Jobs, Training and Facilities

Teamwork keeps SCC running during power outage

SCC power outage forced staff to find alternatives.
Sergeants and lieutenants set up an Incident Command Post when power was knocked out at Sierra Conservation Center.

When a nearby fire knocked out power and internet at Sierra Conservation Center (SCC), staff got creative to continue the mission.

“SCC staff in every area stepped up to the plate and used everything they could to keep the institution running during the power outage,” explained Chief Deputy Warden Trent Allen. “Sergeants and lieutenants searched for an area their state phones worked and used a hot spot to set up our Incident Command Post to communicate with another group of our staff who had gone to local institutions to print all of the necessary reports.”

Despite fire threatening the community, SCC employees continued with their duties.

“They did all of this while other staff members were being evacuated from their houses. I appreciate their outside-of-the-box thinking,” he said.

The Washington Fire burned 100 acres and was 100 percent contained as of Sept. 1, 2021, according to CalFIRE.

By Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor

Related content: CDCR firefighters