good morning and -- thank you
all for being here welcome
to our informational hearing
being conducted by the joint
legislative committee on
emergency management and the
assembly select committee
on natural disaster response
recovery and rebuilding
today's discussion will be
on the alert strengthening
California's public warning
systems I do have an opening
statement -- but before I read
that I I feel compelled to
make the following statement
-- we are sitting here in
Carpinteria California which
less the or a little over a year
ago I guess it was less than a
year ago -- we suffer through
what was that at the time
the worst wildfire in history
California -- it started
December fourth during our so
called off season and burned for
forty days moving up from Santa
Paula in Ventura county to past
where we are right now ending
up over monta Seto in
next to the city Santa Barbara
and of course -- resulting in
a debris flow two weeks later
they killed twenty three people
we have since that period
of time we are no longer the
worst -- or the largest fired
wildfire in California history
we've been superseded now on
several occasions just within
the last twelve months so
it makes us ask the question
of what is going on
and frankly it's really
tragic that we're here today
to discuss how to deal with
raging wildfires that have
become the new abnormal in our
state these fires have snuffed
out lives of over a hundred
and fifty Californians in
the past year alone destroyed
homes and property in the
hopes and dreams of thousands
our failure to listen to
the plaintive cry of mother
nature that we are warming
our natural climate creating
severe and dramatic changes in
our weather leading to extreme
drought winds and conditions
that have now led us to the
point we're at here today and
even after in undisputed bull
scientific study was released
trust this past week national
leaders continue to foolishly
did not hide the challenging
conditions of our planet
recklessly and irresponsibly
blaming those they do not like
for something that is obviously
occurring as a result of
human behavior all that
aside we are here and today
we meet at the epicenter of
one of these disasters the
Thomas fire again it occurred
not even a year ago and which
has been supplanted over the
past several months by larger
fires by more deadly fires
fires that have existed during
our so called rainy season and
so here we are so with
the state of California come
together to try to find ways
to reverse this threat to our
communities and as governor
brown has referred to it as the
existential crisis of our time
he is not wrong and I ask
how many times does mother
nature have to hit us in the
face with a two by four for us
to start recognizing that we
must change the way we
work and live and provide
within our communities
this is going to continue
unless we immediately recognize
our behavior is creating the
circumstances that have led
to these fires in these deaths
and so we are here today
to work to protect our
people our property our
communities by focusing
on this is issue a public
warning systems it is not
going to fix the problem
we must try to fix the problem
but in the interim we are here
working on waste that we can
protect our communities it is
our responsibility is government
it is our responsibility as
human beings living on this
planet and it's one that we must
start to take more seriously
and act more dramatically
while we figure out ways in
the interim to protect the
people who make up our great
state and with that I'd like
to wish you all good morning
and the thank a first the
the city of carbon rear for
hosting this event here -- in
their city hall the cut the
discussion today will be our on
-- strengthening California's
public warning systems I'm
senator Hannah Beth Jackson
I represent this magnificent
area the nineteen state Senate
district which is all of Santa
Barbara county and the western
portion of inter county and like
my colleague assembly member
Monique Limon every member of
the Thomas fire burned within
our respective districts so
we understand and appreciate
the magnitude of this problem
I am here also with assembly
member Marc Levine who service
along with assembly member
thing known as co chairs of the
assembly -- committee on
-- select committee on natural
disaster response recovering and
rebuilding he represents a nice
area the tenth assembly district
in Marin and Sonoma counties
and of course -- has similar
experiences -- that -- he has
had to address in his tenure as
well and Dodd like to well I'll
give a warm welcome to all of
you were here our distinguished
witnesses and guess who travels
for throughout the state to to
be with us here in Carpinteria
to provide us with their
expertise -- so that we can
work to improve a system
which we have been working to
improve we made great strides
last year -- but we still have
work to do we have a lot of
work to do in this area any
others to try to remove --
to improve our responses --
to these horrific conditions
which have created such damage
and destruction throughout our
state -- the we have --
papers in the back the -- that
include a variety of materials
and the -- agenda for today
-- this so program is also
-- this committee hearings
also available online for
those -- watching today's
hearing remotely at emergency
management dot Senate dot
CA dot gov that's emergency
management dot Senate dot CA
dot gov in if years older so I
am you wonder what the heck did
you just say but there it is
-- that's what we are hoping
we're going to get a good
response the public needs to
understand what we're doing
we need input we will at the
end of our hearing a lot for
brief public comment but this
is just the beginning of the
conversation -- our witnesses
come from emergency management
offices across the state
representing both urban and
rural northern and southern
California regions and many of
us who are many of those who are
here today and I want to thank
you are fresh off emergency
assignments -- in their home
jurisdictions or deployments
elsewhere throughout the state
-- using our mutual aid network
which is an extraordinary --
system that we have here in
California which is responsible
for doing the extraordinary
job in dealing with these
horrific fires reducing the
potential loss of life -- is
significantly as we have and
putting out some of these
fires that would otherwise
continue to rage on perhaps
indefinitely -- we have --
also a Louisiana and seen this
the bilingual public outreach
coordinator for the city of
Santa Barbara fire department
to is here with us today we
have issues said I know assembly
member Limon will mention
them -- dealing with making
sure that all our population
gets appropriate messages in
languages that they are able to
understand -- when we have the
significant events I remember
when we had the -- Thomas
fire it was translated as the
hair brush fire and obviously
when I hear brushes on fire
you're not quite is concerned
-- and of course they did have
some -- detrimental impacts
as a result of that poor
interpretation that -- that
was submitted to the community
-- but -- Liliana thank you
for being here she's a state
coordinator for the least those
program -- her name doesn't
appear on the agenda but she
will take part in the next
steps panel toward the end of
the hearing this is the third
hearing in a series examining
our emergency public warning
systems ironically last year
on December fourth we held I
think was our first hearing
on the subject after the tubs
fire in the Sonoma fires -- to
talk about that system little
did I know that an hour and
a half after banging down the
gavel saying hopefully we have
a little rest but it's December
-- we should be able to pull
together some of these best
practices that an hour and
a half later the Thomas fire
started -- an irony
that will never leave me --
we have as I mentioned
-- had that hearing in December
fourth on March seventh
the committee held a second
hearing focused on California's
decision to opt into the first
net public safety network
managed -- by the federal
national telecommunications and
information administration --
we will perhaps have further
discussion about the various
different programs and systems
that are available but the
goal of these two hearings was
to educate state policymakers
on how these two categories
of emergency communications
networks functioned and to
identify areas for improvement
-- which led to -- the passage
of I believe it was for --
pieces of legislation last
year we will be discussing
-- how those -- pieces
of legislation are being
implemented and -- we will
proceed with that discussion
here in just a couple minutes
we do know there is more work
to be done to create a more
robust reliable and effective
network a public warning systems
across the state and as we know
the stakes cannot be higher
so -- rather than go through
the various fires that we've
had in the past twelve months
some of which are literally
still smoldering -- we're we're
trying to wreck -- identify the
remains of those who but in
addition to now the eighty
eight who lost their lives
at the campfire -- in others
and the will see fire -- in all
the other tragedies that we've
been suffering we have work to
do -- we have to move forward
we have to try on a national
level to the extent possible
as well as within our state to
everything we can to protect
the public which is our primary
responsibility is government
so with that -- I'd like to
invite my co chairs to offer
an opening statement and --
also have a -- statement from
assembly member Gallagher and
if one of you would like to read
that as well you may note he is
the is assembly member in the
area of the -- campfire
in office he was unable to
join us today so Mister culture
toss it over to my colleague --
assembly member Monique Limon
thank you thank you all of you
for being here and and those
watching online or at home --
a think as is been said it
we had a thought about gathering
and having this conversation
independent of what's happened
over the last month and the
fires -- in primarily it was our
chance and ability to reassess
where we've been a number of
when we first had a hearing in
our district I think you know
several months ago we we shared
the dozens of bills that had
moved forward -- related to
and natural disaster response
emergency notifications -- and
there after everything that
that that comes thereafter
related to recovery and --
meal we've learned in California
that even the fires that we
talked about -- a year ago
that we lived in experience --
are all identical and that
-- at as much as we rely
on -- our abilities as human
beings on science to give us
directions -- about what to
do and how to do things that
there are the magnitude of what
we've lived -- in the state of
California -- has grown to an
extent that we didn't really
think was possible we thought
that even with these laws in
place -- and knowing
the direction we wanted to go
into -- it would certainly help
-- an aids the situation and
I want to be clear that the laws
that we put in place the are the
hearings that we have do help
the do you aid in the situation
-- but a one hundred percent
remedy to these fires isn't
nearly impossible -- I think
those of us that represent
these areas know that and now
I see the coalition of members
who represent impacted areas
growing -- and he needs a
coalition that we worry about
how fast it's growing we now
have more members -- throughout
the state of California that
are feeling the impact of
of these wild fire specifically
and that is a concern to us but
what we're here to do today is
also to listen to what has
worked on what one maybe hasn't
work what we need to change and
to accept the fact that this is
an evolving conversation that
we don't necessarily have a
magic bullet at once but that we
assess and that we come together
from experts -- who are on the
ground -- dealing with some of
the emergency to those of us
that are thinking more about
the the impact of laws and what
things need to change and and
how we think about this so I
want to thank my colleagues on
for being here -- regrettably
we've all had very first hand
experience -- with this and also
think everyone else for being
here all of those of you that
are going to testify -- I feel
like we were becoming friends
that very quickly because
we keep seeing each other --
the because there's so much
happening in our community but
this is an opportunity to take
back what we learned what we
discussed today to accept that
things are going to be involving
and that we may not have a magic
bullet but also at to recognize
that both the state assembly
and the state Senate are
committed to this this is why
you see a joint hearing -- I do
believe that will have another
US senator joining us and you
know at about ten thirty or
so and and -- a do you want
to share the statement -- from
-- our colleague James
Gallagher who of there's
print had on my phone and
that from our colleague James
Gallagher James Gallagher
assembly member James Gallagher
represents -- the city as
the communities of paradise
-- as long as well as others
and couldn't be here today
but I think yeah his statement
is is very important at to
hear and to get on record
colleagues it is with great
sadness and shared grief with
my community that I have to
report of yet another tragic
wildfire cleaning the lives
and property of Californians
after last year's fires I hoped
it couldn't get worse it
has I never could have found
them that my district would
be the site of the deadliest
wildfire in California history
we are up to eighty eight
people confirmed dead and over
fifteen thousand structures
destroyed the communities of
không cal paradise Mongolia
have been disseminated
but as many of you on the
select committee know all too
well devastating wildfire is
and has been an imminent
threat in California and in
recent years due to the drought
high fuel levels low moisture
and ever increasing high winds
have become an even more deadly
had become even more deadly
for our communities this fire
moves faster than anyone could
have imagined it started in
a remote area off highway
seventy into rain that was
extremely difficult to reach
