Marin County Grand Jury
2018-2019
Additional Recommendations
15
Not linked to specific findings.
R1:
Create a comprehensive, up to receive emergency alerts. for a mass evacuation in personal Education countywide vegetation manage- Programs to educate the public vehicles. Public transit is a R4. Adopt and deliver a compre- ment plan that includes vegetation for wildfire are not well known neglected piece of evacuation hensive education program fo- along evacuation routes, a cam- and are offered infrequently. preparedness. Inertia and cused on action for all residents paign to mobilize public partici- Alerts complacency have prevented a of Marin on a regular schedule pation, and low-income subsidies. The two crucial emergency proactive and nimble response to by a team of expert trainers.
R2:
Hire at least 30 new civilian alert systems in the county, wildfire dangers. R5. Promote the creation of vegetation inspectors and at least Alert Marin and Nixle, as opt-in The Grand Jury proposes Firewise Communities in every eight fire/fuels crews focused on systems, warn only those who neighborhood by all local juris- the creation of a joint powers fuel reduction in the high risk have registered. dictions. authority to coordinate a areas of the county, including fed- Evacuations comprehensive, consistent Recommendations eral, state and local public lands. continued on Marin’s topography creates approach to pre-ignition 9102 • 9102-8102 YRUJ DNARG LIVIC YTNUOC NIRAM 4 MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT SUMMARIES SMART: First Mile/Last Mile Options Recommendations continued from
R3:
The Marin County Office of District to establish teen nicotine that enables them to develop Education should partner with cessation programs. 1. Help provide a safe learning positive working relationships high school coaches and the R8. All law enforcement agencies environment for students. with students, school staff, Marin County Athletic League, should coordinate the enforce- 2. Counsel, educate, and build law enforcement, other first educate them on the dangers of ment of sales bans on flavored relationships with students. responders, and community vaping, and develop a program tobacco. groups. Because of this, their SRO Revisited continued on MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT SUMMARIES 7 9102 REBOTCO • 9102-8102 YRUJ DNARG LIVIC YTNUOC NIRAM SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS SRO Revisited continued from REVISITED 3. Enforce laws. Although SROs are sworn law enforcement officers, they do not enforce school policies or maintain discipline. Instead, they focus on building strong, approachable relationships with students and staff, and on identifying and preventing inappropriate behavior on school grounds and throughout the community. School safety is a concern for every community in Marin. In preparing this report, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury consistently heard positive comments about the importance of SROs in maintaining school safety. The Grand Jury also learned that resources to help provide safety at schools differ significantly throughout the county. Only a few school districts have full-time SROs. (Novato police photo) Others are served by the single RECOMMENDATIONS positions. their city councils and law SRO employed by the Sheriff’s enforcement agencies to employ Office, who covers 34 schools R1. SRO programs in Marin R5. The City of San Rafael and maintain a sufficient with over 9,200 students, County should be retained should have at least one throughout a 521 square mile or expanded where they now additional full-time SRO. number of SROs. territory. Disturbingly, some exist. SRO programs should R6. Mill Valley should employ R10. School districts and schools have no assigned SRO be established to cover those a full-time SRO who regularly municipalities should explore coverage. school districts where they do visits its schools rather than funding sources such as grants, Funding SROs to serve at not exist. simply assigning an officer to be bond issues, special taxes, and schools in Marin County is a R2. Municipalities, school on call for its schools. other sources. sound investment because it districts, and law enforcement R7. All SROs should complete R11. School districts and prevents crime and teaches agencies in Marin County SRO Police Officer Standards of municipalities should consider students to trust and work with should make SRO programs a Training by July 1, 2020. sharing the costs and services of law enforcement officers and high budgetary priority. R8. Law enforcement agencies SRO programs. other authority figures. It also
R4:
Upon completion of the mous shuttle for connection new options for first and last mile
R5:
