This year, the City of Lodi was scheduled to update its Emergency Operations Plan, a document required to ensure local agencies are in compliance for reimbursement from the federal government in the event of natural disasters or emergencies.
In addition, Lodi Fire Chief Gene Stoddart said he was planning on presenting an updated plan for an emergency operations center to the council this fall, as well as conduct emergency training for city employees.
But the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced a premature, almost hit-the-ground running training period for the city. “With the lack of training, the lack of follow-up with what we’ve done in the past, I’m very proud of the way our city got together and set up an EOC and ran this pandemic,” Stoddart told the Lodi City Council during last week’s shirtsleeve session.