Operation Full Court Press

The EOC was not used during the March 2011 tsunami surge in which Noyo Harbor suffered substantial pier damage.

California National Guard personnel effectively utilized the EOC as a Command-and-Control Center during “Operation Full Court Press”, a three week long multi-agency marijuana operation during the months of July and August 2011. I agree with most of the finding and seek to clarify; The EOC was effectively utilized by the National Guard and numerous other federal, state, and local agencies as a Command and Control Center during "Full Court Press".

The GJ learned that the telephone emergency warning system, “Reverse 911”, has proven to be effective in emergencies. In 2011, the County paid $35,000 to contract for this service. There are plans to submit a formal Request for Proposal for this service beginning 2013-2014.

The “Gang of Five” authorized individual agency funding for a year to purchase the HAZMAT vehicle. The HAZMAT team is comprised of personnel from County fire agencies and various state agencies (CalFire/Cal 951 Low Gap Road 707-463-5667 Ukiah, California 95482-3734 Fax 707-463-4689 Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Office of Emergency Services – Sheriff’s Response Trans/CHP). REHIT operates on an annual grant funding of $278,000. I agree partially but do not agree nor disagree with the remainder of this finding. This Finding should be referred to the REHIT Coordinator.

REHIT responded to 22 incidents in 2011 and 6 incidents during the first quarter of 2012. I neither agree nor disagree with this finding as I am do not collect data as to the number of incidents taken or responded to by the REHIT team in 2012. The finding should be referred to the REHIT Coordinator for comment.

Meth lab cleanup transportation costs will no longer be financed by the state. I neither agree nor disagree with this finding as I have not been fully briefed on changes to the state budget regarding lab cleanup, transportation, or disposal costs. The finding should be referred to the REHIT Coordinator for comment.

The County paid $228,000 in overtime pay to MCSO personnel during the Fort Bragg manhunt. The search for the double homicide suspect in Fort Bragg cost approximately $278,000 in overtime, $40,000 in logistics and $7,000 in helicopter costs.

In early 2012, a proposed Assembly Bill, AB1863, requested the State reimburse Mendocino County for costs involved in the Fort Bragg manhunt. The bill would also ensure that emergency funds be made available to rural areas for such incidents in the future.

An audit, paid through MCSO, questioned whether there was a need for a sergeant's position to staff the OES.

The audit recommended that OES revert to staffing by the CEO’s office. I disagree with the findings of the audit. The increased efficiency of the OES Coordinator has resulted in an increase of successful grant applications, and improved relationship with the four incorporated cities.

Countywide communications have vastly improved over the past few years. Seven microwave towers, located within Mendocino County, have replaced the older and ineffective “repeater system” that made communications with the south coast difficult and problematic.

By January 2013, all emergency agencies will have to adhere to the federally mandated “narrow banding” of all frequencies within Mendocino County. The narrowing of the band could cut down effectiveness 10% to 25%.

In 2012, the County purchased four tsunami-warning sirens from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office. These sirens will be placed in low-lying areas susceptible to tsunamis. Two sirens are to be installed at Noyo Harbor and one at Point Arena by May 2012.The fourth siren, partially funded by the City of Fort Bragg, will be installed later in the Pudding Creek Area of Fort Bragg.

Each spring, the counties of Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte participate in a coordinated “Live Code” exercise, which simulates an impending tsunami. Other agencies involved include the California Emergency 4 Management Agency and the West Coast Tsunami Warning Center. The scheduled date in 2012 was March 28.

An after-action report of the March 2011 tsunami reported there were several minor glitches involving inter-agency communication regarding road closures along Highway 1.

The local EMS Agency is mandated by the State to implement and enforce the provisions of the safety code in order to promote effective and efficient pre-hospital care. This is accomplished by providing certification and accreditation in monitoring training programs and investigating complaints. Funding has been a long-standing problem.

The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), completed in 2006, is outdated.

Debris from last year's Japanese earthquake/tsunami is expected to wash ashore along the Mendocino coastline in 2013. There is no state or federal funding for cleanup costs.