Santa Barbara County Grand Jury
• 2025-2026
Is the County Neglecting Emergency Preparedness?
⚠️ 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 and Recommendations 5 findings
F1
The placement of Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management (SBCOEM) as a subordinate division within the Santa Barbara County Fire Department is negatively impacting the ability of SBCOEM to fulfill program responsibilities.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors direct the CEO to return SBCOEM to a direct-report position.
F2
Current staffing at Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management (SBCOEM) is not sufficient to meet all program responsibilities.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors increase SBCOEM staffing to 12 full-time employees.
F3
SBCOEM does not currently have a fully trained cadre of 204 Disaster Service Workers (DSW) that can report to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when needed for extended activations.
Related Recommendations (3)
R3a
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors direct SBCOEM to implement an EOC Training & Exercise Program that provides a regular, annual training and exercise schedule for at least 204 county DSWs.
R3b
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors direct the CEO to require all department heads ensure selected County Disaster Service Worker staff participate in a SBCOEM EOC Training and Exercise Program.
R3c
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors ensure department head cooperation in the SBCOEM Training and Exercise Program by adding the DSW participation requirement to their annual performance review process.
F4
Because inspection, training and exercise responsibilities of oil and gas facilities was removed from SBCOEM and shifted to the County Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division approximately 10 years ago, the County is not in compliance with the Santa Barbara County Operational Area Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
Related Recommendations (2)
R4a
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors relocate the Oil and Gas Program back to SBCOEM.
R4b
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors direct SBCOEM to participate in Unified Command during any future oil spill incidents.
F5
Because SBCOEM does not currently have an active Disaster Service Worker Volunteer (DSW-V) Program as provided for by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the County is not taking advantage of valuable volunteer resources.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors direct SBCOEM to restore a comprehensive DSW-V Program that registers, trains, and utilizes the services of local volunteer emergency communication organizations.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors
Elected County Office
In the News 3
News coverage of this report, automatically tracked.
County’s Emergency Management Office Is ‘Understaffed and Underfunded,’ Grand Jury Finds
Noozhawk
· June 25, 2026
New report says Santa Barbara County needs to beef up emergency preparedness efforts - KCLU
KCLU
· June 24, 2026
Grand Jury questions Santa Barbara County emergency management staffing and funding - Santa Barbara News-Press
Santa Barbara News-Press
· June 20, 2026