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Pico Rivera Council approves update to safety element, emergency operations plan
Summary
Council accepted staff recommendations to update the General Plan safety element and the city Emergency Operations Plan, setting a schedule for EOC training and consultant-led exercises to improve preparedness for earthquakes, floods and extreme heat.
The Pico Rivera City Council approved updates to the city's General Plan safety element and its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) after a staff presentation and public hearing.
Aaron Fannensteel, the consultant working with city planning staff, told the council that the last general-plan safety update was in 2014 and the revision focuses on the community's primary hazards: seismic shaking, flooding and nearby wildfire risk. "The last update to the general plan was in 2014," Fannensteel said, adding that the state has issued new requirements — including extreme-heat planning — that the city must address.
Senior Planner Hector Hernandez described proposed changes to chapter 2.52 of the municipal code to codify an emergency disaster council and clarify Emergency Operations Center (EOC) roles. Hernandez said the revisions designate the city manager and assistant city manager as chair and vice chair of the disaster council, set five EOC section chiefs, and give the EOC director authority to proclaim an emergency when necessary.
Council members pressed staff on implementation details. Staff said EOC personnel are completing FEMA online training (ICS 100/700 series baseline training) and that a consultant will be hired to run in-person EOC training and a functional exercise. Councilmember Shane asked whether the EOC training would be repeated; staff responded that the consultant's after-action report will include recommendations on appropriate training frequency.
Council also asked about the EOC's physical location and generator support: Hernandez said the primary EOC can be set up in the Parks & Recreation community room and the city has an alternate location at the city yard; on backup power he said, "We do have a generator... assuming we have access to fuel... it'll keep going." The council voted 5-0 to close the public hearing and approve the updates.
Next steps described by staff include issuing a contract for the consultant-led training and exercise, completing the GPS-based single-ingress/egress mapping for evacuation planning, and returning to council as necessary with implementing ordinances or administrative actions.
