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San Diego County reviews public feedback, outlines updates to Emergency Operations Plan
Summary
San Diego County Office of Emergency Services presented findings from community engagement on its Emergency Operations Plan update, highlighting six themes — communications, evacuation planning, shelter, food security, tribal coordination and critical lifelines — and said a final draft will open for public comment in March.
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services presented results of public outreach on its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) update, saying the county will integrate community feedback into a final draft scheduled for public comment in March and seek Board of Supervisors adoption in September.
Nick Zubell, who leads the EOP update for County OES, said the plan is a regional framework that outlines county roles, responsibilities and coordination with the 18 cities in the county. Zubell noted the plan is updated roughly every four years and that county ordinances and the California Emergency Services Act underpin the county’s obligations and eligibility for state and federal disaster reimbursement funds.
County staff reported 127 survey responses, 1,700 visits to the Engage San Diego engagement site, 23 responses via the Conveo tool and 15 email submissions. The outreach included presentations to 21 partner meetings and two tribal informational sessions, the county said.
Sofia Gonzalez, a county presenter, said six themes emerged from the engagement: (1) redundant, accessible and culturally appropriate emergency communications; (2) evacuation planning for rural areas and people with access and functional needs; (3) shelter and human services capacity and accessibility; (4) food security and feeding operations; (5) tribal coordination and recognition of tribal sovereignty; and (6) lifelines and critical infrastructure continuity.
The county’s recommendations include describing alternate alert and warning methods that do not depend solely on smartphones or internet access; improving evacuation route information and transportation planning for people with limited mobility; expanding planning assumptions for congregate and noncongregate sheltering with backup power and medical supports; coordinating with food banks and distribution partners to address closed stores and access gaps; integrating tribal emergency management preferences and cultural accommodations; and planning for potable water, sanitation and backup power for critical services.
During a 20-minute public comment period, residents raised concerns that echoed the report: gaps in communications during public safety power shutoffs, the need for better transportation to shelters, challenges reaching people experiencing homelessness, and questions about liability and training for stair-chair evacuations in multilevel senior housing. The county said it will document suggestions — including an online portal to help evacuees report locations during displacement — for further consideration.
Zubell said the county will post the meeting recording and a meeting summary on the Engage San Diego project website and will present the final draft to city emergency management offices before the March comment period to align county and city plans. The county also noted the multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan is under a five-year update and will offer additional public workshops.
No votes or formal actions were taken at the virtual session; staff said written comments will be captured and used to refine the plan.
