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Oxnard updates emergency operations plan and revises disaster‑council membership
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Summary
Council adopted the 2026 Emergency Operations Plan update, authorized mutual‑aid agreements (including animal response with ASPCA), and introduced changes to the disaster‑council ordinance to modernize membership and rely on trained staff rather than elected officials; council voted 6–0.
The Oxnard City Council adopted an updated 2026 Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and introduced an ordinance to amend the city code governing the disaster council to reflect modern emergency‑management practice.
Fire Chief Alex Hamilton and Emergency Manager Candy Campbell framed the EOP update as a modernization effort that adds demographic context and clarifies roles, including mutual‑aid arrangements and animal‑response agreements. Campbell said the EOP aims to be a planning tool and explained that TEFRA‑style public notice was not at issue here; the update includes a letter of promulgation and authorization for the city manager to execute an ASPCA mutual‑aid agreement for animal response during disasters.
Council members asked whether the EOP should include additional demographic breakdowns — for example, references to parochial schools — and staff said the plan’s demographics are broader than prior versions and that staff can refine school‑level data as needed. On the disaster‑council ordinance, staff said the existing code dated to the 1950s and that best practices favor a flexible, technically trained group of staff and section coordinators who can meet rapidly in an emergency; that is why the proposed language omits a standing role for the mayor and emphasizes trained staff as core members.
Some council members said elected representation has value in major emergencies; staff replied that elected officials are notified and updated through clearly defined processes and that the revision is intended to improve operational capacity during incidents. The council approved the EOP update and advanced the ordinance introduction on a unanimous 6–0 vote.
The update takes effect upon formal adoption; staff said the city will continue outreach and can return to the council with amendments if members want additional demographic breakdowns or inclusion of specific school types.
