Since its inception, the Alameda County Health Emergency Medical Services Agency (Alameda County EMS) warehouse has supported more than 1,000 unique medical and healthcare entities across Alameda County, processing over 10,000 resource requests and distributing more than 38.6 million supplies. What began as a temporary “pop-up” response to the COVID-19 pandemic has since matured into a permanent, all-hazards logistics and emergency preparedness facility. This evolution reached its current form after the operation transitioned through four different locations in 2020, finally securing a permanent 20,000-square-foot facility in San Leandro in 2023.
The warehouse is highly organized, utilizing a system of racks, shelves, and containers to focus on receiving, staging, storing, maintaining, and deploying EMS supplies for emergency response. The inventory is comprehensive, featuring personal protective equipment (PPE); first aid, trauma, and wound care; incident command supplies; shelters and support equipment; and decontamination supplies, alongside a variety of trailers and EMS response vehicles. Today, the facility is maintained by two full-time employees who utilize a specialized inventory management system and a web-based ordering system to ensure the county remains at the ready for any future emergency. Qualified facilities may register for an account on our dedicated Shopify webpage to request supplies during times of need.
The primary purpose of the facility is to provide emergency supplies, disaster logistics, and support operations before, during, and after disasters throughout Alameda County and, at times, throughout California. It maintains assets for both active disaster use and training for county departments and partners. Furthermore, the space is designed for high-level adaptability; it can be transformed into a secondary support unit to assist as a Department of Operations Center (DOC) during emergency activations or double as a training facility for EMS and Health Emergency Preparedness and Response exercises.