After‑action: council hears Winter Storm Enzo report, staff recommends equipment, communications upgrades
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Summary
Chief Shores presented an after‑action report on Winter Storm Enzo and recommended communication upgrades, additional equipment (a skid steer and a 4x4 vehicle for emergency manager), and clarified training and ICS documentation needs.
Santa Fe’s emergency response after Winter Storm Enzo was reviewed by public safety leadership on Feb. 13. The report, prepared after the January snowfall, identified strengths in coordination and areas for improvement, including limited social media/outreach capacity, resource constraints in equipment and sand/brine capability, and administrative shortfalls in incident command system (ICS) documentation.
Chief Shores and staff described several corrective actions: expand social media outreach and designate a public information officer who can be present in the emergency operations center (EOC); consider purchasing or pre‑securing a skid steer and a four‑wheel‑drive vehicle to improve clearing and access during snow/ice events; and train or staff additional personnel to complete ICS forms during activation. The fire marshal and streets staff also discussed operational options such as pre‑positioning salt/salt pellets and rental strategies when an event is forecast.
Council members requested that the improvement matrix include target completion dates and that responsible staff provide progress updates at future meetings. Staff said some corrective actions could be implemented immediately (for example, designating a PIO for EOC duties); other items (vehicle purchases, larger equipment) would require budget decisions.
No formal action was taken; council requested staff return with timelines and cost estimates for proposed purchases and process changes so that possible budget items could be considered in the upcoming budget workshops.