by firefighters it was quickly
blown to fifty miles per hour
winds and within two short
hours had blazed through the
communities of con cal jumped
to canyons and was already
lightning lighting fires in
the community of paradise
quite simply no one expected
it to move this fast
respond hers have likened it
unto a flame thrower which shot
fiery embers up to a mile from
the fire line beginning new
spot fires which in turn were
blown even further down
when I don't pretend to have
the answers to how we prevent
tragedies like this from
happening I know you are
discussing warning systems
today all I can tell you
today is that this happen in
communities that were very
fire aware that had evacuation
plans and strategies in place
that had a practice and
simulated evacuations and
that had led community efforts
to get people signed up for
warning system like code red
the fire move faster than we
prepared for in the end we still
had people who said they had
no notice and we still had
traffic jams during evacuation
that prevented people from
getting to safety fast enough
knowing that we had these
types of fires to contend with
we will mostly we will most
definitely need to up our
game I am committed as
I know you are to finding out
how we can do so thank you
for your time and attention
to this important matter and
I look forward to working with
you to find the answers in
the coming legislative session
assembly member James Gallagher
with those words I will pass it
on to our co chair Marc Levine
thank you very much
thank you very much a some
some number and and senator
-- it good morning and thank
you all so much for being here
and coming -- to this hearing
and -- I also think everyone
who traveled here to give
testimony and provide your
expertise cinema really grateful
for your leadership in the
state as we're going through
-- these disasters and the
impacts of climate change above
all I'd like to take a moment
to recognize on the Los that
the state has experienced over
the past thirteen or fourteen
months and also of the
sacrifices of brave women and
men across the state who risk
their lives to protect us their
efforts do not go unnoticed
one -- on Wednesday thanksgiving
eve I had an opportunity
visit the camp fire and
see firsthand the faces of
displaced residents devastated
by yet another wildfire in
California assemblymember
Gallagher's words -- could not
-- describe more accurately what
I heard -- on Wednesday night
-- I listened -- to both
-- survivors and public safety
personnel who detailed countless
close calls in horror stories
from the initial hours of
evacuation the devastation
is all too reminiscent of
the then record setting fires
and twenty seventeen -- the
effects of which we are still
recovering from -- in the
North Bay as well as here
in not in Santa Barbara and
Ventura county all while I have
friends and acquaintances who
lost their homes in the North
Bay fires last year it was
the Thomas fire that took at
the home of one of my family
members here inventor county
-- it is clear that each
subsequent year will force
us as residents public safety
personnel and lawmakers to
face an ever changing emergency
landscape not only with the
threat of fires but mud slides
earthquakes floods and other
unforeseen disasters and it
was earlier this year that I
join my colleagues some Amberley
known to tore the mud slides
-- that affected the communities
of mine a CEO and and see first
hand -- how your community was
impacted by this we thought
that we're doing a lot of work
to move our state forward and
better prepare ourselves last
year but this is something
that we will be working on
for many years to come as our
communities rebuild and we
protect our communities from
future disaster is my hope
that from the discussions that
we have today we can learn
ways to improve the efficiency
and and -- effectiveness
of our public warning system so
we may mitigate the fear and
loss California's face in the
event of an emergency thank you
thank you Assemblymembers I
appreciate your participation
and know that you have been
actively involved as well
in both trying to prevent
these events and to the
process of recovery in
rebuild which will go on for
years to come and we're
likely to see more these
events going forward and will
likely hear more stories -- but
we're here today to try to do
everything we can to improve
our system I wanna again thank
everyone is here we notice
standing room only so I'm
appreciative of your interest I
know we have representatives of
elected officials here I want
to just give a shout out to
my friend and colleague on the
Santa Barbara for supervisors
Janet will who is personally
present here today thank you
for being here I know you lost
your home several years ago in
the paradise painted
cave excuse me painted que fire
so you know this affects all
of us when we're other whether
directly and I know the senator
stern will be joining us
shortly he lives in the area of
the holes he file in my fired
my understand is he lost his
apartment in that fire
-- he will be joining us shortly
-- to participate in this event
as well so without further do
I would like to welcome our
first three panelists who will
provide an overview of recent
fires as well as recent changes
in state law governing public
warning systems again today
we're going to focus on the
public warning systems how do we
let people know is quickly and
effectively -- and efficiently
as possible -- so that
they can get out without
a good morning to -- Tom
Porter chief strategic planning
-- officer with the California
department of forestry and fire
protection Kim's a garish state
fire and rescue chief with the
governor's office of emergency
services and Mike -- medic of
itch I get that right
close enough deputy director
of logistics management
with also the governor's
office of emergency services
Sherman the floor's yours
good morning -- air Jackson
-- and assembly members Levine
and low moan -- thank you for
having this conversation I'll
give -- cam a basic overview
I'm not gonna go into detail
about the fires in specific
terms just because you really
have been monitoring that and
the public has been monitoring
that through the through the
media and that is is where
the best information is --
but I wanted to reflect on
a couple of things -- the
climate is changing the fire
environment is changing and
we are watching that in real
time -- with -- what's
happening with wild fires --
two thousand seventeen was
the worst fire what fire season
in California history up until
this past month and this month
and -- we did have
-- earlier this year the
largest fire in California
history -- and Mendoza meant
Mendocino county and beyond --
and that we is concerning to us
but that that fired in Bernie
textures didn't kill anybody
-- move forward to November
and of course who we are --
sitting on the heels of of --
the to -- fires that we're
really talking about today --
the campfire -- up in
-- the area paradise in Butte
county and then the will the
fire in in started
in Ventura county burned into
Los Angeles county but --
to very populated areas and
-- what I wanted to focus on
really is is what we're seeing
as a as a different -- thing
in in the fire environment
southern California -- we
are we expect fires to move
miles in hours -- that's not
something that's an and expected
-- and we prepared for that
we in the northern part
of the state have prepared
extensively and paradise in
particular con cow and
-- and Miguel yeah are are
some of the most exercised in
evacuation planning areas in
the northern part of the state
-- they are -- areas where
we've had bad fires and we know
that there are -- road system
issues and -- we we so we
plan and we have done a
lot of fuels work in those
in those communities and
the camp fire outstripped
our planning efforts in
sheer time everything
was everything would
have gone according to
our worst case estimates
previous to what happened
on that morning and
-- so where we are
is we're watching a
climate that that has fire
moving in miles per hour
-- in the southern part of the
state moving north to areas
where it hasn't done that before
and so -- we are re
tooling our our efforts to
-- to develop plans that
reflect that that -- condition
that we're seeing -- and
-- and the need to look at
everything and it's not just
the whether it's not just
the wind -- or the relative
humidity it's it's the extent
of the drought the length of
time that fuels have been dry
-- heavy fuels -- being caught
up in in -- bird as burning
embers in a the column and
dropped miles ahead of the
fire starting new fires in
and around communities that
trap people -- that are trying
to get out in that direction
these are all things that
we we are going to be --
working through in the fire
environment and the response to
fire and so --
that I think in in and of itself
is is the one of the biggest
challenges that that the fire
respond hers and and those
that are doing pre fire work
as we as we will be continuing
under under -- funding under
the nine oh one a bill and
then also your bill -- senator
-- twelve sixty -- those will
be helping us to do more of this
important work -- and we
will continue -- to
-- look at ways to better --
land for the things that are
unexpected which I have just
mentioned -- I think it's
important to -- add to with the
the situation here -- the
what happened in monosyllables
was mentioned -- with the the
debris flows that have followed
some of these fires and and
our -- watershed emergency
response teams are are out on
the fires and have developed
plans to help with the early
warning and and the development
of plans to keep people out
of the way when those events
occur and -- I think the
the public -- warning systems
and the importance of those
-- are going to be key moving
forward in all of all of the
work that we're doing pro
actively and in a response
-- method -- under the fire
departments -- response --
just to give get people
out of the way and I think
-- assembly member Limon
while we're while the year
coalition is growing that
is important for the state
of California and I believe
that is where we need to
be going -- as a state we
need an informed public so
we can keep everybody safe
thank you thank you very much
you
will need your --
right --
hello yeah the
maybe we might
yeah your
yeah --
my real job is to manage the up
fire rescue mutual aid system
for the upstate a California
why I do that it's really an
honor and I do it on behalf the
California fire service without
the California fire service
without our law enforcement
partners along first mutual
aid written to management
every other just one sector
California would not have
the resources to mobilize and
surge when necessary for these
emergencies and others that
will follow I will tell you
after last year and a lot of
conversation -- one of the
things that -- SB nine a one
brought us was pre positioning
-- twenty five million dollars
that -- money that was put into
Calaveras his budget icon as I
refer to my fire chief partners
kind of an escrow fund we've
got some premonition there and
how that money can be used but
I can tell you both the fires
in the north and the south
that -- pre positioning was
actually in place -- during
that time and -- it least
so I can tell you both the
camp in the film was a fire
resources removed to assist --
-- on those fires fairly rapidly
because of that particular
issue we've been working since
last year with California fire
chiefs California metro chiefs
company prior districts league
city fire chiefs conference
state firefighters California
professional firefighters and
the Callaway as fire rescue
fire scope -- border directors
-- but the criterion place and
continue on out of that and
-- I would tell you that -- it
has been an easy process to put
it together but I would think
-- we've got quite a bit of
experience over the last the
last number of months in being
utilized only for fires but
-- was also used in riverside
county for potential my debris
already and we've also stood
up the will be far from Los
Angeles county to assist with
the with flooding and mud
to breeze -- to this point
nam Y. retail this --
our hats really should go
off to these first responders
said to respond each and every
day and then their ability to
not only provide additional
initial tack in that search
capacity the goes on and on
during the course of -- at least
when we hit -- -- the peak and
I and I would tell you that --
-- reporter in our staff work
extremely close together --
on a day to day basis but even
more closely at the exact level
as -- these fires and other
emergencies progressive require
a real coordinated approach
and we come together under what
we call Usagi unified courting
group and -- headquarters and
statements are putting center
to make things come together
at the height we mobilize
a hundred twenty seven oh yes
engines five hundred and forty
eight low government engines
of about seven or eight six
hundred thirty five engines we
brought in another two hundred
forty four engines through email
burden to manage assistance
contact at that time given
example working organ provided
is eighty five engines and all
the ten of those engines want
to to the camp where the other
ten came to southern California
watching state provided up
forty five -- engines Utah
twenty six New Mexico seven
Idaho six Montana twenty engines
-- in Texas providers fifty five
from in so when you look at
that -- that was just three mac
rather -- cal fires ability to
work with our federal partners
additional stage brought in
at the end by nineteen states
provided -- fire resources to
assist us in and number degree
from engines to some overhead do
some hand crews -- during that
time -- at the height
we put nine her nineteen engines
just a mutual aid side not
counting cal fire in our federal
partners on the fire lines
additional eighty three engines
were covering fire stations
-- per California federal
partners little over three
thousand six hundred twenty
two of firefighting personnel
as a as things would just
things would have been a almost
almost should agree pops for
property four hundred engines
on both the walls the fire
in the Compton the -- and
