Second in a series. 

Re: “Just in Case There Is an Emergency” 

Even though the last major hometown or nearby disaster was 22 years ago, the Northridge earthquake, Culver City constantly is in anticipation/preparation mode for a disaster that could strike without warning.

The city’s intensely trained and educated specialists intentionally work out of view at a rarely disclosed location.

The five giant desks inside Culver City’s Emergency Operations Center represent logistics, planning, operations, finance and management.

First responders are trained, elaborately, throughout the year. “We train people on what the rules and responsibilities are within those five sections,” said Christine Parra, the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. “Within each section, there are four to six positions. So everyone has a job to do. We teach them how to do their jobs within their section, and then as part of the Emergency Operations Center, working with one another.”

Ms. Parra, previously a fore inspector, has been training the first responders for six years. Happily, there has not been a reason to apply under fire what the mostly gentlemen have learned.

For years, Ms. Parra’s duties were carried out by the assistant fire chief in his spare time. Funding for fulltime coverage of the position was approved in 2010, and for the past 10 months, Ms. Parra has been aided by U.C. Davis grad Meena Janmohamed, an Emergency Management intern.