Responses to the*

Recommendations 8

• R1
  The Board of Supervisors BOS BOS responds R1 has not been The BOS' directive is to fully (BOS) reassign the Sonoma implemented and may not be operationalize the EOC and make County Emergency implemented. While the Sheriff's improvements in EOC facilities, systems, Operations Center to be Office conducts effective 24/7 procedures and staff development based under the management of a on the EOC After-Action Report. This operations, a major emergency or response entity that disaster will continue to require directive implies that the BOS assumes their review and staff improvements will operates 24 hours a day, their efforts focus on life-safety seven days a week, such as missions in the field. County staff address weaknesses identified in the the Sheriff's Office and that identify emergency response grand jury report based on research and this reassignment be made functions, such as Alert and interviews. The Grand Jury report by Dec. 31, 2018 Warning, to organizations that identified challenges the County EOC maintain a 24/7 operational experienced during the critical initial capability. June 11, 2018 the BOS period in the night of October 8 to October reviewed the EOC After-Action 9. Those challenges led to a lack of Report and directed staff resources communication with/and availability to to fully operationalize the EOC and other local EOCs. make improvements in EOC facilities, systems, procedures and See "Additional Grand Jury Comments" staff development. August 14, 2018 below the County Board of Supervisors directed that the emergency management program report directly to the County Administrator. 2018-2019 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Continuity Report RES. RECOMMENDATIONS RESPONSES 2018-2019 GJ OBSERVATIONS
• R2
  The County Administrative CAO County staff and stakeholder The CAO responds that R2 has not been Officer (CAO) revise the partners will revise the Emergency implemented but will be implemented in County Emergency Operations Plan in FY2018-2019 FY2018/2019. The Grand Jury identifies Operations Plan in this as a time critical issue and thus it collaboration with all City should meet the target date. The Grand Managers to incorporate Jury acknowledges the CAO commitment lessons learned from this to work closely with stakeholder partners. The grand jury report specifically emergency by 12/31/18 recommends collaboration with City Managers when revising the County Emergency Operations Plan.
• R3
  The BOS incorporate BOS County staff and stakeholder The BOS responds that R3 has not been
• R4
  The BOS strongly support BOS The County, through the The BOS responds that R4 has been California State Association of implemented. The Grand Jury acknowledges revisions to the State of California Fire Mutual Aid Counties (CSAC), continues to BOS support for the important revisions monitor and supports this item. underway. as cited by the California CSAC includes mutual aid Fire Chiefs Association, by 12/31/18.. funding as a priority and supported the Fire Chiefs' efforts in committee hearings. The BOS adopted a formal resolution of support on Sept. 11, 2018. ADDITIONAL GRAND JURY COMMENTS The grand jury report identifies challenges the County EOC experienced during the critical initial period the night of October 8 to October 9. Those challenges led to a lack of communication with/and availability to other local EOCs. Documents in the public domain, which date from early 2017 through December of 2018, reinforce the findings and recommendations in the 2017-2018 Grand Jury report. Documents of particular interest are: 1. Notes from the Sonoma County Operational Area Emergency Council meetings -- specifically May 10, 2017/Unfinished Business/Item C 2. Wildland Fire Assessment report prepared by the Permit Sonoma and accepted by the BOS in April 2017, indicates underlying weaknesses in emergency preparedness and the high probability of a repeat of the Hanley fire of 1964 2018-2019 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Continuity Report 3. Review of the September, 2018 emergency alert system pointed out the remaining weaknesses of the Wireless Emergency Alert/Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (WEA/IPAWS) 4. Public comments from the previous Project Manager of the Sonoma County Public Safety Consortium at the June 11th Special BOS meeting The documents above underscore the fact that the responsible individuals at the executive level were informed of mid-level concerns about of the WEA/IPAWS system. The poor state of staff training and preparedness for an emergency was known to top-level leaders. These deficiencies are still problematic. The Grand Jury determined there is a lack of acceptance of responsibility for response to the fire at the proper executive level. Instead, the Emergency Services Manager who oversaw emergency response was reassigned in March 2018. The 2017/2018 Grand Jury report on the Firestorm describes the lack of information at the critical time the fire crossed into Santa Rosa. The warning and evacuation call from one mid-level City Fire Marshall, in the Fountaingrove area at the time, may have prevented several hundred people from perishing. After the firestorm, a critical communication finding was poor information dissemination from the County EOC to the City EOCs. Since the County EOC is the communications nexus between State and City Emergency Management entities, this function is crucial. With this in mind, the Grand Jury believes the EOC reorganization proposed by both the BOS and the CAO is adequate in addressing the information dissemination problem. However, the reorganization of EOC fails to assign a person or entity with 24/7 notification responsibility to initiate emergency response. 