Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Grants And Emergency Exercises topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears COPS and UASI grant updates, NERT drill schedule and pandemic preparedness warning
Summary
Officials announced a multijurisdictional COPS grant for interoperable communications, a San Francisco-led UASI planning role, an $800,000 community hub planning grant and a citywide NERT drill; a physician urged renewed focus on pandemic and hospital evacuation planning.
San Francisco Disaster Council members received updates on grants and exercises and heard a public comment urging stronger pandemic and hospital‑evacuation preparations.
Laura (meeting host) announced the city had secured a multijurisdictional COPS grant to support interoperable communications across several counties. The project was described as roughly a $7.4 million effort; meeting materials and discussion stated the grant award as "5.73" (units not fully specified in the discussion). Laura also described a larger federal interoperable‑communications program and said California received about $94 million; San Francisco was asked to lead a 21‑county effort in the Capital Bay planning area for distribution of UASI funds.
Chief Masatami announced a citywide NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team) drill scheduled for Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at eight staged sites across the city and invited observers: "You're all welcome to observe this drill," he said. The fire bureau also planned open houses and prevention activities for the week.
Jan announced an approximately $800,000 grant to start community hub planning for hospitals and community‑based organizations; staff said the council would receive a follow‑up presentation on the hub project.
The council was provided copies of a report on the April MacArthur Maze collapse and was asked to direct comments to Vicky Hennessy at the Department of Emergency Management for follow up on the mayor's local emergency declaration.
During the public comment period a physician warned of pandemic risks and hospital evacuation challenges, referencing UCSF materials and ethical issues in evacuation triage. The commenter said the H5N1 avian influenza strain "has the capability of creating, an incredible impact on humanity" and urged planning for patient identification and evacuation logistics. He added a practical warning: "We cannot anticipate that ambulances and helicopters will be available for evacuation in the immediate response stage of a large scale disaster." The council acknowledged the concerns and said some of these issues are being addressed locally and regionally.
Council members asked staff to continue refining regional interoperability plans, to firm up strategies for distributing UASI and related funds, and to return with additional detail on community hub planning and exercises.
