The Fire Next Time – Will We Be Ready?

Commendations 1

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  The 2007/2008 San Diego County Grand Jury wishes to commend: All of the firefighters, professional and volunteer, who put their lives on the line in the assault against the 2007 wildfires. This includes both our local firefighters and those from outside jurisdictions who answered the call for aid. All of the thousands of volunteers who staffed emergency shelters, telephone information lines and other disaster aid operations; also the citizens of San Diego who donated time, money, goods, services, etc. The management and staff of the City Office of Homeland Security for its establishment and management of the mega-shelter at Qualcomm Stadium on short notice and with no standard operating procedures in place. The management and staff of the County Office of Emergency Services for its establishment of the mega-shelter at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on short notice and with no specific operating procedures for a mega-shelter in place. The Office of Administration of the City of San Diego Mayor for its prompt activation and efficient management of the Rancho Bernardo Local Assistance Center. This commendation also applies to the City and County staff that worked long hours at all four Local Assistance Centers and other assigned facilities. Also the County Health and Human Services Agency for its management of those centers operated by the County. The Food Services Division of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for expanding and re- deploying its feeding capacity to include field meals of emergency responders, the National Guard and fire victims at evacuation facilities. In addition to their regular workload, these include almost 15,000 meals supplied to the Red Cross for the feeding of evacuees. The Court Services Division of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for its ability to re-assign deputies promptly to security and traffic control functions in the evacuated areas. COMPLETE RECOMMENDATIONS The 2007/2008 San Diego County Grand Jury recommends that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Diego: 08-105: Prepare a ballot measure for the proposing a 2.5% increase in the Transient Occupancy Tax to be used solely for the purpose of improving fire protection levels including additional stations, engines, firefighters, training, equipment, etc. as outlined in the After Action Reports. _____________________________________________________________________17 SAN DIEGO COUNTY GRAND JURY 2007—2008 (filed May 29, 2008) 08-106: Reallocate existing funds and develop new revenue streams. The 2007/2008 San Diego County Grand Jury recommends that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors: 08-107: Review the County Board of Supervisors Policy A-176 on the allocation of Proposition 172 funds with the objective of earmarking a portion of these funds for firefighting purposes. 08-108: Approve and fund the consolidation of fire agencies according to the Phase I plan of the Local Agency Formation Commission or a substantially similar plan. 08-109: Create the position of San Diego County Fire Commander, either as a Deputy Chief Administrative Officer or to report directly to the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Public Safety. The 2007/2008 San Diego County Grand Jury recommends that the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services: 08-110: Include the Executive Director of Volunteer San Diego, or designee, as a participant in Office of Emergency Services training exercises and as a representative at the Operational Area Emergency Operations Center in actual incidents. 08-111: Revise the County’s Memorandum of Understanding with the San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross to include a quantification of its ability to staff and equip emergency shelters, especially in the first 48 hours of a major disaster. 08-112: Maintain at the Office of Emergency Services a complete roster, broken down by zip code, of County staff that has been trained in shelter operations. Roster should also indicate languages spoken other than English. 08-113: Request that the Red Cross roster of trained shelter staff be coded to identify language skills. 08-114: Revise Annex G of the Operational Area Emergency Plan to include a plan for the establishment and operation of a mega-shelter. The 2007/2008 San Diego County Grand Jury recommends that the Office of Homeland Security of the City of San Diego: 08-115: Adopt an Emergency Care and Sheltering Plan for the City of San Diego which includes a plan for the establishment and operation of a mega-shelter, with particular application to the Qualcomm Stadium facility. _____________________________________________________________________18 SAN DIEGO COUNTY GRAND JURY 2007—2008 (filed May 29, 2008) REQUIREMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS The California Penal Code §933(c) requires any public agency which the Grand Jury has reviewed, and about which it has issued a final report, to comment to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of the agency. Such comment shall be made no later than 90 days after the Grand Jury publishes its report (filed with the Clerk of the Court); except that in the case of a report containing findings and recommendations pertaining to a department or agency headed by an elected County official (e.g. District Attorney, Sheriff, etc.), such comment shall be made within 60 days to the Presiding Judge with an information copy sent to the Board of Supervisors. Furthermore, California Penal Code §933.05(a), (b), (c), details, as follows, the manner in which such comment(s) are to be made: (a) As to each grand jury finding, the responding person or entity shall indicate one of the following: (1) The respondent agrees with the finding (2) The respondent disagrees wholly or partially with the finding, in which case the response shall specify the portion of the finding that is disputed and shall include an explanation of the reasons therefore. (b) As to each grand jury recommendation, the responding person or entity shall report one of the following actions: (1) The recommendation has been implemented, with a summary regarding the implemented action. (2) The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future, with a time frame for implementation. (3) The recommendation requires further analysis, with an explanation and the scope and parameters of an analysis or study, and a time frame for the matter to be prepared for discussion by the officer or head of the agency or department being investigated or reviewed, including the governing body of the public agency when applicable. This time frame shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of the grand jury report. (4) The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable, with an explanation therefore. (c) If a finding or recommendation of the grand jury addresses budgetary or personnel matters of a county agency or department headed by an elected officer, both the agency or department head and the Board of Supervisors shall respond if requested by the grand jury, but the response of the Board of Supervisors shall address only those budgetary or personnel matters over which it has some decision making authority. The response of the _____________________________________________________________________19 SAN DIEGO COUNTY GRAND JURY 2007—2008 (filed May 29, 2008) elected agency or department head shall address all aspects of the findings or recommendations affecting his or her agency or department. Comments to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court in compliance with the Penal Code §933.05 are required from the: Responding Agency Recommendations Date Mayor, City of San Diego 08-105, 08-106 8/31/08 City Council, City of San Diego 08-105, 08-106 8/31/08 San Diego County Board of 08-107, 08-108, 08-109 8/31/08 Supervisors San Diego County Office of 08-110, 08-111, 08-112, 8/31/08 Emergency Services 08-113, 08-114 Office of Homeland Security, City of 08-115 8/31/08 San Diego _____________________________________________________________________20 SAN DIEGO COUNTY GRAND JURY 2007—2008 (filed May 29, 2008)

No Responses Found 2

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.