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Extracted from Consolidated Report
This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.
Los Angeles County Grand Jury
• 2008-2009
Be Prepared – Keeping Kids Safe: Disaster Preparedness for Youth in County Custody
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 7 findings
F1
Page 294
DCFS facilities housing foster care children had appropriate documented plans and procedures for handling youths during a disaster. In addition, fire drills were performed and documented on a routine (monthly) basis. Although they did not meet the state deadline for implementation, DCFS has prepared and distributed their CWSDR Plan.
F2
Page 294
Although Probation department camps and juvenile halls were conducting monthly fire drills and do have formal written emergency plans, the department itself had not prepared the required CWSDR Plan, and its emergency plan did not address the issues in Recommendations 3 through 6 below.
F3
Page 294
Three camp sites did not have emergency generators to power lights, refrigerators and other camp equipment. Since the camps are in remote areas of the County, a power outage would make them solely reliant on batteries, therefore limiting the period of time the camp staff and detainees could be sheltered before they could be evacuated.
F4
Page 294
There was no evidence that breathing masks and goggles were available and distributed at Camp Holton during the Merek fire to minimize the impact of breathing problems during the emergency. 2008-2009 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury Report 275
F5
Page 295
The Probation Department plan does not specify who will provide secure transportation in the event an evacuation is required. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has buses which are designed to move inmates securely. Because of the risk of escape, unsecured buses are not a viable option.
F6
Page 295
Based on the Merek fire transcript, the primary access route to Camp Holton was blocked by downed power lines. In the event an evacuation had been ordered, buses would have been prevented from reaching the camp.
F7
Page 295
The Auditor-Controller does not have in their DCFS Group Home Program Review Checklist specific procedures to ensure each foster care facility has a complete and current version of the LIC 610 Disaster Plan and a log of fire drills conducted.
Recommendations 7
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R1Page 294– Director of DCFS The Director of DCFS should incorporate relevant sections of their plan into all new standard contracts with group homes, foster care families and foster family agencies where appropriate. At a minimum, the contracts should add a section reinforcing caregiver responsibilities for preserving records and maintaining possession of the records at all times during a disaster.
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R2Page 294– Chief Probation Officer The Chief Probation Officer should prepare their version of the CWSDR Plan
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R3Page 294– Chief Probation Officer The Chief Probation Officer should continue with the Department’s existing plan to install a generator for Camps Miller and Kilpatrick. The Chief Probation Officer, within the next six months, should obtain a special use permit for U.S. Forestry land that would allow them to install a generator at Camp Headquarters and Camp Holton. Finally, the Chief Probation Officer should, within the next six months, install a generator at Camp Routh.
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R4Page 295– Chief Probation Officer Accordingly, the Chief Probation Officer should, within the next six months, ensure adequate supplies of goggles and masks are stored at each facility and distributed when air quality is impaired during a brush fire or similar problem.
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R5Page 295– Chief Probation Officer Within the next six months, the Chief Probation Officer should formalize an agreement with the Sheriff to ensure availability of buses, or explore alternative options such as acquiring a fleet of appropriately configured vehicles to evacuate at least one full camp.
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R6Page 295– Chief Probation Officer Based on this experience, the Chief Probation Officer should, within the next six months, review each camp to ensure that there is a secondary ingress/egress route for transportation vehicles.
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R7Page 295– Auditor-Controller The Auditor-Controller should incorporate a specific procedure to verify that each foster care facility has the two documents identified in Finding 7. 276 2008-2009 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury Report LIST OF ACRONYMS CWSDRP - California Child Welfare Services Disaster Response Plan DCFS - Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services LIC 610 - California Department of Social Services, Emergency Disaster Plan for Child Care Centers form 610 SEMS - Standardized Emergency Management System PL - Public Law