the -- campfire in another
about seventy eighty engines
on the hill fire spread out
those resources throughout the
state war was over also all
the hills resources removed
over the walls the fire --
from and then now we would at
least on the campfire return are
tensions as things would start
to -- I look better to their
search recovery probably no
other time in our history on
fire Los side of the house Los
started out with working on the
-- search recovery park for the
missing personnel were quickly
overwhelmed by number of task
and and resources that we needed
-- State Farm risky mutual aid
system brought in a number of
-- use our resources forever
type three urban search and
rescue teams an additional five
regional urban search rescue
team much like we did during
the the -- but flows here in
Santa Barbara in January --
at the height in old and brought
in level would call HR human
remains dogs little over dished
all three hundred firefighters
so probably to heights well over
a thousand a fire law personnel
working jointly together also
to a point that -- stretch
the limits along permits one
person's capability were cal
fire -- off the incident stood
up and brought in additional
logistical support to feed
shower and take care of those
personality in other site to
their in Butte county again
working very closely together
and I would tell you that -- a
lot of first you're gonna come
out of this the way -- we do
mapping the way we identified in
search for those -- individuals
-- or are going to be looked
at -- and in the weeks and
months to come I think that --
also they should be recognize
that of this is that -- station
coverage specially in southern
California became a significant
issue Los Angeles county Los
Angeles city inventor a all had
stations that were uncovered
vacant -- is we work with our
partners on the on the fires
-- I would take it example is
Orange County fire authority
in talking to chief Brian
Fennessy was it made it was able
to make additional personnel
-- and resources available
to assist and help Garbarino
stations and we brought in those
resources from out of state
venture able release some of
those resources on the incident
back to cover their every day
nine one one calls of those
agencies were dealing with
the biggest thing facing
most for firefighters today
in the state is a continuing
on going number of incidences
in protracted the long term
these incidences are worrying
upon their fatigue and their
ability down the road -- we
refer to it as a behavior health
issues that we're dealing with
and it is significant item --
specially -- knowing in response
that -- our personal deal with
but in how they -- recover and
how well they do down the road
-- I should add that to a mutual
aid assistance on a law
enforcement standpoint in our
with our partner trips H. P. if
she pays over here with Jay how
excellent and how well that was
done we've had to bring
in human remains dogs from
all over the country to assist
right now as well through the
long pursue mutual aid side
of the house and our for our
side to system that particular
site working alongside our
online person stage piece
than the will great work of
Caltrans -- working on road
closures -- however many women
from the California National
Guard in a variety of issues
from firefighting operations
law enforcement to assisting
with shelters -- we gave a new
assignment this last weekend
to help with the -- feeding and
caring for animals up on upon
the incident on the campfire
state himself stepped in health
services a number of state
agencies have really stepped up
to work to read I think you'd
go back and look probably at
the height probably between
north and south over three
hundred thousand personnel were
evacuated -- over one thousand
public schools were closed
it impacted more than million
students being displaced from
north to south and I think as
you're well aware some students
have no schools to go back
to in that long range impact
I would also add that --
comes down to some leadership
and I would provide talked
early on working through pre
positioning of the fire service
leadership why it hasn't been
easy some days and I think
-- -- triple rents and I've
had a couple of very strong
conversations at the end the day
working together getting it done
and and we kind of kind of tease
to one point mark and I did I
said wow so once he should do
we had no money because forces
you to do more things together
when you do have money but
those things are going to make
for a better California better
response system that we do have
today leadership is provided
at the local level with our
fire law -- emergency management
side of the house been just
just been really excellent
one point two we brought
in a type three a fire --
instance fourteen to -- show
up -- support to paradise
city town hall -- eventually
-- released and the emergency
managers outside of the house
able to pony up enough folks
to -- -- make that get them
out of there and and get the
right people the right place
also were good we should the
state level and I think most
of you seen it at around the
panel is that -- at callow yes
cal fire CHP California
National Guard leadership there
they meet regularly once a month
usually the fourth Thursday of
the month for breakfast every
morning there that they do
that and -- they talk about
ways we can do it better --
we talked very frankly about
things that need to get done
and I think that's really
important in today's day and
age is not about who we work
for its not about a political
affiliation about the citizens
and visitors of this great
state to make things better
the real fame of this -- of
of today's hearing is
really about communications
I'll leave you with this
we've talked about it we've
spoken it links after last year
we need a communication system
not just alert warning that
is resilient in reliable
for only the public but Russian
public service to provide
critical services whether be
our land mobile whether B. R.
sell your would be satellite
whatever it may be we need
that capability each and every
day especially when we loose
power or news unique situation
storms firestorms whatever they
may be hit us that's
I would leave you with today
I want to thank you and -- just
before we go on to Mitchell --
I think that the and I think all
of us who have experienced these
fires -- who agreed that the
that the mutual aid programs
the coordination that the
agencies have all demonstrate
together's been extraordinary
I I think without question we
have the finest of emergency
-- systems in place of anyone
in the country -- and thank
you for that and I also want
to mention when you talk about
pre positioning I know that
for the debris flows which
occurred here and which could
occur sure we start getting
some significant rain throughout
the state where those fires
have completely destroyed all
vegetation and created that
instability in the hillsides on
the night of that debris flow
-- I'm told over nine hundred
people were saved because of
pre positioning that you would
Don in anticipation of that
happening so -- the public I
think should certainly feel
reassured that the the best
that can be done is being done
in terms of these kinds of life
saving efforts by our first
responders and I think we all
share in our appreciation for
that and of course going forward
there is much more than the
we need to do is these events
become more more dramatic --
you did mention something it's
not really on the agenda for
today but I think we're all
concerned about is the impacts
that these events are having
on our first responders whether
it's their mental health -- we
know we're seeing a ordinary
and an unusual number of --
first responders having serious
mental health issues leading
in some instances the suicides
-- also the fact that there's
no recovery time or training
time for this new abnormal
that were having to deal with
so I hope that we will take
that into account but the costs
just the monetary cost the cost
to our children and the lack of
opportunity to continue their
education businesses that are
losing their businesses homes
people losing their homes their
valuables their sense of hope
-- and security I think are
all things that is who we are
going for we're going to have
to recognize and try to address
that certainly the work that's
been done -- and I'm sure
with all these fires the fact
that the will see fire we did
have three fatalities but when
you look at the extent of the
damages many of us have -- I
just driving up to one a one
yesterday sing in Calabasas
and gore and a jump eight
lanes of freeway and just I
know in Malibu similar things
the fact that there were three
dances is tragic there could
have been so many more -- and
-- and while we mourn every
one of those people we have
to recognize that -- the work
that's being done has been --
extraordinary so I wanted to
-- least sure my observation
and thank you all for the
next where we are now going
to focus in on the emergency
notification issuing thank
you gentlemen for your reports
and your great work of Mitch
-- Medina which I'm gonna get
it yet match -- who is the
deputy director of logistics
management with the governor's
office of emergency services
will give us an overview of
the recent changes to state law
governing emergency notification
thank image thank you
and good morning it's -- --
so honored to be here at --
destroying hearing information
hearing and I want to thank you
center Jackson and -- and
-- members Levine and Limon for
your leadership I mean you're
you're taking this extremely
seriously and we appreciate
all of your efforts and your
leadership in this endeavor
-- three of the seven
largest wildfires in
California's history happen in
less than a year and as you just
heard from the chief Porter and
she secures on the most LA as
far the campfire -- into county
was -- finally contain this --
this last Sunday and if
you look back just in the last
year in two thousand seventeen
we had all fifty eight counties
for included in the federal
major disaster declaration
you for either the winter
storm or the catastrophic wild
fire incidents so this is not
isolated in his individual
area everybody's impacted in
California not as a result
of those wild fire impacts many
bills were introduced to the
legislature -- in there are
some specific bills that dealt
primarily with a notification
public safety communications
and so I want to give you a
follow up on where we stay
stand on those -- those bills
Senate bill eight thirty three a
month -- from center require --
which should required Callaway
yes -- before this coming July
first in two thousand nineteen
-- to develop a statewide alert
and warning god lot guidelines
and best practices --
those that we've been working
on that extensively at this time
there's been a series of of
meetings -- at the local level
with all of our local partners
-- we have a technical advisory
group -- that we as part of
the -- state emerge management
system that has been addressing
this and they're gonna be
presenting that information
to the advisory board its
next upcoming meeting assembly
twenty one -- for -- center
Jackson really was going to is
going to change the the made
the nature how we doing business
it's taking us from an opt out
-- to an opt out verses an opt
in requirement by using the
utility information that's out
there -- I've seen that -- we
have our colleague -- -- Jeff
Norris from San Matteo on the
agenda today which is great
because a San Matteo is our is
our first adopter -- of that
system and and taking advantage
of that and the lessons learned
-- from San Matteo will be
-- excellent to share with
our at the county partners
-- some of the late eighteen
seventy seven -- from
-- member the mon -- which
said in as is focused primarily
on translation of services in
transition styles and guides
and we're working on that as
well and that is continue to
move forward and then the
assembly bill eighteen thirty
six Senate bill eight seventy
last year was on the docket
which was going to restructure
funding for the nine one one
system -- to push us into
-- next generation and one one
-- on September twenty first
the governor signed eight
thirty three a twenty one in
eighteen seventy seven and
however was unfortunate that --
-- eighteen thirty six or
eight seventy was refuse
passage about the legislature
did a person politics during
election year and it's
important because as Kim said
Rick resiliency redundancy
of our communication systems
it all ties together through
alert and warning through nine
one one and -- obviously
through the -- public radio
side of the house that we
work on so this this it's a
holistic nexus of inclusion
with an entire -- network of
of that communications for us
so one of things I wanted to
highlight the today is that
-- as part of a response
recovery -- ensuring that
local government government
maintains their responsibility
for merging notification
and communication incident
management is critical in key
to this and which is why we work
so closely with our partners
at the local level -- they
generally have the most accurate
information -- they understand
the immediate situation they
have knowledge of both the
potential impacts and wear
protective measures are going
to work or not work so that
role -- their role in their
maintaining their leadership out
at the local level is the basis
of our standardized emergency
management system you'll hear
their term Sims use regularly
and -- it's critical for
the for them -- to be in that
lead and the state and the
federal government come in
support them in those efforts
as a previous stated on --
Senate bill eight thirty three
on a late morning guidelines
-- where we sit now --
those guidelines have been
drafted they're gonna cover
the timeline for sending alerts
we're gonna cover -- best
practices for sending advance
warning impending threats a
best practices for testing and
training and exercising at the
at the city and county level
of their warning systems --
protocols for redundancy --
how to do staffing patterns
-- to ensure that you have
trained operators to to provide
those alerts at all times
-- practices for best practices
for affected notifications for