Promote the creation of vegetation inspectors and at least Alert Marin and Nixle, as opt-in Firewise Communities in every The Grand Jury proposes eight fire/fuels crews focused on neighborhood by all local juris- systems, warn only those who the creation of a joint powers fuel reduction in the high risk dictions. have registered. authority to coordinate a areas of the county, including fed- Recommendations Evacuations comprehensive, consistent eral, state and local public lands. continued on approach to pre-ignition Marin's topography creates MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT SUMMARIES SMART: First Mile/Last Mile Options Recommendations continued from -
R6:
Employ individuals with all pending and future traffic/ skills in public speaking, teach- road projects along major escape ing, curriculum design, graphics, routes. web design, advertising, com-
R7:
Collect Marin residents’ Radio Authority communica- information and add it to Alert tions system without further Marin and Nixle databases to delay. make them opt-out systems. R14. The Transportation Au-
R8:
Expand the use of sirens with thority of Marin must convene Long Range Acoustic Devices. all stakeholders no later than December 31, 2019, to address Evacuations congestion on escape routes in
R9:
Research, develop, and pub- an evacuation. lish plans for the mass movement Umbrella Entity of populations along designated
R10:
Give the highest priority to brella organization for wildfire mitigating known choke points planning and preparedness and to maximizing the capacity (vegetation management, public of existing evacuation routes. education, alerts, and evacua-
R11:
Incorporate and prioritize tion), funded by a ¼ cent sales Photo Credit: Marin County Civil Grand Jury plans for mass evacuations in tax. Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Measure Q, the voter initiative RESPONSE FROM MARIN AGENCIES (SMART) has been operational that established a sales tax to fund The Marin cities, towns, fire ■ Alert and warning en- since August 2017, providing SMART operations, requires agencies and County are ad- hancements passenger rail service between SMART to publish a strategic dressing this recommendation ■ Pursuit of grant funds for the Sonoma County Airport plan update every five years. With with a working group to explore countywide efforts, as well Station and downtown San Rafael. previous plans published in 2009 the creation of a countywide as grant funding to assist Expansion of service to Larkspur and 2014, the next update is due Landing is scheduled for late 2019. in 2019. SMART management has wildfire prevention program seniors, financially disad- One of the objectives of SMART assured the Grand Jury that the governed by a countywide joint vantaged and those with power authority. The program access and functional needs is to provide a transit alternative 2019 update is under development scope for ongoing, locally-con- with preparedness mea- between Sonoma and Marin. and scheduled to be released in the trolled, countywide wildfire pre- sures. SMART’s success will, in part, fall of 2019. depend on the convenience of east- All possibilities to enhance vention program would include This program would require and improve first and last mile west and north-south connectivity the following: new, ongoing funding. We are connections should be examined, to/from the stations, often referred currently exploring a potential ■ Fire fuel reduction and including expansion of Marin to as “first mile - last mile.” countywide parcel tax measure vegetation management Connect to include additional areas in March 2020. Based on our The Marin County Civil Grand ■ Defensible-space home feedback from Marin fire- Jury issued two earlier reports on outside of the North San Rafael evaluations and education responsible agencies, we believe SMART operations. The current pilot zone. The feasibility of using autonomous shuttles should be ■ Evacuation planning and that a parcel tax is the appropri- Grand Jury report focuses on considered since the technology is neighborhood preparedness ate funding mechanism. connectivity to SMART stations located in Marin County. SMART continued on MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT SUMMARIES 5 9102 REBOTCO • 9102-8102 YRUJ DNARG LIVIC YTNUOC NIRAM VAPING: An Under-the-Radar Epidemic Marin County has a youth health crisis—vaping. Vaping among our seventh, ninth, and 11th graders more than doubled in two years, with 47% of 11th graders admitting to having vaped. The numbers may actually be higher, as teens notoriously under-report. Vaping is inhaling aerosols created when fluids in electronic smoking devices (e-cigarettes and similar products) are heated. Most vaping products contain highly addictive nicotine. Vaping can cause irreparable damage to vapers’ health and subject them to lifelong problems. Vaping liquids come in adolescent-appealing flavors. Vaping products are gateway drugs and young vapers frequently move on to smoking cigarettes. Local school officials have called vaping their number one problem. Billion-dollar corporations have expressly designed, flavored, and marketed their products to hook adolescents. A single vaping cartridge contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. To combat vaping, a four- pronged approach is needed: ■ Limit the availability of flavored tobacco. VAPING continued on Photo Credit: iStockPhoto SMART continued from RECOMMENDATIONS Connect beyond northern San the station and the Larkspur available and is currently deployed Rafael no later than the first ferry terminal should be estab- in a number of pilot projects. R1. Transportation Authority of quarter of 2020. lished. Given that SMART has been Marin and Marin Transit should operational for less than two years, conduct surveys and pertinent R3. SMART should complete R5. SMART, Transportation they and their partner transit research, using the criteria of and publish its feasibility study Authority of Marin and Marin agencies have done a commendable convenience, cost, and accessi- by July 2019 on the east-west Transit should prepare a joint job in developing numerous modes bility to determine optimal “first track connecting to an Amtrak feasibility study for the possible for traveling to and from SMART mile - last mile” connections to station in the East Bay. implementation of an autono- stations. The expectation is that SMART stations.
R12:
Educate, prepare, and drill munity organization, commu- for evacuations in all communi- nity relations, and diplomacy to ties. educate the public.
R13:
Fully integrate public tran- Alerts sit into the Marin Emergency
R14:
The Transportation Au- thority of Marin must convene
R15:
Establish in the form of a evacuation routes. Joint Powers Authority an um-
Findings & Recommendations
4 findings
F1:
Marin County high schools’ focus on preparing students to go to college poorly serves approximately half of the students who will not complete post-high-school formal training within six years of graduation.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
During the 2019-2020 school year and annually thereafter, a career night should be offered at each high school for all students and parents featuring various CTE options as well as the more traditional offerings.
F2:
Much of the career information presented to parents and students concerns opportunities for continued education in colleges and universities with little emphasis on available CTE opportunities, leaving workforce bound students and their parents unaware of the possibilities.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
Throughout the 2019-2020 school year and annually thereafter, parents should be made aware of the income potential and career security enjoyed by people in the trades.
F3:
In each high school, counselors, except where there is a specialized counselor, generally do not have an in-depth knowledge of available CTE opportunities, limiting their ability to serve workforce bound students.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
In the 2019-2020 school year and periodically thereafter, all high school counselors should receive in depth training in the available CTE opportunities to enable them to effectively counsel all students.
F4:
A lack of physical resources and coordinated programs for CTE programs in the county disadvantages students who want to pursue non-academically oriented careers.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
The Marin County Office of Education should establish a working group by December 31, 2019, to collaborate with local employers and other entities to create post high school career pathways.
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Findings & Recommendations
3 findings
F1:
A complete list of special districts, JPAs and CSAs in Marin County is not available. Inconsistent partial lists are published by Marin LAFCO, the County Clerk, the County Finance Office, and the California State Controller; therefore, the public is unable to find critical information from one source.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
The Marin County Board of Supervisors should create and publish a comprehensive online "digital directory" of all the County of Marin's dependent and independent special districts, CSAs and JPAs, with links to their websites, no later than December 31, 2019.
F2:
Without a full list, it is difficult to determine how many special districts exist and how much taxpayer money is expended by them.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The Board of Supervisors, the County Director of Finance, and the County Clerk should determine how the list will be compiled, who will be responsible for maintaining it, what formats it will have, and how it will be published.
F3:
Information about total board compensation, including salaries, benefits, and allowances, and how it is calculated is not consistently reported and made easily available for comparison among all special districts.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
The list should contain the data items delineated above in the Recommended Elements for the Special District List section of this report.
