Calaveras board directs staff to plan transition of Office of Emergency Services to sheriff’s office

Calaveras County supervisors on Jan. 27 directed county staff to develop a plan to move emergency response functions of the Office of Emergency Services to the sheriff’s office, citing repeated grant‑management problems and risk to the county’s general fund.

County Executive Officer Teresa Hitchcock told the board that OES has had five directors in eight years, a staffing level of two full‑time equivalents and ‘‘years of inadequate reporting and poor record keeping’’ that could result in up to $13 million in deobligated federal funds tied to the Butte fire closeout. ‘‘That is not a theoretical number. That is a real documented risk,’’ Hitchcock said.

Hitchcock and other presenters said the county would retain hazard mitigation and long‑term preparedness functions within the administrative office while shifting 24/7 response, operational command and surge capacity to the sheriff’s office. The recommended next steps include reviewing open grants, identifying obligations, drafting ordinance changes, developing transition timelines and preparing a full budget for the board’s later approval.

Supporters on the board cited the sheriff’s office’s operational capacity for round‑the‑clock incident management. Auditor‑Controller Greg Sessions said he supported the transition and that administrative staff and his office have already worked to shore up grant reporting. Cal Fire Calaveras Unit Chief Nick Cassey told the board that ‘‘regardless of where OES reports to…we will continue to work’’ with the county.

Opponents and some community members urged caution. Angels Camp Mayor Carolyn Sherrado (speaking as a resident) said the county moved OES out of law‑enforcement oversight after the 2015 Butte fire ‘‘because emergency coordination, planning, and communication suffered under a law‑enforcement centric structure.’’ She asked whether FEMA deadlines might be met with interim leadership or consultants rather than a structural change.

Teresa Hitchcock said the county is coordinating now with the sheriff’s office to produce a multiyear hazard mitigation plan and that the partnership approach aims to ‘‘strengthen accountability, improve operational readiness, and ensure that both emergency response and long‑term hazard mitigation remain priorities.’’ Supervisors voted unanimously to direct staff to develop the detailed transition plan and return to the board with budget and ordinance proposals.

The board’s direction generates no immediate fiscal impact; any budgetary changes would return for approval at a later meeting.