the axis and functional needs
community and really developing
the message templates that we
need to have in place for common
terminology roles
responsibilities for alerting
authorities -- has to be
completely vetted and and well
developed and then the course
the technologies available to
send those alerts -- for us
so -- we anticipate that
guideline going for the what
we taking from the technical
subgroup to the advisory
board which is that thirty
member of state accounting
and and and local membership
and then if they get full
adoption and will be able
to publish those guidelines
here are in relatively soon
-- for Sandali twenty one
-- that tool -- for local
jurisdictions -- -- we're we're
anxious to see that I get a
greater put greater -- use
and and really -- the counties
of feeling more comfortable
for the implementation and
that's why I think assembly
tales -- comments here today
we're gonna be so good and
then for the translation --
set household member them on
that is working right now --
we expect that to be completed
in have that in place by the
summer of nineteen so three
great bills that were looking
forward to seeing -- moving
forward and really getting
good implementation -- through
all of our our local and --
partners -- this is the year of
implementation for those and we
look forward to working together
with the -- you on any future
and needs that we may have
thank you thank you -- I have
couple questions and then I'll
put it up for other questions
-- for you Mitch just a couple
-- what is -- yes doing to help
local jurisdictions implement
these bills and -- are you
considering -- crafting an
implementation plan with things
like a model memoranda of
understandings among public
and private sector stakeholders
yeah are a local partners are
obviously the critical component
to this and that's why it's --
it's great to see the -- the
members that are on your next
steps and then future panel
we have here and they have to
have that by in a for anything
that we're going to push and
and develop together so we've
been jointly meeting with them
at this time we continue to
meet with them we draft up
-- -- guidance in the we have
them to come back and ask them
to tell us where we're offer
we're wrong where we we think
-- -- that we can do better
and so we continue to meet
on a regular basis with that
with those members -- to try
to crafting develop the best
-- -- guidance that we're
gonna have Ford and continue
prudent in is your timeline
for -- -- pushing this to
local emergency -- managers
prior to this -- unfortunately
Ted the so recent events that
-- has kind of consumed a lot of
our time -- between the of the
hill will see and and campfires
-- our time when was this this
December we were intending to
have this -- pushed out at the
next assumes advisory group
on that may shift a little bit
force based on time lines and
then finally hopefully getting
into the holidays and giving
some folks a little bit time
off but -- we're very close to
being able to push a definitive
guidelines now I've seen the
draft -- and we just need to
make sure that we have complete
by and from all the stakeholders
and weeks we can push that out
-- and then the translation
services -- our target is the
summer of nineteen -- to have
that in place one of the things
you mentioned I think we all
agree is that there has to be
-- not only by and from the look
from each of the fifty eight
counties but that they have to
take leadership in this -- are
you -- seeing that happening are
weak it has there been --
full cooperation and enthusiasm
my guess is a good word from
from all of our counties
so I would say that -- were
fortunate that we have are
now at the state -- forty
five that I'm tracking forty
five counties -- and their
representation of fifty eight
that are actually signed
up within the op I pause a
community that gives them the
ability to access emergency
alert systems and send --
wireless emergency alerts -- for
example nay may also have local
offices so there's still some
room to to do better -- to grow
-- but more fortunate that we
have a better job Xin I use
I would say that Lake County
is probably our best example
we saw them in two thousand and
and fifteen -- struggle with
alert warning -- when their face
the vents and by two thousand
seventeen -- they were -- the
the absolute example of success
-- they they used every form
of alert warning on the two
thousand seventeen fire that --
that struck in in neighboring
to them they use their their
men she alert system for the
broadcast side they used it for
wireless emergency alerts to
use their own social media and
their own local platform so --
we know that through practice
and through good development --
you can have a good program in
place and and I think they're a
good example of of what you can
see I would add
that -- sure Martin's not a
larger operation he's at the
smaller county and -- he fights
-- a number of vacancies -- --
to staff in his own operation
everyday but they are really
good example of what can be done
and how it can be done the other
day it's gonna come down the
locals doing it emerges camp
to continue to work together
at the state and local level to
make it come together is there
a you know we do I think all
agree that the counties need to
take the lead but if you only
a forty five and fifty eight
that still thirteen counties
that are not participating
-- their communities are gonna
be pretty upset if they don't
get the kinds of warnings that
might otherwise be available so
perhaps offline or at some point
we can have that conversation
because we really do want to
counties to take ownership
but if they're not willing to
do that that that presents a
challenge and -- if you have
a thought on that mental
opening up to the questions
yes and and we agree -- and
we're also getting more and
greater fidelity every day on
-- every city because there
are some cities within those
counties that have adopted so
you see -- they have certain
and programs in place but
I want to give you a county
wide kind of implementation
level so you can see for
that's a thinking questions
thank you at there were
a few elements that were
mentioned in this particular
discussion that probably could
have their own -- hearing
-- but at but I did want to
touch on a couple of them
particularly because that we
have you here as panelists
now and to give us feedback
on -- perhaps direction the
legislature should be thinking
about the elements that to
a a wanted to touch on it
were related to mapping and
search of the missing --
the other one you mentioned
station coverage I and
how we we think about that
-- in the last one is a
conversation that I know has
been happening and assembly
member Jim wood around a bill
this year related to schools
-- but when we have a million
students in the state of
California missing schools and
several who are who no longer
have a school to go back to
-- it certainly is a different
conversation to have I know
that California's it new
superintendent of public
instruction the lacked -- has
had conversations -- at least
with us a few of us at here
about what needs to happen
but if there are any thoughts
or direction that you can
provide on those three
elements -- certainly they
require their own hearing but
it would be helpful to hear
the sun mapping for them such
a further search recovery
standpoint again I think that
-- we have a night
in areas largest paradise
and con cal and even parts
Miguel you that had to be
covered I think that -- it's
it's a pretty daunting task so
-- -- bringing
together the world in search and
rescue site from law enforcement
and then the urban search rescue
side I think up different ways
to approach how to do things
but in the end the day we did
it did come together mapping
was brought in because of the
the the share responsibility
I think what you're gonna see
firewall will sit down after
this talk about best practices
income together you know we
we've got great technology and
I mean that whole heartedly
with with some of the mapping
it's done on a day to day basis
so I I think it's again just
working together to to look at
the lessons learned a because
the next go around -- whatever
the next event will be the
fifth larger -- maybe it's the
major earthquake we're still
gonna have to work through some
of this down the road so I I
feel pretty confident from that
side of it -- Leeson mapping
side of where we're going and
I think that -- CalPERS
incident management team working
with the urban search and rescue
-- side of the house working
long person was able to that
what we really need to do like
to about everything we do in
today's day and age it's about
having programs that are not
proprietary but were how we can
actually interchange information
no matter what we're doing --
to make it easier to bring it
together and some a technology
some interest sophistication
of it but I think if you were
at the infinite base you would
see -- just some of the great
work that was done by firing a
lot to get to this point where
we're at today Blair said going
back in searching of structures
over and over wasn't going
to be the way to go -- but a
lot of good lessons learned
from last year we've made it
this year and still more to do
station yeah and I'll cover
-- station coverage which it
which is kind of -- it's a
bigger issue than cal fire -- so
I'll cover it in a bigger issue
that will include the mutual aid
-- piece which is the non cal
fire local government and other
-- we we are at a point where
we're recovering still from
from the loss of jobs that
occurred during the recession
and so fire departments across
California across the nation
are still rebuilding -- staff
that that the Los during
that period of time and it's
happening -- but we need
to -- look at what the staffing
model is that we need for this
this new situation where
in where -- wildfire season
is year round -- and so we
do have a year round need
coming back to cal fire for
more of that year round type
of staffing that will help
with station coverage because
will have additional staff
in the in the summer months
to be able to back fill fire
stations -- as we are sending
engines out to going fires
-- but it's it's a bigger
issue as I mentioned across
the state there is there is a
need for -- more equipment
and more personnel that are
trained in order to provide
that back filling keep the the
nine one one regular emergency
service needs -- covered behind
these mega events that were
sending people across the state
I'll just close out said I I
we we welcome the opportunity
to have further discussions
with you -- I can tell you
that from emerging management
standpoint we have multiple
task forces that are stood
up simultaneously that we're
trying to address issues that
are ongoing from the event that
is taking place -- the schools
issue -- that you mentioned
is is absolute critical to us
simultaneously were working a
debris removal -- and how to
get all those cell that has
-- so debris removed there on
the watershed -- is another
key functional area that were
actively engaged in a both
for protection and for follow
on -- and then and then right
now equally with the that we
would say within that same
group is and we're dealing
with a fairly large -- shelter
population still it's going to
transition into a housing --
issue that we have to resolve --
for finding a way for temporary
housing -- for the survivors
-- -- particularly in in the
that area so those task forces
are all on going right now --
and we welcome the opportunity
to to kind of lay that out
for you at a future date
the earlier this year we had
the -- the presidential alert
-- tested that took place and
-- help me understand if all
devices all mobile devices
are required to be sold by
their manufacturers to --
Kerry those types of alerts
so all devices are required to
receive a presidential or -- so
would you would you by the way
explained with that presidential
learned is so weak when you do
-- a wireless emergency alert --
that there are the most common
type that everybody's familiar
with is an amber alert --
which we see administered by
the California patrol as part
of that -- alerting process
-- you also will see alerts to
come from the National Weather
Service where you can see when
that comes from presidential
-- so house of those first
time have been tested and --
-- was -- the results on that
-- have come back I don't
have all the exact out in
front of me here but they were
so mixed results depending
on where you're at that the
some latency -- of that alert
-- but like -- as previously
discussed a practice and
-- occasional usage and
understanding how to to the
minister that program obviously
makes it more successful
so that was what I and I don't
want to get in to talk about
the value of that alert so that
that was essentially a test
of an alert that can be used
by state and local agencies
and has been used by state
and local agencies for many
times before that national test
was was conducted in so
that equipments the coming that
all of us have it is equipped
-- required -- so that all of
us can get those alerts in state
and local agencies can avail
themselves of it that
is correct in and when we talk
about alert warning -- obviously
there's multiple levels for the
wireless modular to make it from
broadcasting stations might have
sirens yep local a prescriptions
at a many different types will
be used as a down to the last
piece which is door to door --
working on it but you're you're
actually correct it's -- that
one and then of course the one
that you saw them straight away
of where they were doing it to
falsely state that that that
was in a test that was an error
was an error in a practiced a
scenario yeah -- the
-- in in those test
environments you'll back us
especially during the North
Bay fires tubs and nuns
and and others we --
-- were were told to sign
up for the next sole for
those local opt ins and
dive in so of course a lot
of people were not signed up
for those they didn't go out
to take that step to to do it
-- prior to the the disaster
I'd subscription of course
took off -- afterward
what can you tell me the
that is the benefit for that
because when we do sign up for