Findings & Recommendations
8 findings
F1:
Neither the County nor any of its agencies is providing strategic leadership or advice for telecommunications services such as broadband internet access or 5G, leaving Marin poorly served.
F2:
Each municipality has been obliged to negotiate separately with 5G and fiber to the home telecom providers, so the potential benefits of aggregation have been lost and some communities remain unserved or underserved.
F3:
The MTA has chosen to abandon its policy making and coordinating mission, so the MTA serves no strategic or advisory function to the county.
F4:
Currently, the main function of the MTA which is to collect and distribute cable franchise and PEG fees to its members, could be efficiently performed by the MGSA.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
The MTA’s franchise fee collection and disbursement responsibilities should be moved to the MGSA.
F5:
CMCM is a nonprofit tax-exempt corporation which is governed by its own board so it could operate without MTA oversight.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
MTA’s responsibilities for CMCM should be terminated.
F6:
The MTA has applied for few of the available Federal or CPUC grants, and it has missed opportunities to access existing fiber networks, all of which has caused Marin County to fall behind the levels of telecom service provided to other areas in California.
F7:
The MTA’s income is declining and may be eliminated altogether; as a result, the MTA will have no function and is likely to disband or it will need to be funded by its constituent municipalities or from some other source.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
The MTA should be dissolved.
F8:
The county could benefit from strategic guidance and leadership in technical, business and regulatory matters regarding telecommunications for its businesses and residents.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
By December 31, 2019, the Board of Supervisors should appoint a citizen’s advisory committee that will provide advice and information on telecommunications services and policy. The Grand Jury recommends that citizens with telecommunications expertise be appointed to the committee.
Findings & Recommendations
12 findings
F1:
School Resource Officers promote strong collaborative relationships between schools and law enforcement that benefits the entire community. School districts and municipalities that have SRO programs praise them highly.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
SRO programs in Marin County should be retained or expanded where they now exist. SRO programs should be established to cover those school districts where they do not exist.
F2:
SRO programs are wise investments that help provide safe learning environments for students, reduce crime, and build strong relationships with students, parents, and school staff.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
Municipalities, school districts, and law enforcement agencies in Marin County should make SRO programs a high budgetary priority.
F3:
Assigning officers to be dedicated, full-time SROs for longer terms isn’t always a high priority or financially feasible but can be a wise investment that yields substantial benefits to students, schools, and their communities.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
To insure continuity, each SRO should be assigned to serve for at least a four-year term.
F4:
Continuity is essential for SRO programs to thrive. When SROs serve for limited or uncertain terms, their effectiveness can decrease.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office should have two additional full-time SRO positions.
F5:
The Sheriff Department’s has one SRO to cover all the county’s unincorporated areas and assists any school or SRO in the county that requests help, which is insufficient.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
The City of San Rafael should have at least one additional full-time SRO.
F6:
The City of San Rafael has one SRO for over 7300 students, which is insufficient.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6:
Mill Valley should employ a full-time SRO who regularly visits its schools rather than simply assigning an officer to be on call for its schools.
F7:
Mill Valley does not have a full time SRO to regularly visit its schools, which limits its SRO’s ability to build relationships with students and school staff.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7:
All SROs should complete SRO POST training by July 1, 2020.
F8:
Training for SROs in Marin County is inconsistent. The role of an SRO significantly differs from that of a patrol officer and requires specialized training.
Related Recommendations (1)
R8:
Law enforcement agencies should fund additional training for SROs that will help them keep up with and handle their responsibilities.
F9:
Officers serve as SROs for terms varying from three to five years. Three-year assignments are barely adequate, and four to five-year terms are preferable.
Related Recommendations (1)
R9:
School districts should take the lead in working with their city councils and law enforcement agencies to employ and maintain a sufficient number of SROs.
F10:
With the exception of Central Marin Police Authority, most communities fund SRO programs on a year to year basis. Other communities lack reliable sources of funding.
Related Recommendations (1)
R10:
School districts and municipalities should explore funding sources such as grants, bond issues, special taxes, and other sources.
