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County outlines wildfire preparedness investments, evacuation systems and air resources; board receives report
Summary
County officials described investments made since 2003 in wildfire readiness — including a new evacuation management system, regional aviation assets, home‑hardening grants and fuels management — and the Board of Supervisors received the report unanimously.
San Diego County presented an overview of emergency planning, wildfire response capacity, and ongoing preparedness work on Jan. 28, describing investments in personnel, aviation resources, evacuation technology and home‑hardening programs intended to reduce risk and speed response.
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Andrew Strong opened the briefing, saying the county has invested nearly $1 billion since 2003 to strengthen preparedness and response. Jeff Toney, director of the Office of Emergency Services (OES), described the county’s all‑hazards planning approach, regular joint training with local partners and a new evacuation management tool, Genesis Protect, that officials said helped coordinate more than 15,000 evacuations this month. “We implemented a new evacuation management software system, Genesys Protect, which allows first responders to manage evacuation zones more effectively,” Toney said.
County Fire Chief Tony Meacham reviewed firefighting assets and prevention work, including a multi‑agency consolidation that created County Fire in 2008, 39 fire stations and 12 aerial firefighting resources available to the region. Meacham said county investments include roadside brush clearance (about 800 miles treated since 2022), fuel‑break projects, more than 52,000 defensible‑space inspections in 2024 and a $24 million home‑hardening program targeted to about 500 homes.
The sheriff’s aviation unit (ASTREA) and Sheriff’s Emergency Services described law‑enforcement roles during fires, use of the Hi‑Lo warning system and the sheriff’s aviation fleet: “Astria averages about 5,500 missions per year,” Capt. Ted Greenewald said, and the co‑location and cooperation with CAL FIRE were credited for rapid initial attack on recent fires.
Why it matters: The briefing emphasized multi‑agency coordination in evacuation decisions, the need to maintain and modernize aircraft, and the value of public preparedness (registering for alerts, making evacuation plans). Officials said measures adopted since the 2003 firestorms materially strengthen response but that sustained investment is necessary as climate and development patterns change.
Board action and next steps: The board voted unanimously to receive the presentation and encouraged continued investment in personnel, aircraft availability and community preparedness. Supervisors asked specific follow‑up questions about evacuation routing, night‑flying helicopter capability, maintenance of the new county helicopter fleet and whether the county keeps baseline infrastructure data for rapid damage assessment.
Public comment focused on local concerns: requests for a Gillespie Field fire station to address airport and aerospace hazards, questions about buried power lines and prevention (rather than suppression), caution about battery storage facilities near homes, and calls for more local water‑supply options to protect residences during fast‑moving fires.
Ending: County staff said they will keep the board updated as they refine preparedness investments, continue federally coordinated damage‑assessment work, and complete follow‑up items on aviation fleet readiness and evacuation planning.