an excellence by zip code to
to get that more localized --
targeted alert and warning
then -- people who use
the wireless emergency
alerts are able to give
there are some limitations with
current W. system the number
of characters -- is probably
a good example -- and then
also the comfort level at the
local level so that's really --
where you you like to see our
our local partners a deciding
what they when he is with its
code red with its ever bridge
whether it's an excel whatever
they're using -- to push and
-- information out on a more
regular basis -- I pas gives
them another tool the tool kit
-- at the federal level it's for
them it's free and and so that's
where we like to see if they
have nothing else please sign up
-- but I mean you you want
at the local level to have as
many tools which will gets in
the ability to feel comfortable
a crafting a message in giving
you on that alert that there's
something that might you need
to be aware of or the warning
which and you take action --
afterwards there was a and
and I'm not going to engage in
critique but there is criticism
about the lack of use or
use of we -- -- in cinema
and I have had so many
conflicting conversations from
people about how targeted
it can actually be implemented
-- and that it is not -- and
it of course it we've talked
about the lack of training --
but a about how how much for the
scalpel they can really approach
a community with those tools
I can say that the obvious
technology continues to improve
-- and -- if you remember
from that report there was
-- the folks that were --
-- looking at that using that
-- had just had some older
information they weren't
aware that the technology an
improvement on the ability
to do some better shape files
for your alerts -- was there
that being said when you're
when you're broadcasting alert
over sell either platform it's
going to bleed over there's
always a of the over point in
between areas -- but
what we have found is that --
that there's kind of a myth
that that -- -- sending
these out will somehow be --
create other problems for her
panic and and that's just not
of -- been the case it's very
very -- so we find that people
want to know when there's a
problem and they want you to
send them that information
or something they need to be
aware of we had a --
there is the great case
study of of lake and how they
learned from how they use
these tools and then use them
very effectively and and lake
has so many challenges which
the chief had mentioned but
geographically challenged but
also -- of very low density
-- population as well --
but but very few paths of
egress from the community
which is extraordinarily
challenging we also saw
-- a community impacted by
this with the Oroville dam
evacuation -- in a in a similar
community in the same region
as the campfire where you know
a hundred and eighty thousand
people were told to evacuate
we saw with the impacts were
like -- on --
the the the few arteries out
of that community and south and
that that was a demonstration
of the fear the concern
the people had about doing too
broad of an evacuation we
saw -- this complicated
with the campfire where they
had a plan of phased evacuations
that -- the speed of which the
fire just overtook what that
plan could ever could ever deal
with that plan would have dealt
with the -- B.
E. impacted of of traffic
on the few pass outside of
paradise this this
is a really challenging
complication of we have
it were very close to what
while in urban interface for in
it we have a very fast
fire but we never developed
the community to have --
egress that would allow
for evacuation in these type
of in in these types of events
and that's when we're talking
about alerting communities
and we're just throwing them at
you know these clocked pass
out of town and we we heard
about people had to flee their
cars for died in their cars I
remember -- listening to NPR
one morning and and they had
someone from cal fire try to
give advice on how to hide in
the car in a fire which was
just heroin to listen to --
how to even get to that point
-- I don't think we can
legislate our way out of
that unless you're legislate
that we need to have more
ways out of communities
here are related to that
that's really a land use
planning issue on that piece
-- I think the alerting
that we're talking about nay
primarily here is is important
and and more surgically --
implementing that and then also
early whatever early means and
we talked about that previously
-- I did -- needing to get a
a time line on that but land
use planning is a big piece
of this is well we need to
look at communities as --
ways of mom at the the community
arteries as ways of moving
people out of the way as well
and then -- where there
are challenges we need to we
need to look at what shelter
in place zones look like and
what they need to look like in
order to get people to those
spots that are closer to their
homes allow for the fire to
go through which is how a lot
of the people ended up writing
out -- the campfire they they
only made it to a point in the
community where some resources
were there to be able to help
keep them safe while the fire
went past and we need to
do that but if we're going to
do that we need to do that in
a planned and orderly way that
we that we developed and we
understand the resources that
are at those sheltering in place
points -- we can't just --
haphazardly do this has had
to happen in that community
me they they knew where those
their those points were --
but we need to have a whole
system of getting people out
first and then sheltering
where we have to for a short
period of time until it's safe
to get people I know we need
to move on our next panel of
we have voluntary guidelines
that are coming up out of
legislation that we passed
this past year do you envision
that these will become de facto
standards or are they voluntary
because we've got fifty eight
counties with very different
communities and and there needs
to be more flexibility thank
you re talking about the --
on yeah I I think --
-- that the end of it
what's happened here is going to
really put an emphasis on on
what voluntary means voluntary
Terry is going to be a need to
be before we do go on I had one
other question with that and
then perhaps before the next
panel center stern is joined
us and I'd like to give them
an opportunity to share with us
briefly -- his thoughts on
-- if you could and particularly
the emergency the warning system
there are so many parts to
this land uses one --
and access is another hardening
our infrastructure there in
many different we're gonna try
if we can stay focused on this
alert system issue and so my
question a deals with them
you know we rely heavily on
wireless telephone companies a
two day as we look at how are
we going to notify people fewer
and fewer people have landline
so reversed nine one one isn't
as effective I know in one of
the fires we had -- we ended
up being alerted when a police
officer came to our bedroom
window -- and knocked on the
door and said it's time to leave
not exactly a high tech approach
-- and I know we keep doing that
-- but we are relying heavily
now on wireless telephone --
I'd like I'd like to ask you
how -- -- involved
are our wireless telephone
companies -- at this point
-- in the process of issuing
telephone alerts cellphone
alerts to the public could you
tell us -- whether they are
working with you to harden that
infrastructure -- what we can
and should be doing to get
their engagement in this --
because they they are going to
become when they are one of the
critical notification -- avenues
and if they're not participating
if they're not cooperating if
they're not focusing at all
on this issue that is probably
something we should take a look
at could you respond to that
so our our cellular partners
said as you pointed out our
art it is actually critical --
that that they're part of this
equation -- fort because that's
the backbone of which we --
push all of this information --
out so -- I'll say that they're
they're actively involved this
particular the recoveries are
stages that were in response
for ages that we're in right
now of the fight -- as far
as the overall hardening of
their infrastructure I don't
have that information is not
shared that with this at this
time I do know that -- it
is a weak point it's not public
safety great I can I can say
that -- that it's that is a true
statement -- fort other model
isn't necessarily built on that
when they when they designed it
but obviously the criticality of
what -- we rely on -- has
change so -- they are partners
and they they obviously want
third their networks -- to
be functioning it's what they
do for their business model
-- but when they do go down
because fiber -- either gets
burned over or towers and that
backbone goes down on when it's
when it's impacting its down
for weeks not days you know
it's it it takes some time to
recover restore that and we see
that in the hurricanes were in
fire said that we're dealing
with -- but they do everything
in our power afterwards to try
to find ways to bring coverage
back as quickly as possible
except that doesn't help us
when we're trying to use those
wireless systems to notify
people of the need to get out
it is critical those as our
salary is so the power in
in in in the whole system
without power they don't run
forever the don't let the bed
have something back mark again
you go back to your comment
about role infrastructure
needs to be protected all the
way around in and I'd
be remiss to not say that to
going back to our nine one
one funding side of the house
Callaway S. looks forward
to working with the incoming
legislature in the new governor
to try to resolve the ongoing
funding that we need for
local government in for the
state's system for the future
thank you thank you --
did you want to add something
that you know I just I was gonna
say that yes please that that
that as Kim said to secure said
next Gen nine one one is going
to bring other opportunities
other technologies their
other states that are doing
things with those systems that
are going to allow us to --
-- to changing potentially
change how we do a late
morning and and those other
is -- comes on the seller's
side -- actually correct also
applies to the to the cable
community -- that's out there
if you use -- of wait for all
of your communications now --
so there's you know we have
to have that infrastructure --
that's resilient redundant and
-- capable of of surviving so
we can get the information out
thank you center stern would you
like to make an opening comment
thank you madam chair and -- the
other members for let me jump in
on the hearing today appreciated
-- good to see you
all thank you for joining
the it's been a tough couple
weeks here -- I don't wanna
I wanna stay refined within
the scope there's a lot to say
about everything that's happened
and is happening in will be
working with you all intensively
over the next weeks months
mean even days ray doing god
rains coming this is all real
time -- you know we don't know
what Wednesday and Thursday are
going to look like that's the
mode everyone's in here -- so
very timely hearing today --
I mean I have I have even
going into this next potential
series of small crises we
hope they are small through
the winter rain season --
question just about in
the in this sort of slide
vulnerable regions I do we not
repeat Monna CDO that sort of
middle of the night scenario
-- where maybe you do have a
power vent preceding it maybe
you don't lot of folks is
sleep county stood still
having all opted into these
frameworks that we know the
members put a lot of work
into so not everyone's up to
speed on the alert system like
very much right now what
what's how's it going to look
for I guess homeowners or or
or residents in this region
who are re populating so
that's my first question just
-- yeah how do you see this
playing out and and what we
hear is really that county's
leading now in the response
on on Wolsey -- on both sides
we have to counties engaged
to just maybe yeah with that
sort of overlay not realizing
that maybe you're not in the
lead on this how how will that
communication system look as we
just try to get through the
winter I I know there's
big long term -- reforms
in other topics but
I can tell you that I know
that we work very closely with
the the county -- -- counties
and and as part of their
overall restoration plans
to help prioritize and work
together and bring all of the
necessary resources and our
other partners a whether it's
in the utility said household
as you mentioned -- senator or
-- any other aspects from it and
so we're we're constantly trying
to bring resource together
to help the system in that in
that -- but for the for the
communication sides upcoming
counties are in the lead on that
like it's it's really they're
the main point of entry for
the average resident not from
state so in the weeks ahead
that's that's what we're gonna
see right with in terms of who
people will be communicating
with them in the public at large
like they'll need to tap into VC
alerts or log on the LA county
and sort of pursue those
pathways correct and what
we're gonna support whatever
out reach method that the that
particular county has in place
in addition to a town halls that
were working with them on a on a
regular basis to get information
out Ross obviously going to
post and work with them for
whatever method that they have
established for this whether
it's on the web sites whether
it's -- Britney cation through
one of those alert morning --
platforms three using understood
I yeah I it's something of
food for thought for you all
to consider I'm I'm wrestling
with those moments where we
just need just like you have
unified command what unified
communication actually looks
like we had twelve competing
Twitter accounts maybe not
all competing maybe competing
their people on scanners
there's homemade Google maps
going up there's officially
released cal fire maps people
are hunting and frenzied for
information and he's crises and
so I know it's hard jurisdiction
only in from a coordinating
function to to get these
sort of multi jurisdictional
events together but I I just
wanted to tee it up for this
