPOD exercise and activates EOC

San Francisco emergency officials on Monday told the Disaster Council the city is preparing to exercise distribution systems and emergency coordination during Fleet Week, which runs Oct. 3–10.

Francis Zamora, the mayor’s public information officer, said the centerpiece is a CPOD — a community point of distribution — exercise intended to rehearse how the city and partners would distribute food, water and other life‑sustaining supplies after a catastrophic event. "The key thing that people should remember about a CPOD is that they're a last resort measure," Zamora said, and he urged residents to maintain 72 hours of household supplies and to consult sf72.org for preparedness tips.

Zamora said the CPOD exercise will begin on Monday at 11 a.m. and will include more than 100 staff and volunteers drawn from city departments, California National Guard, military partners and nonprofit organizations. Volunteers will role‑play earthquake survivors arriving by vehicle to receive MRAs and other comfort supplies.

Officials also said the city’s Emergency Operations Center will be active during Fleet Week, beginning Friday the 7th, to monitor multiple simultaneous events including Dreamforce and parade and sports activities. The activation is meant to ensure coordination across city, state and federal partners while large public gatherings are under way.

Why it matters: The CPOD exercise tests the city’s ability to stage large distributions across multiple sites if transportation is disrupted by liquefaction or other hazards. Officials said exercises strengthen relationships among civilian first responders, military partners and nonprofits that would be needed in a major disaster.

What’s next: The Disaster Council encouraged participation in the public exercise, and officials said more details about volunteer opportunities and CPOD locations will be released on city channels prior to Fleet Week.