Resilient City by Johanna Poethig was created through a commission from the San Jose Public Art Program for the new San Jose Fire Department Training Center and Office of Emergency Management. This work of art is a symbol in public space for these two different but related centers that work to mitigate disasters providing an operational and tactical response in collaboration with and in service to the community.

At the base of this public artwork, fabricated out of layers of metal, rubble transforms into a uniquely organized pattern framed by rays that extend up behind the City of San Jose. The three figures in the landscape celebrate firefighters and emergency managers working for the safety of the public. The city of San Jose is represented in the downtown cityscape, local historic and cultural sites and neighborhood homes. The colors, metal finishes, composition and placement of the artwork work within the architectural lines of the buildings and colors at the site.