committee to think on and and
for you all to think on is
yeah how do we just
make it one stop like they're
really they're really ought to
be you want it you might not
even you maybe shouldn't even
have to know what county you're
in I mean they're people live in
bill canyon who who are Ventura
county but there LA city fire
and they think of themselves
as some of them think I'm cells
Angelenos some like what what
system ready even on so happy I
guess maybe you can answer today
but how does that would unified
communication là believe it or
not -- after fires which UC's
you do see fire law emergency
management your emergency
management folks the county
level and ultimately the city's
really are the ones that you
know have a strong coordinating
piece to bring people together
much like we have unified
command that would joint
information center that comes
together to share information
and again if you've already
stipulated that the the
emergency knows no boundaries
knows no jurisdictions and so
they actually start talking
very really honest pressures
weather starts coming a lot of
coordination is taking place
and I think is the next panel
comes up you like to be able to
communicate that were some of
them you know and examples from
the folk should appear actually
had experience of last year here
in Santa Barbara we get ready
for it again requires us all
come together much like unified
command the early planning
stages -- at all levels of
government inspection response
side of the house to get the
notification out to stay in
the same page this critical
and the only thing I would
add for a that is that --
when at the average the average
person public actually wants to
look for a different piece of
information they they actually
want confirming information
from you so you don't you
to say that you think you're
gonna have a single one stop
shopping is really not going
to be a it because people will
receive -- double check you a
one of allocate that and get
confirming data that is out
there and from a source temas
we so appreciate that point
because I mean you said TV
news coverage actually play
an incredibly important and in
some cases actually a critical
public safety role between
the AM radio stations and TV
news which you're not gonna
tell channel seven what to say
right they're gonna say what
they want to say but in fact
they played a really helpful
role in both you know post
disaster and even during getting
information out I mean that's
that's not cellular but depend
so people literally mean KNX
was a lifeline for certain
them so I appreciate that and
yet maybe that's not the right
question then maybe it's not
you know one stop shop but it's
how to get the most accurate
real time data out there
maximizing that transparency
during an emergency event
without undercutting your fire
fighting strategy but really
empowering all those resources
we have with maximum data
about fire movement you know
-- advanced warnings
sort of looking just aye aye I
swear there's got to be a better
way to engaging with the tech
community here -- that we have
at our disposal like how how
does that real time fire mapping
start interact with the public
and what what can be done
to empower the all these
nontraditional outlets to and
I'll leave it at that thank
each minute match I think just
a comment we were during the
Thomas fire I think we were
all wherever we were relocated
to watching our local news
which was on twenty four seven
which provided us with the
best real time information
as to where the fire was
going who needed to be on the
alert -- and again as we've
been discussing center there
it's a multi faceted approach
whether it's radio TV cellular
internet all the options --
have to be on the table that's
why I think we're all looking
forward to hearing what some
of those best practices are
thank you and I want to thank
the three of you for providing
-- very valuable information
to U. S. particularly as we get
ready to start the legislative
year -- and and think about
what what needs to be done --
and how we can continue to work
together so think you and for
your testimony I am going to
ask the following -- the next
panels it to please join us
now and the next panel is
going to focus on implementing
change on the ground -- so
so we're gonna really look at
what's happening we are going
to start off with Holly Crawford
director of that for the
county of San Diego office of
emergency services at Jason
Terry Husing administrative
analyst for to loom county
office of emergency services
Jeff Norris -- emergency
services coordinator San Mateo
county sheriff's office as well
as -- Bryant will emergency
managers Santa Barbara county
office of emergency management
just
good morning senators and
assembly members are going to
get started my name is Holly
Crawford and director of the
county of San Diego's office of
emergency services I've served
as director for about seven
years now and I look forward
today to telling you about the
alert and warning system that
we have established in San
Diego county and I think you'll
find exactly what you senator
stern we're talking about one
unified coordinated a one
stop shop for not only public
alert and warning but also
public communication in two
thousand six the county San
Diego purchased what's commonly
referred to as a reverse nine
one one system we now brand
that system alerts San Diego
that includes both listed and
unlisted land line telephone
numbers as well as opt in the
mobile phone numbers it's a
regional tool that means that
all eighteen cities in the
county of San Diego plus the
county itself uses that same
mass notification system why
is that important well in the
two thousand and fourteen fires
which was a state -- governor
declared a emergency we had
one of our cities call us and
say were overwhelmed can you
evacuate a certain part of our
city we said certainly and
my staff duty officer did so
registrations and are publicly
written warning system called
alert San Diego total five
hundred and fifty thousand
mobile phones where a population
of three point three million
that's a very high number
comparatively speaking how we've
done that we've offered free
tacos we've offered free lift
rides we've offered sandwiches
we've done all sorts of
promotions in order to convince
the members of our community
that it's important for them
to register their mobile phones
through our system but well we
realized years ago is that
people are shedding their land
line phone phones more and
more they're going strictly to
mobile in fact in that you nine
one one system which includes
listed and unlisted a land line
phones there are only one point
three million phone numbers left
so we have three point three
million in our population we
have five hundred fifty thousand
numbers proactive mobile phone
registrations and we have
one point three million land
line phone numbers we also
recognized that as people shed
their land line phones that
these types of predominately
often systems would not be
adequate in the years to come
and that's why in two thousand
and nine the county of San
Diego partnered with the Federal
Communications Commission along
with FEMA in New York City
to pilot what is now known as I
pause and specifically the wires
wireless emergency alert system
we've been strong advocates
for changes to the wireless
emergency alert system
and we've advocated for an
expanded number of characters
the inclusion of weblinks
and refined geo targeting
some of which are up and
coming in will be implemented
in the year years to come
recognizing that we also needed
to find a way to reach our most
vulnerable residents -- in
two thousand eleven we launch
what's called assessable alert
San Diego so when a member of
our community goes on to our
website which by the way is
a one stop shop for residents
anywhere in San Diego county no
matter what city they live in
to find the definitive map
of whatever the disaster is
where the shelters are located
what the evacuation areas are
it's located on one website
eighteen cities in the county
partner to find that website
and support that we lunch what's
called accessible alert San
Diego so when a member of our
community goes to that website
to register for alert San Diego
you can check a box to receive
the public alert and warning
message whatever the protective
action recommendation is an
American Sign Language we have
a contract twenty four hours
a day seven days a week three
and sixty five days a year
with an organization called
definitely out of Texas we pay
them when we send out a public
alert and warning within fifteen
minutes they turn around a
short video clip of someone
communicating that message in
American Sign Language that end
user then gets a link to that
video and is able to view that
message it also includes text
and audio along with a message
now we've used the wireless
emergency alert system a year
ago and the lilac fire and
because we are results in mass
over notification we've elected
to do business with we a and
the way we do pretty much
everything else as it relates
to emergency management San
Diego county which we do it
as a region so the eighteen
cities have signed a memorandum
of understanding such that the
sheriff's department and my
office my staff at the office
of emergency services are the
only entities that initiate a
wireless emergency alert what
does this do well it prevents
one city from sending out one
message in another city from
sending out a conflicting
message so it's all coordinated
on the issue of language AB
eighteen seventy seven a dress
addresses this aye we don't
currently make outbound calls
Cullerton warning calls in
Spanish however within fifteen
minutes sometimes sooner of
sending out a public alert and
warning a translation of that
message in Spanish is posted to
both the Spanish version of our
emergency website it's posted
to our es de emergency mobile
application and it's included
on our Spanish Twitter account
my office is long recognized
the need to reach communities
isolated because of language
work we have a community of
four hundred thousand people
who speak languages other than
English at home and report
speaking English less than
very well and two thousand and
twelve my office in partnership
with our public health services
watched what we call the
partner really system we hold
focus groups to understand the
cultural considerations and
communication preferences of
eight eight different language
communities those who speak
Arabic Chinese Karan Korean
Somali Spanish Tagalog and
Vietnamese we recruited within
our community what we call
language champions within each
of these language groups their
faith based leaders refugee
resettlement agency leaders
nonprofit service organization
managers all committed to
receiving information during
times of disasters translating
the information and then
distributing it back out
on their networks such as
their social media accounts
their websites and posting
it in their actual facilities
the group representing the
most commonly spoken language
other than English and argues
that would be Spanish is not
necessarily the most vulnerable
population for example thousands
of newly arrived immigrants
from Burma who speak Karan
have no news channels TV
stations are publications
which regularly disseminate
information in their native
language whereas Spanish media
abounds in San Diego county
so it's clear that one size does
not fit all when it comes to
public alert and warning I would
caution against over regulating
or mandating requirements that
may be different and rural
versus urban settings and with
varying demographics and local
communities it's clear to
me that future the future of
mass notification is we have
the we a system as of next
year when the geo targeting is
refined to a tenth of a mile
our alert San Diego system
which is the traditional system
of both listed and unlisted
landline telephone numbers
and proactively registered
mobile numbers will become
secondary to the we a system
but I want to end with the
fact that we can't put all
of our emphasis on tools
the very definition of the
disasters that systems will
be overwhelmed and technology
will fail that is certain
where do I think the gap exists
I think it exists in personnel
emergency managers my staff
for the ones who identified
that there was no -- single
grade system it was used
among fire law enforcement
to communicate the boundaries
of an area that needed to be
evacuated we solve that problem
by working with fire and law
enforcement to adopt a single
public safety grid system
so that communication from
the field to dispatchers is
streamlined and quicker my
staff margins the managers at
the county level are working to
train fire and law enforcement
dispatchers on the wireless
emergency alert system we've
emergency managers are promoting
our alert warning systems
and disaster preparedness in
general fire service is there
to fight fire law enforcement
is there to stop crying and and
maintain public safety but into
other significant investment at
the local level in people who
think about these large scale
catastrophic disasters on a
daily basis and work to improve
our resilience to them I believe
these stories will sadly repeat
that concludes my testimony
subject to your questions
thank you and the next
we have Jason Terry
morning senators assembly
members my name is Jason Terry
I have -- a little bit and a
lot of the same perspective in a
very different scenario I it
a in part of this woman county
office of emergency services
are county has just north of
fifty thousand people and one
incorporated cities so we have
-- a different scenario
where we're from but -- a
lot of the same challenges in
twenty thirteen atomic county
was devastated by the rent fire
which at the time was the third
largest wildfire in California
obviously with recent events
unfortunately that that is
dropped a little bit lower --
it was during this time that
-- we reviewed some of our
practices some of our emergency
alerts and tried to find
additional ways in which we
could reach out to our community
-- one of those ways that we
were -- actually drastically
increased our membership in
ever bridge -- was a contract
with Comcast in eighteen T.