F11:
With the exception of Novato, the costs of the SRO programs are financed by the local police budgets or the Sheriff’s budget with no financial contribution by the school districts. The districts’ participation in SRO funding is lacking.
Related Recommendations (1)
R11:
School districts and municipalities should consider sharing the costs and services of SRO programs.
F12:
Collaboration between the SROs improves their effectiveness, but they do not meet regularly or frequently to exchange ideas and information. MCOE’s School / Law Enforcement Partnership (SLEP) partially fills that deficiency, but additional organization is needed.
Related Recommendations (1)
R12:
County law enforcement agencies should provide the time and facilities for the SROs to meet regularly to exchange information, ideas, and discuss new trends by October 1, 2019.
Findings & Recommendations
11 findings
F1:
Most vaping products are nicotine delivery systems that are designed to appeal to youngsters, are highly addictive, and may cause life-long health problems.
F2:
Student vaping in Marin County is an epidemic that is increasing and reaching younger students including those in middle schools.
F3:
The Marin County Office of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services are leading diligent efforts to curb youthful vaping, but the public does not fully understand that vaping is an epidemic and the health damage it causes.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1:
The County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services, the Marin County Office of Education and all school districts should increase initiatives to provide students, parents, and the community with more information and support on vaping prevention and cessation. Initiatives should include digital and social media content, including materials for middle and high schools.
R2:
Marin County Office of Education should create and make available resources for students, parents, teachers, and the community stressing the dangers of vaping and where cessation assistance can be obtained.
F4:
Many students in schools in Marin County are not aware that vaping products contain nicotine, that it is highly addictive, and can severely damage their health.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1:
The County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services, the Marin County Office of Education and all school districts should increase initiatives to provide students, parents, and the community with more information and support on vaping prevention and cessation. Initiatives should include digital and social media content, including materials for middle and high schools.
R2:
Marin County Office of Education should create and make available resources for students, parents, teachers, and the community stressing the dangers of vaping and where cessation assistance can be obtained.
F5:
Many parents don’t know about vaping. They can’t recognize vaping devices, are not aware that their children are vaping, and may not know the severe damage to health vaping can inflict.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1:
The County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services, the Marin County Office of Education and all school districts should increase initiatives to provide students, parents, and the community with more information and support on vaping prevention and cessation. Initiatives should include digital and social media content, including materials for middle and high schools.
R2:
Marin County Office of Education should create and make available resources for students, parents, teachers, and the community stressing the dangers of vaping and where cessation assistance can be obtained.
F6:
Vaping cartridges can be refilled with substances including cannabis extracts that are several times stronger than the marijuana smoked by previous generations.
F7:
Peer pressure leads many adolescents to take up and continue using vaping products. Peer to peer programs and coaches effectively help students deal with peer pressure.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
The Marin County Office of Education should partner with high school coaches and the Marin County Athletic League, educate them on the dangers of vaping, and develop a program to stress those dangers to the members of their teams.
F8:
All government bodies in Marin County do not ban the sale of flavored tobacco. To be effective, a ban must be county-wide and be vigorously enforced.
Related Recommendations (2)
R5:
All municipalities in the county that have not banned the sale of flavored tobacco products should do so within the next year.
R8:
All law enforcement agencies should coordinate the enforcement of sales bans on flavored tobacco.
F9:
Adolescents who want to stop vaping face unique problems that make it extremely difficult for them to quit. To date, no cessation programs that address their special needs exist in Marin County.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7:
The County of Marin Department of Health and Human Services should work with the local medical community, including Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Healthcare and the Marin Healthcare District to establish teen nicotine cessation programs.
F10:
Vaping aerosols are odorless, smokeless, and hard to detect. However, commercial devices to detect vaping aerosol are available and can be installed in school areas where vaping commonly occurs.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
Each school district should install vaping detectors in school bathrooms and other areas where vaping frequently occurs.
