COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

County Manager’s Office

 

DATE:

February 5, 2007

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 13, 2007

SPECIAL NOTICE:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

None

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

John L. Maltbie, County Manager

SUBJECT:

2006-07 Grand Jury Response

 

Recommendation

Accept this report containing the County’s responses to the following 2006-07 Grand Jury report: Tsunami Alert and Evacuation on the San Mateo County Coast.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Goal 20: Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain.

This activity contributes to the goal by ensuring that all Grand Jury findings and recommendations are thoroughly reviewed by the appropriate County departments and that, when appropriate, process improvements are made to improve the quality and efficiency of services provided to the public and other agencies.

Discussion

The County is mandated to respond to the Grand Jury within 90 days from the date that reports are filed with the County Clerk and Elected Officials are mandated to respond within 60 days. It is also the County’s policy to provide periodic updates to the Board and the Grand Jury on the progress of past Grand Jury recommendations requiring ongoing or further action. To that end, attached is the County’s response to the Grand Jury report on Tsunami Alert and Evacuation on the San Mateo County Coast issued November 22, 2006.

Tsunami Alert and Evacuation on the San Mateo County Coast

Findings:

Staff is in general agreement with the Grand Jury’s findings.

Recommendations:

The Board of Supervisors should direct the County Manager to:

4.1 Work with the ESC to accomplish goals 1.1 through 1.6 for the unincorporated areas (these recommendations were issued separately to the Sheriff’s Office and ESC):

    1.1 Develop an emergency tsunami response plan for each community that specifies how the public and emergency service providers are to be informed of an alert and what their response should be.

    1.2 Educate the public on the dangers of tsunami, how the alert system works, and what to do in the event of an alert.

    1.3 Obtain approval and permits from the appropriate government agencies (Coastal Commission, CalTrans, and State Parks) for tsunami warning signage and a siren/broadcast system and install the same.

    1.4 Acquire inundation maps for entire San Mateo County Coast.

    1.5 Ensure that the resources of the Regional Office of the Red Cross are sufficient and properly distributed.

    1.6 Acquire the resources and technology to make San Mateo County Storm Ready/Tsunami Ready by December 31, 2007.

Response: Concur. Separate responses to Grand Jury recommendations 1.1 through 1.6 have been issued by both the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) and the Emergency Services Council (ESC). The County Manager’s Office concurs with these responses and will coordinate with both the OES and ESC in their ongoing efforts in these areas.

4.2 Develop a tsunami alert and evacuation plan for unincorporated coastal communities including Princeton, El Granada, Martins Beach, and Pescadero.

Response: Concur. The County Manager will direct OES to comply with this recommendation. OES/Homeland Security has a goal of reaching “Tsunami Ready” status—a program sponsored by the National Weather Service—by December 31, 2007. This program requires evacuation routes and safety zones to be clearly marked. Two Alerting Systems have been purchased with Homeland Security funds. One is a digital text messaging system, which is up and running in several jurisdictions while others are in the training and orientation phase. The second is a Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) telephone calling system that that will make a telephone voice message to each home or business in the alert areas. This system also has the capability to interact with several sirens to be placed in and around the Tsunami inundation areas to alert visitors as well as residents. The computer servers that will support the TENS system are in place and mapping of alert areas is underway. The first County-wide training session was held on January 26, 2007. OES/HS is working with the Planning Departments in San Mateo County, Half Moon Bay, and Pescadero to ensure proper permits are obtained for the siren installations.

4.3 Identify “residents in need” living in unincorporated coastal communities who may need help in case of an emergency.

Response: Concur. The County Manager will direct OES to comply with this recommendation and coordinate its implementation with the Human Services Agency and the Health Department.

4.4 Activate a Community Alert Network or its equivalent to alert residents in unincorporated coastal communities in case of an emergency.

Response: Concur. The County Manager will direct OES to comply with this recommendation. As indicated in the response to Recommendation 4.2 above, two Alerting Systems were purchased with Homeland Security funds—a text messaging system that has been installed in several jurisdictions, and a telephone calling system that is currently under installation.

4.5 Act on the July, 2006 County Tsunami Annex Draft by December 31, 2006.

Response: Concur. The County Manager will direct OES to comply with this recommendation. The Tsunami Annex Draft, which is an addition to the emergency Operations Plan, is currently under revision as new threats and capabilities are discovered. Since November of 2006, OES/HS has facilitated three meetings between first responders to discuss issues and jurisdictional responsibilities. One "end to end" Tsunami exercise was held in association with the National Weather Service. OES/HS will have an adopted plan prior to December 31, 2007.