Shared Internship Success

The Town of Atherton and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District recently had the opportunity of a shared internship through the NexGen Regional Internship Program for local government interns. The Regional Summer Internship program is coordinated through the Two County Next Generation Committee and is designed for every city, county and special district in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to offer an internship for college level or above interns.

The Human Resources Department for each agency teamed up to advertise, interview and select an applicant. Laura Roias, a San Mateo native and Junior at California State Fullerton began her internship with us the week of July 9, splitting her time with the Fire District and the Atherton Police Department. Laura’s duties carried more responsibility and accountability than just aiding in office administration. The goal was to immerse Laura into the departments through meaningful projects that would also benefit both agencies. Below is a list of some of Laura’s accomplishments during her 7-week shared internship between the two agencies.

Atherton Police Department Accomplishments

• Inventoried and refreshed supplies and equipment in the disaster shed so that the Town is able to use the materials in an emergency.

• Updated the Town’s Emergency Action Plan so that it references updated reports and locations and complies with FEMA mandates.

• Helped prepare the Emergency Operation Center for the Yellow Command exercise by reviewing the plan and identifying the appropriate injects and desired responses.

• Collaborated with ADAPT to develop an exercise plan for September 2018 so that Town resources will be ready to support their operational needs.

Menlo Park Fire Protection District Accomplishments

• Social Media Alignment project (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Hootsuite)

• Customer Communication Management (CCM) Program Core Management Annex

-Document and describe the process details around CCM Social Media management

-Document and describe the process details around CCM core tasks, including lesson plans

• CCM ISV Project support
-Applying decals and lettering to Incident Support Vehicle

• CCM Exercise Support

-CERT Class field day logistics support

-National Night Out handout distribution and event photography

"She has been super enthusiastic about her time here. She rolled up her sleeves to get the disaster shed inventoried and cleaned, even bringing a mop from home. She has been a welcome addition to the PD for the summer,” said Sergeant Sherman Hall. “I wish her the best in her college career and look forward to seeing her making a mark in her chosen profession. I would have no hesitation in offering a recommendation of her work,” said Community Crisis Management Director Michael Ralston.

The shared internship was a huge success and the Town looks forward to a split internship with the District next summer. Congratulations to Laura and we wish her the best both educationally and professionally.

Contact:
tdellasanta@ci.atherton.ca.us
650-752-0529