and looking at the numbers
today ninety five percent of
the people that we have signed
up through ever bridge in our
county is by those contracts
-- really only five percent
have opted in on their own at
this point in time of course
we continue to try and work
with AB public education --
and a lot of our different
response activities as mentioned
earlier we've had storm events
last couple years we have
archery mortality epidemic --
we we incorporate all the public
information together and just
trying reaches many citizens
as possible when those events
-- so that that has been a
beneficial -- -- tool for us to
use but at the same time what
I like was previously mentioned
-- land lines aren't as popular
and we see -- some of
those dropping off and and that
leads us to one of the issues
that we have using are ever
bridge alert system or even aye
plus system is -- seventy
percent or more of our county
is and Stanislaus National
Forest and I heard it earlier
-- resilient and reliable
infrastructure eyes you're
climbing the hill up one await
toward Sonora pass for people
like to recreation or going out
to Yosemite -- down highway one
twenty and it depending on
what service provider you
have and where you're at you
mind might not have reliable
service so using the systems
as a backbone to notify
individuals just sometimes is
insufficient -- and we've used
it we we use a lot of different
tools to counteract this --
we had the Donald fired this
summer it was approximately
thirty six thousand acres
and was up by lake Don L.
-- and we sent out deputies
and we were able to evacuate
a large number of people --
style a few dozen structures
were destroyed permitted the
struck structures in forest
land but no lives were lost
-- so even though as we we we
send out the emergency alerts we
pair that with that -- physical
contact whenever possible
and then of course working
with our local media partners
working with the the social
media sites -- through our
sheriff's office and our fire
offices -- we are able to fill
some of those gaps but --
we still definitely have that
that gap of you just reliable
infrastructure up the hill
at that's all I have I'll take
any questions if if there are
any thank you and they think
will will reserve our questions
so we hear from all four of
you I next we have brand you'll
from Santa Barbara county
the morning thank you for
allowing me to speak here
today and for taking on this
important issue -- my name is
Brian you'll members who manager
with the Santa Barbara county
office of emergency management
and one of the -- officials in
our office that are tasked with
public learned warning as the
previous speakers pointed out
and as we seen in the course
of several recent disasters in
our state being able to deliver
coordinated prompt reliable
actionable mercy information --
to the community is critically
important keeping them safe in
the last two years alone Santa
Barbara counties been faced
with several -- disasters and
my office is now hundreds of
alerts and warnings as a result
of that we've learned a lot
now and we use that knowledge
to develop -- what we feel
is a very sound -- emergency
alerting protocol one of the
things I want to convey to you
today is that while a mercy
learning may seem simple it
can be anything but mercy
incidents can happen suddenly
leaving officials without enough
time to get the word out there
are unavoidable delays in the
field alerting officials are
often operating within complete
non verified information their
major limitations of learning
tools and infrastructure there's
the ever present potential for
technical failures and human
error there's also legitimate
concerns associated with over
learning causing unnecessary
panic in one of the most
difficult often overlooked
aspects of the learning process
is associated with crafting
emergency messages that can be
easily understood by a diverse
population and can override
individuals internal decision
making process and trigger them
to take swift and appropriate
action that'll keep them safe
one with the state can assist
local governments is understand
these and other obstacles
faced by learning officials
and helping a more accurate
picture of the learning process
for the public we need to make
clear what's possible and what's
not currently the public's
perception is that as soon as
an incident breaks whether to
fire debris flow has mess bill
or other type of emergency
at all emergency officials
have to do is press a single
button and while law and
alert containing complete and
accurate information is sent
out instantaneously reaches
its intended destination within
seconds and with geographic
precision and arrives in
multiple languages and in
multiple formats this is the
perception and forcing the
reality as mentioned previously
can be quite different
another challenge in an area
where the state can help is
with coordination the learning
process is a chain that consists
of a mix of public and private
sector entities that spans
multiple levels of government
and includes a Thomas cellular
internet radio television
cable and utility providers
each link in the alerting
chain is dependent on its
downstream partners and their
infrastructure to get an alert
or warning out if there's one
weak link in that chain the
whole system can fall apart and
the alerts and warnings will
fail in order to be successful
all of the aforementioned groups
must be fully engaged properly
trained have compatible gear
and a willingness and ability to
work together in a coordinated
manner just getting these
groups stick to the table can
be difficult is one of my former
coworkers put it coordinating
this process is like extreme cat
herding only worse I'd have to
agree with them but despite
these challenges we can and must
succeed recent Senate simply
bills in the state wide alert
warning guidelines currently
under development or takes steps
in the right direction but more
needs to be done a little later
today -- the panel's going to
be speaking about successful
learning in the future hopefully
I won't sealer their thunder
by giving you all the details
of their presentations but what
I will say is that in order to
be successful at a liberty --
and implementing change on the
ground now local governments
need a simple procedure that
provides clear guidance and
takes as much of the guesswork
out of the learning process
as possible it should also
leave enough flexibility so
that each jurisdiction is
able to develop specialized
procedures that work for them
based on their own unique
operational needs demographics
staffing levels and budgets
any products or processes
developed along these lines
should bolster their efforts
and operations not constrain
them there also needs to be
adequate support and funding
to provide regular repeated
training on a learning tools
this is imperative because just
like a firefighter paramedic
trains to become proficient on
a piece of life saving equipment
agencies and officials tasked
with alert warning you to train
just as relentlessly on the
use of their learning tools to
be able to generate fast and
effective public alerts warnings
in Santa Barbara county armors
sealer in protocols are based
on these principles we realize
an array of alert morning
tools with the goal of getting
messages out early and often
and as many formats as possible
to help guide this process we've
developed at your chart that
provides clear direction as
to which alerting tools to use
and under what circumstances
the chart allows us to quickly
matches severity of a hazard --
threat with a specific set of a
learning tools the higher
the urgency or more severe the
threat the more learning tools
we use to notify the public this
speeds up the decision making
process significantly and adds
an element of consistency to
an otherwise a radic process
we've also developed easy to
follow job Bates and fill in
the blank message templates
in English and Spanish that
service work arounds for certain
a learning tool limitations
like character limits and
help dispatchers get emergency
information out quickly this
simple model has been used
during several recent real world
incidents as and proven to be
flexible scalable and effective
in closing I just want to
say that we have a unique
opportunity here to get this
right we have the will of
our local representatives
and emergency officials there
stop the legislation on the
books and the public is asking
in no uncertain terms that
we do better I believe we're
up to this challenge and by
continuing to work together
we can get this job done thank
you very much for your time
and next we have Jeff
Norris from San Mateo county
so thank you very much for
including me on this panel --
San Matteo county is a resident
population of seven hundred
sixty thousand people were --
located between San Francisco
and Santa Clara and Santa Cruz
counties so we're kind of the
one reliable bridge between
San Francisco and the rest of
the nation which puts us in a
unique position in that we are
the support structure to San
Francisco we have twenty cities
that are incorporated within
San Mateo county and we have
our twenty first city which
is San Francisco International
Airport which is entirely in San
Mateo county so we have a very
diverse structure we have rural
territories are coastal areas
are in one mountain region
and then we have extremely --
high density urban areas along
the bay side of we have towns
that range from populations of
a hundred and sixteen thousand
to a population sixteen hundred
so we have a great diversity a
cemetery county is now on its
third alert and warning system
over the course of the last
fifteen years we're currently
-- using a system that has
an integrated -- reverse nine
one one as well as an opt in
system were also using it for
our health alerting system for
our health department to be
able to notify -- clinics and
service providers so it's
it's a very diverse as stuff --
as such I've been tasked as
the primary system administrator
and consequently I'm into the
hardware all the way down to
the how to code a particular
city or particular jurisdiction
into the system -- with
the support of our board of
supervisors and -- champion by
our supervisor David Canada --
we were able to be the first
to adopt a measure to pursue
the additional information can
be obtained under -- Senate
bill eight twenty one and we
greatly appreciate that --
as such we're looking to our
alternative sources we're not
looking at obsolete in our
opt in system because that
is how we're always going to
obtain individuals who otherwise
aren't going to be in the system
are traveling community our
student population individuals
who may be passing through
San Francisco International
Airport -- to other parts of
the county visiting relatives
-- we already know that there
are members who have opted
into our system in other
states and even other countries
because they have relatives
here and want to know what's
happening they want to know
that our community is safe
-- we look at the ability
to obtain other data sources
and we know that the biggest
lack a gap in our data sources
is voice over IP telephones
they have superseded in many
areas land lines and because
of the topography of San Mateo
county even though we have a
large urban population we have
a significant percentage who
are in canyons where there is
no cellular coverage at all
-- regardless of care so
we know that these individuals
are still using a conventional
land lines if they have a phone
or they are using voice over
IP phones -- so we're looking
forward to the opportunity
to how we can obtain those
informations -- we don't look
at these measures as obsolete
in our opt in system we look
at them as complementing and
filling in the holes where
our system currently lacks
ability to contact people but
as all my colleagues of stated
all of these systems rely on
robust ruggedized --
technology to maintain these
services and when something as
simple as a single telephone
