Madera County adopts updated emergency operations plan adding mass‑fatality, donation and evacuation annexes

The Madera County Board of Supervisors on April 8 voted to adopt an updated Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that county emergency managers say will improve coordination, clarify departmental responsibilities and streamline response and recovery after disasters.

The move was approved 5-0 after a presentation from the sheriff’s office and county emergency services. The board’s action also authorizes distribution of the updated plan to county departments and rescinds resolution number 2009‑186.

County Sheriff (Emergency Services director) introduced the agenda item, saying the EOP is “the foundation of how we prepare for, respond, and recover from disaster events,” and that the update “strengthens our planning in critical areas like mass care, evacuations, emergency communications, and disaster recovery.”

Nut graf: County emergency staff told the board the new EOP condenses the prior, unwieldy document into a shorter base plan and six supporting annexes so officials can pull targeted guidance during an incident; the annexes add detailed procedures for mass care and shelter, evacuation and transport, mass‑fatality management, donation management, communications, and recovery.

In an overvi…