County presents draft Emergency Operations Plan; staff to return for adoption after edits

Sheriff Bingham and Leah Sotolay, the county’s Office of Emergency Services manager, presented a rewrite of the county Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) to the Board of Supervisors and asked for direction to finalize the document for adoption.

Leah Sotolay said the rewrite began in late 2023 and included outreach to county departments, operator agencies and the public. She described the draft as a living document that will be revised as state guidance, threat conditions and local procedures evolve. "We've taken a lot of steps to engage county employees, the public, our operator agencies, and I think we've got a good product for you," Sotolay told the board.

Why it matters: The EOP sets countywide roles and processes for disaster response and recovery, and the Sheriff’s Office said timely adoption helps ensure coordinated response during wildfires, floods and other emergencies. Several supervisors thanked staff and disaster council members for outreach and asked the Office of Emergency Services to secure outstanding departmental signoffs before the next board meeting.

Board direction: Supervisors asked staff to continue integrating stakeholder feedback and to return with the revised EOP and accompanying resolution for formal approval on April 22. The Sheriff’s Office and OES manager said they will treat the plan as an evolving document and will post updated versions as operations or state guidance require.

Ending: The board did not adopt the plan Tuesday; staff will bring a final EOP and proposed adoption resolution to the board on April 22, after incorporating comments and obtaining remaining departmental endorsements.