F11:
Mentholated tobacco products are damaging to health, but not all flavored tobacco ordinances in the County ban them.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6:
Novato and Fairfax should amend their tobacco ordinances to include menthol flavored tobacco products.
Findings & Recommendations
7 findings
F1:
An important key to the success of SMART will be the availability of economical, fast and convenient transit connectivity to and from the stations since many passengers do not live or work in areas close to these stops.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
Transportation Authority of Marin and Marin Transit should conduct surveys and pertinent research, using the criteria of convenience, cost, and accessibility to determine optimal “first mile - last mile” connections to SMART stations.
F2:
There are numerous transportation modes to connect with SMART stations. These include: walking, biking, electric bikes and scooters, cars, ride sharing, Lyft, Uber, traditional taxis, group vans, standard sized as well as smaller buses, including shuttles such as Marin Connect, which can be called as needed. In the future, autonomous shuttles and other vehicles will be an option.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
Marin Transit should expand the usage of Marin Connect beyond northern San Rafael no later than the first quarter of 2020.
F3:
Transportation Authority of Marin in conjunction with Marin Transit, are the agencies charged with fostering public transit connectivity with SMART in Marin.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
SMART should complete and publish its feasibility study by July 2019 on the east-west track connecting to an Amtrak station in the East Bay.
F4:
Comprehensive surveys of customer riding patterns are extremely useful to the determination of which modes to focus on and put resources into, but the ultimate determination will be driven by customer preferences over the next few years.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
Upon completion of the SMART station in Larkspur, there needs to be a free passenger shuttle between the station and the Larkspur ferry terminal.
F5:
The distance between the SMART Larkspur terminal and the ferry terminal may act as a barrier that could adversely impact SMART ridership since currently there are no known plans for public transit between the two terminals.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
SMART, Transportation Authority of Marin and Marin Transit should prepare a joint feasibility study for the possible implementation of an autonomous shuttle for connection from the Larkspur SMART station to the Larkspur Ferry.
F6:
The SMART plan calls for limited parking for passengers at the Larkspur station. This could be an obstacle to SMART ridership northbound.
F7:
There are railroad tracks owned by SMART going east out of southern Novato currently used only for freight. An engineering study is currently underway, due late spring of 2019, to determine the feasibility of extending SMART to Amtrak in the East Bay. COMMENDATION In its first year, SMART and the other transit agencies have done a commendable job in developing first and last mile connections to SMART stations. This report attempts to provide a comprehensive guide to the various connection options. To further encourage ridership on SMART, it also makes recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the connections.
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Findings & Recommendations
22 findings
F1:
Existing vegetation management codes are both inconsistent and inconsistently enforced.
F2:
There are not enough trained vegetation inspectors or fuel reduction crews.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2:
Hire at least 30 new civilian vegetation inspectors and at least eight fire/fuels crews focused on fuel reduction in the high risk areas of the county, including federal, state and local public lands.
F3:
Current vegetation enforcement procedures are slow, difficult and expensive.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3:
Develop and implement a fast, streamlined procedure to enforce vegetation citations. RECOMMENDATIONS — Education
F4:
Government agencies and safety authorities cannot currently manage vegetation on public lands.
F5:
All property owners are responsible for vegetation management on their property, yet they are not sufficiently educated about vegetation management and many do not have the physical and financial resources to create defensible space. FINDINGS — Education of the Public
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
Create a comprehensive, countywide vegetation management plan that includes vegetation along evacuation routes, a campaign to mobilize public participation, and low- income subsidies.
F6:
Wildfire preparedness education is inconsistent and fails to reach most citizens, especially parents of young children.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4:
Adopt and deliver a comprehensive education program focused on action for all residents of Marin on a regular schedule by a team of expert trainers.
F7:
The most effective method of education is person to person in neighborhoods.
F8:
Although Marin has 30 plus Firewise neighborhoods, the most in California, they only cover a small percentage of population and land.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5:
Promote the creation of Firewise Communities in every neighborhood by all local jurisdictions.
