June 3, 1996
Honorable Judge William L. Gordon
Presiding Judge, Santa Barbara County Superior Court
1100 Anacapa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93121
Dear Honorable Judge Gordon:
I would like to thank the members of the Grand Jury for their time and effort regarding the review of a
local government function - Emergency Services. Emergency planning and disaster preparedness is
of highest importance to the City of Lompoc.
In accordance with California Penal Code Section 933c, please accept the City of Lompoc's reply to the
following specific Findings and Recommendations of the 1995-96 Santa Barbara Grand Jury Report:
Finding 1
Recommendation 1b
Finding 4
Recommendation 4b
FINDING 1: Introduced in 1993, California's Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
is now being integrated into the governmental structure of Santa Barbara County and its cities.
Recommendation 1b: The County Administrator and each city administrator/manager should
address aggressively the need to incorporate emergency-related functions into the job
descriptions and performance evaluations of county and city employees.
Response: The City of Lompoc is aware of the need for SEMS and is in complete agreement with the
purpose of the Regulation. The City's emergency preparedness plan includes utilization of its
employees as an emergency work force. Lompoc City Code Section 1306A (c&d) empowers the City
to use its employees during a major emergency or disaster.
Incorporating an emergency related functions into job descriptions and performance evaluations for City
employees far exceed the SEMS requirement. Including an emergency related functions into the
employee job description would be very difficult to accomplish. Part of the difficulty is that assignments
during disasters vary based on the emergency and a particular Department's involvement. Further, an
objective performance evaluation would not be likely due to the infrequency of major
emergencies/training events.
The value of SEMS is in training the employee to function beyond their normal capacity during
emergencies. Rather than require employee performance, perhaps working to develop a sense of
cooperation and of helping those in need may be more productive. Working toward this goal, Disaster
Response Procedures for employee use, are required for all City Departments.
At present, 26 managers have obtained State approved SEMS Introductory & Executive level training.
Two hundred employees ranging from Police, Fire, and Public Works, have received Introductory
training. Fire Department staff is currently developing a specialized course of instruction for the Field
and EOC levels. The City's goal is to have all employees meet the various levels of required State
training by the December 1996 deadline. Whereas the City of Lompoc is committed to SEMS, it realizes
the benefit of preparing employees to perform in the event of a disaster.
FINDING 4: Emergency planning is essential for the cities in the county. The City of Santa Barbara
has a well established emergency preparedness program. The City of Lompoc has
developed a detailed program of response and evacuation if Bradbury Dam were to fail.
Recommendation 4b: To improve protection for Santa Barbara County citizens, the seven city
administrators/managers and also the county emergency officials on the Emergency Services
Council should intensify mutual aid programs, coordinate resources within each city, and
generate an increased awareness of each city's potential needs in times of disaster.
Response: Since restructuring of the Operational Area, September 19, 1995, the organization has
become more cohesive and continues to improve. The organization consists of the County Administrator
and City Managers of the seven participating cities. The managers function as the Emergency Services
Council for the Operational Area and meet every other month. Primarily, the Council sets the policies
and procedures governing the Council and management of the Operational Area. Under direction of the
Council, each city also appoints an Emergency Services Coordinator. The Coordinators serve as the
primary emergency planning body for the Santa Barbara Operational Area, are responsible for review
and recommendation of policies to the Council and assuring the Operational Area is in accord with State
and Federal Emergency Planning/Training Standards. For example, SEMS compliance is a county-wide
priority.
On May 1, 1996, the Council of Emergency Services was involved in a Multi-Agency Coordination
System (MACS) table top exercise. The exercise involved several emergency incident scenarios
occurring simultaneously throughout the county. Functioning under a MACS system, the Council set
forth a county-wide policy prioritizing the incidents and allocating resources. The exercise brought about
a better perception of the need and commitment to mutual aid. The Operational Area Emergency
Services Council leadership is steadfast in their commitment to protect the lives and property of the
public served.
The Emergency Services Coordinators continue to review and revise the Multi-Hazard Functional Plans
within their jurisdictions. This information is shared with other jurisdictions as it contains specific details
on potential needs in times of disaster. In addition, whenever a major disaster has occurred, an in-depth review is conducted by the Coordinators which gives participants an opportunity to identify
problems and identify potential solutions in the future, if necessary during an emergency.
Directed by Fire Battalion Chief Andy Rosenberger, the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency
Services has performed commendably in the past year and a half. The entire staff projects a spirit of
cooperation and is always willing to help.
Again, I thank the members of the Grand Jury for their hard work in developing the 1995-96 Report.
Sincerely,
Frank Priore
City Administrator
c: Lompoc City Council
Ed Casarez, Fire Chief