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San Francisco updates recovery initiative, urges coordinated donations after San Bruno fire
Summary
Officials reviewed the Recovery Initiative—s plans to streamline post-disaster recovery, highlighted a post-disaster financial management program led by the Comptroller—s Office, and promoted the city—s SF Gives Back site and partner nonprofit coordination for donations and volunteer support.
The Disaster Council received an update on San Francisco—s Recovery Initiative during the Sept. 10 meeting, with staff describing a cross-agency effort to make post-disaster recovery operations, financial management and public-private coordination more effective.
The presenter (not named in the transcript) said the Recovery Initiative is a partnership among the Department of Emergency Management, the General Services Agency, Harvard University and the Office of the Comptroller, and that "we have 80 projects identified in 9 areas" to improve recovery capacity. The presenter emphasized governance and financial readiness as priorities and said the Comptroller—s Office is leading a post-disaster financial management and cost recovery program.
"The key to successful post disaster recovery is money. We need lots and lots of money," the presenter said, noting FEMA cost-recovery training and emergency reserve funds established to speed fund access after events.
Officials described community-engagement workstreams, including a Lifelines Council that brings together communications, transportation, power, water, sewer and financial institutions to examine interdependencies; and neighborhood engagement and resilient community initiatives to involve businesses and universities.
Several upcoming preparedness events were noted on the city calendar: a preparedness pavilion at Sunday Streets on Sept. 19, the Bay Area—s public-safety broadband rollout (federally funded), and Urban Shield regional exercises in mid-October. City staff encouraged agencies to support the Great California ShakeOut and neighborhood evacuation drills at City Hall tenants on Oct. 29.
The recovery briefing linked directly to the San Bruno response: officials said the Recovery Initiative and SF Gives Back are meant to make donations, volunteer support and long-term recovery easier to coordinate, and the city manager reiterated the SF Gives Back page on the city—s official site as a channel for coordinated assistance.
Next steps: staff will continue to integrate the Recovery Initiative with the city—s all-hazards strategic plan, pursue governance improvements, and brief the Disaster Council as projects move toward implementation.