F9:
Sufficient public funds have not been provided to sustain comprehensive wildfire preparedness education.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1:
Create a comprehensive, countywide vegetation management plan that includes vegetation along evacuation routes, a campaign to mobilize public participation, and low- income subsidies.
F10:
Educating the public requires a different set of skills than firefighters usually have. FINDINGS — Alerts
Related Recommendations (1)
R6:
Employ individuals with skills in public speaking, teaching, curriculum design, graphics, web design, advertising, community organization, community relations, and diplomacy to educate the public. RECOMMENDATIONS — Alerts
F11:
Any hesitation to use the WEA system can be deadly even if its alerts might reach people outside of its intended target zone.
F12:
Alert Marin sends the most accurately targeted warnings to endangered populations, but it reaches too few residents because it is not well publicized. Both Alert Marin and Nixle require opt-in registration, a serious design flaw.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7:
Collect Marin residents’ information and add it to Alert Marin and Nixle databases to make them opt-out systems.
F13:
Sirens could be a useful and reliable warning system if their numbers and locations were increased to broaden their reach and if they were enhanced with a customized message through LRAD. FINDINGS — Evacuations
Related Recommendations (1)
R8:
Expand the use of sirens with LRADs. RECOMMENDATIONS — Evacuations
F14:
In the WUI and in many town centers, infrastructure and roads are inadequate for mass evacuations.
Related Recommendations (1)
R12:
Educate, prepare, and drill for evacuations in all communities.
F15:
Evacuation routes are dangerously overgrown with vegetation and many evacuation routes are too narrow to allow safe passage in an emergency.
Related Recommendations (1)
R12:
Educate, prepare, and drill for evacuations in all communities.
F16:
Emergency planners often do not publicize evacuation routes due to their mistrust of the public.
F17:
Town councils, planners, and public works officials have not addressed traffic choke points and, in some instances, they have created obstacles to traffic flow by the installation of concrete medians, bumpouts, curbs, speed bumps, and lane reductions.
Related Recommendations (2)
R10:
Give the highest priority to mitigating known choke points and to maximizing the capacity of existing evacuation routes.
R14:
The Transportation Authority of Marin must convene all stakeholders no later than December 31, 2019, to address congestion on escape routes in an evacuation. RECOMMENDATIONS — Umbrella Entity
F18:
No studies have been performed to determine how long it would take to evacuate entire communities via existing evacuation corridors.
Related Recommendations (1)
R9:
Research, develop, and publish plans for the mass movement of populations along designated evacuation routes.
F19:
The implementation of traffic-light sequencing and coordination to allow mass egress, and the conversion of two-way roads into one-way evacuation routes to ease traffic congestion, are dangerously delayed and years away from being implemented.
Related Recommendations (1)
R11:
Incorporate and prioritize plans for mass evacuations in all pending and future traffic/road projects along major escape routes.
F20:
Public transit is a neglected asset of emergency response preparedness: all operators except one transit agency are left out of the command structure and none is integrated into the emergency radio communication system MERA.
Related Recommendations (1)
R13:
Fully integrate public transit into the MERA communications system without further delay.
F21:
A bureaucratic culture of complacency and inertia exists in Marin. Government often fails to act quickly to repair known gaps in emergency preparedness, to think flexibly, and to prioritize safety in its planning and policies. FINDINGS — Umbrella
Related Recommendations (1)
R15:
Establish in the form of a Joint Powers Authority an umbrella organization for wildfire planning and preparedness (vegetation management, public education, alerts, and evacuation), funded by a ¼ cent sales tax.
F22:
No countywide comprehensive, coordinated policies have been made and no funds have been allocated to prepare for wildfires.
Related Recommendations (1)
R15:
Establish in the form of a Joint Powers Authority an umbrella organization for wildfire planning and preparedness (vegetation management, public education, alerts, and evacuation), funded by a ¼ cent sales tax.