Using the system of cross-training and a six-day duty schedule, the team increased their endurance without losing coverage of their collective responsibilities. Through cross- training, the members rotated into designated roles, duties or ICS responsibilities where they became involved with logistics, planning, site safety, traffic management, medical help, and resource management. “We’ve established great relationships,” Garza said. “When we put the right people in the right areas, our numbers changed immediately.” The site averages 7,000 doses per day, said Garza, but with the efficiencies helped by the Coast Guard team, the site has seen days where the staff has administered more than 9,000 doses. Towle said the county site is running smoothly, with participation from many agencies including FEMA, DoD, state and county officials, and members of private health care industry. “We had a few hiccups at the beginning, as normal, which is to be expected,” said Garza. The Coast Guard prepares us for this in that they teach us to maintain flexibility. Here, everyone knows the common goal, the common objective at the end of the day.” “The chemistry between the agencies is great,” Towle said. “There are no egos with the folks working at the site; the goal is injections.” Oakland The largest group of reservists, a team of 40, works at the vaccination site in Oakland. Patients are brought in via mass transit, go through a three-tent system (admin, vaccination, monitoring), and return to the city via mass transit. The all- Reserve member team of Coast Guardsmen staff the first tent, greeting patients as they step off the train or bus for their vaccination appointments and checking them into the system administratively. Capt. Frank Schaefer is normally the Pacific Area’s Reserve Chief of Staff, but in April 2020, he was brought on Title 10 orders to serve as the area commander for PACAREA’s COVID-19 area command. In early March, he paid a visit to the site, along with PACAREA Commander Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, several other admirals and two command master chiefs. The VIPs toured the area and spoke with the first responders. “It was truly an eye-opening experience to see the sheer magnitude of the effort, not only from our federal and state partners, but also the 40 members of the Coast Guard Reserve. Schaefer said the flow of people, most of whom have conditions that fall into the high-risk category, is more than 10,000 per day. The majority of reservists are helping the flow of foot traffic through the vaccination site, but some are filling planning and logistics roles as well. “It’s really impressive to see the level of professionalism and pride that our Coast Guard reservists are exhibiting in the performance of a mission outside the scope of normal Coast Guard Reserve missions. They bring a unique perspective of being able to work with and be part of an interagency team.” Schaefer said they tried to look locally within D11 to fill Oakland’s personnel request before employing reservists from outside the area. “There’s a genuine appreciation when you give back to the local community during a major contingency response,” said Schaefer. “When you’re helping your neighbors, it’s felt not just by the members but also by those being helped as well.” Schaefer said he’s got an additional 16 reservists going to a new vaccination site in Portland in mid-March, and a few more slated for other locations. TAKING CARE OF FIRST RESPONDERS Senior Chief Petty Officer Bryan Mastrangelo, a highway patrolman with the Suffolk County Police Department and the senior enlisted reserve advisor for Station Jones Beach, N.Y., administers the coronavirus vaccine to fellow SCPD Officer Steven Pancir. As a paramedic, Mastrangelo became part of the medical crisis action team (MEDCAT) which set up PODs, or points of distribution, to vaccinate to New York residents. Mastrangelo recognized the need for reservists, who were on a lower tier for vaccine priority, to get vaccinated. He worked with the Chief of the SCPD and the Sector Long Island Sound Commander Capt. Eva VanCamp to coordinate access for all Long Island Sound reservists (who were New York residents) to receive the coronavirus vaccine through SCPD. “Our reservists are first responders, too,” said Mastrangelo. “We were glad to have a great relationship with our local partners, so we can take care of our own.” � Issue 1 • 2021 � RESERVIST 25