2018-2019 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Continuity Report RES = Respondent BOS = Board of Supervisors CAO = County Administrative Officer Dir DHS = Director of Health Services AS Dir = Animal Services Director THE EVACUATION AND SHELTERING OF ANIMALS RECOMMENDATIONS RES RESPONSES 2018-2019 GJ OBSERVATIONS
• R5
  The BOS and CAO enter BOS The County of Sonoma through The BOS and CAO respond R5 has not Animal Services, will continue to been implemented and may not be into Memoranda of CAO improve coordination with its non- implemented. The Grand Jury Understandings with non- governmental partners. The need for acknowledges that the Bay Area Urban governmental organizations that play a Memoranda of Understanding will be Area Initiative (UASI) is using the proven Sonoma County Disaster Response Plan role in animal disaster evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The coordinated effort, which does as a template to standardize disaster emergencies by Dec.31, not make use of Memoranda of response plans with governmental and 2018 non-governmental stakeholders. Understanding supports the Therefore this has met the intent of the objective of a regionalized disaster response amongst both Grand Jury recommendation. governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.
• R6
  The Director of DHS responds R6 has not Training standards should Dir On August 14, 2018 the BOS approved a resolution mandating the been implemented but will be be enforced by ensuring DHS that the Animal Services creation of a new Emergency Staff implemented in the future. The Grand for AS Development Program to prepare Jury commends that 72% of staff have Director require that all field officers complete County staff to function as completed required online courses as of Dir Incident Command Emergency Workers. This August 20, 2018. The Grand Jury System and fire safety mandatory training will be tailored encourages all staff meet the target date. courses with an emphasis to roles staff are likely to play in an on animal emergencies, emergency. and the Director of DHS ensure that all Department Operation Center members complete the mandatory Incident Command System by December 31, 2018 2018-2019 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Continuity Report RECOMMENDATIONS RES RESPONSES 2018-2019 GJ OBSERVATIONS
• R7
  The BOS and CAO analyze BOS The BOS and CAO respond R7 has not The CAO will conduct a management the current placement of review of Animal Services, to been implemented but will be CAO evaluate the need for an assignment Animal Services under the implemented in the future. The Grand Department of Health within an agency that operates 24 Jury encourages the CAO conduct a Services (DHS), and hours a day. management review and analyze the determine if Animal need to reassign Animal Services to an agency that operates 24 hours per day by Services should be the recommended target. reassigned to an agency that operates 24 hours per day by Dec.31, 2018 2018-2019 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Continuity Report RES = Respondent Dir PS = Director Permit Sonoma OVERALL PROGRESS AT PERMIT SONOMA RECOMMENDATIONS RES RESPONSES 2018-2019 GJ OBSERVATIONS
• R9
  Those challenges led to a lack of Report and directed staff resources communication with/and availability to to fully operationalize the EOC and other local EOCs. make improvements in EOC facilities, systems, procedures and See "Additional Grand Jury Comments" staff development. August 14, 2018 below the County Board of Supervisors directed that the emergency management program report directly to the County Administrator. 2018-2019 Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Continuity Report RES. RECOMMENDATIONS RESPONSES 2018-2019 GJ OBSERVATIONS R2. The County Administrative CAO County staff and stakeholder The CAO responds that R2 has not been Officer (CAO) revise the partners will revise the Emergency implemented but will be implemented in County Emergency Operations Plan in FY2018-2019 FY2018/2019. The Grand Jury identifies Operations Plan in this as a time critical issue and thus it collaboration with all City should meet the target date. The Grand Managers to incorporate Jury acknowledges the CAO commitment lessons learned from this to work closely with stakeholder partners. The grand jury report specifically emergency by 12/31/18 recommends collaboration with City Managers when revising the County Emergency Operations Plan. R3. The BOS incorporate BOS County staff and stakeholder The BOS responds that R3 has not been