pole falling over taking out
a fiber optic cable can cut
off and isolate an entire
community -- that is really
the circumstance in our county
we've seen numerous landslides
even a small landslides that
were able to take out a single
pole which in turn cut off
communications for an entire
community -- we continue to
look forward to how are other
systems are other technologies
are going to work on our behalf
we -- were one of the early
and -- applications for
and I pause integrated public
alert and warning system --
agreement with -- FEMA we
have had the good fortune of not
needing to use it but we can't
that tool available to us --
we have studied and experimented
with the -- training system so
we understand the limitations
of ninety characters we also
understand the limitations of a
one and done type message when
a we a messages sent right now
-- it is the next message
that comes through it is gone
that messages lost -- and
also if you don't receive
it on the first pass you
will not receive it we've
looked at how we have --
the inability to know where
towers are two right now --
centralize our our location of
are targeting and we understand
how we a systems consistently
will over alert or under alert
because your coverage of towers
varies dramatically and where
they're located verses the --
emergencies -- we certainly
encountered that during the Glen
view fire which was the -- gas
pipeline explosion in San Bruno
-- when our primary alert --
covered most of the city of
San Bruno but did not cover
the affected area there
was no technology left in
the affected area it wasn't
going to get a message anyway
-- so we're we're looking
forward to your assistance and
particularly -- how the state
can provide us with assistance
templates guidelines that we can
adopt and fit into our system
we've looked at our language
issue we've identified are for
most common languages but we
also have twenty five other
languages that are less than
half a percent in our population
and we we're we're working
at how we can reach the four
most common languages knowing
full well that that still
leaves part of our community
uncovered --
so going forward
we intend to utilize these
opportunities to enhance our
systems to build upon it --
rather than to obsolete any
section of it we intend to
keep as much of are often as
we possibly can to continue
encouraging it -- right
now we're sitting at about
seventy two thousand options
of our seven hundred sixty
thousand population were about
nine percent we're looking to
try to make that number larger
because we still view opt in
is our best source for it for
accurate information doesn't
have to be de conflicted or --
checked for accuracy or or --
remote removal of duplications
at any rate if -- if you have
any questions I'd be more
than happy to answer them
thank you and I will start
off -- with it just at
asking a question all of you
brought up language access and
you know all of us here have
been authors co authors and
voted in support of a number of
bills -- aging including one
related to language I access
and we share something in
common with each of you that
we put forward a tool which
is our legislation to try to
address an issue but certainly
as you've all identified that
tool doesn't solve every single
problem right even one piece
of legislation does not cover
one the changing landscape on
a bit too even the landscape
as we understood it -- and
if you have us here
we're open to unending to
changing to thinking forward
thinking in terms of how how we
address some of this issue but
-- on the language axis issue
I mean there's we
knew from the beginning there
was more than one language
that was gonna be spoken
right other than English we
also identified that it was
critical to get as many people
informed because one and four
percent -- could actually be
not just a safety issue for
him or herself but certainly
for others as well so how do we
think about that and and moving
forward and I appreciate and
the recognition that there are
regional differences and there
is difference in what capacity
what cities and counties can or
can't do you -- but how do we
think about that moving forward
I think it's a it's very
taxing from a local government
perspective to talk about
mandating issuing public alert
and warning messages in various
languages and there should
be a recognition of that --
I have one staff member and
I am well resource Ste a
comparatively to other local
-- jurisdictions I have twenty
three staff and I have one staff
person who speaks Spanish what
we've done is we've recruited
county workers who are bilingual
in they volunteer their time
such that when we send out a
public alert and warning if
it's a weekend at you know
o'clock on a Saturday night --
they try men and translate for
us it's completely voluntary
-- when you talk about
translating messages into
multiple languages and only
getting it out to the people
its intent that it's intended
for that that system doesn't
exist so as the bill is written
now we would need to send out
a wireless emergency alert in
English and as as the system
exists today if I am targeting
petco park in downtown San
Diego that message is going to
be received in my neighboring
counties that's what happened
last year it was received an
Orange County in riverside
county who called me and said
stop learning my people and
I said sorry it's the system
I have no control over it
but I will be sending out
an alert in English reaching
millions of people I will
then by law now follow that
up with a message to all of
those same people in Spanish
and my fear and my concern
is that people immediately
go already got that I don't
understand this language and
they go in and they turn off
the wireless emergency alerts
because they're able to opt out
of wireless emergency alerts and
less it's and by the president
they can opt out of my messaging
and next time when I need to
reach them I won't be able to
so that's the laws it's written
now is if I send out an English
alert it it's not geo targeted
right now so it there's another
year before that goes into
place -- at the end of twenty
nineteen the system will be
improved that will allow for a
tenth of a mile geo targeting
that's not the case now there's
mass over -- sort of a
learning in the system so
that's the that's the are
concerned from my standpoint
so beyond that even when we
do get this new advanced geo
targeting to one tenth of a
mile and the expansion from
ninety characters to two hundred
forty or three hundred sixty --
depending upon which a proposal
-- for rule making for the
SEC read even then
much of the telephone hardware
the actual handsets that
individuals have are not capable
of receiving them still and
it's going to take a obsolete
in time period while people
are returning older equipment
getting newer equipment
that's capable of receiving
these messages -- we actually
encountered this problem when we
were having a issue with a levy
-- I have the luxury of being
able to -- call to an adjacent
agency in my -- my sheriff's
office and I ask for the most
fluent Spanish speaking person
who works in the jail he can
be over in my building in about
three minutes four minutes and I
use him to translate for him or
her -- to translate the message
for me we did this for a levy
issue and we discovered
our older technology did not
recognize answering machines we
fielded hundreds of complaint
phone calls -- from individuals
who say they only receive the
message in Spanish because when
the sense system sense that the
phone had picked up its start
playing the English message by
the time it started recording
it recorded the Spanish
message there are technology
to our current system detects
a tone and starts the message
over again -- but there are
technology issues that will
make a multi lingual multi
language -- notification very
difficult and we're attempting
to overcome this past weekend
-- literally our best option
in this is our often systems
some of which are working now
with experimental systems where
users can select the language
they want us to receive a
language and we're actually
testing some prototype software
that'll do that it's not ready
for general public use but it
certainly has great promise
thank you and I appreciate to
a you know the comments and and
the concern about over tax seen
counties and certainly when we
move forward legislation it's
not with the intent to over tax
counties but it's also comes
from especially the language
issue came from multiple
counties having this issue
-- and multiple counties --
at right having real challenges
in in translation I mean the
examples we were getting --
were probably not refax it did
reflective of the fact that
you know so much of technology
started in California -- and
-- we're doing very basic
translations that not only are
wrong but are putting people
in more danger that causes a
concerned I'm not a one time
thing but a repeated thing
a for counties -- and what
I am also looking for is
when it when we have a state a
California one more than forty
four percent of California speak
a language other than home than
English at home -- you know
how how we get there it sounds
like working with our partners
in tech -- I know several of
us that have been working with
them to try to identify how
we I mean the geo targeting is
very important -- certainly but
also how to make some
determinations to be more
specific -- and more targeted
in what message were trying to
get out to what constituency
-- the goal is certainly
not for people to opt out
-- and I I thought that the
previous panel also said
that you know that there's
a mixed review on on whether
too much information one is and
what it really does -- it does
it really you know concerned
folks or are not concerned
make it sounds like there's
different schools of thought --
on what that does so and again I
appreciate the comments and and
I look forward to hearing what
what pieces we need to change
so that you can be effective --
in really doing what you're you
know what you're responsible for
doing what the county level but
also so we can get information
out to Californians because
that is something we hear about
on a very regular basis how
many during emergencies that
they want accurate information
-- and that's the that rises
to the top so think you
and assemblymember Levine --
thanks very much for your
presentation default on a very
good job to demystify a little
bit about the work that you
do and and -- deals with
perceptions of the emergency
alerts which I think a lot of
Californians have concerns and
questions about you all have
different size communities and
therefore different size offices
to respond to disasters in your
communities and let's have
some practical questions about
how alerts work for your offices
and they're not I don't I don't
mean to have any suggestions
the overly prescriptive because
of the differences but --
is there specialized software or
hardware used to do these alerts
or is this something that's a
web based apps that could be
used on a tablet or computer
from any location I also
am curious about how many staff
have this training in your
offices and also whether there's
any requirement for the staff
that is trained to be on or on
call and able to do these alerts
in your communities thank you
in Santa Barbara county and
we work in tandem with our a
sheriff's dispatch center --
they have dispatchers on twenty
four seven where is the office
of emergency management we work
beyond normal business hours and
we have a duty officer coverage
-- but for instance I might be
driving down the freeway in my
vehicle and if I were to get a
call to send out alert I would
have to pull over turn my hot
spot log in my computer log
into the system craft a message
sent out the alert it's far from
ideal especially with rapidly
developing -- emergencies
like a fast moving wildfire
something to that effect so
in Santa Barbara county the
dispatch center is is really
key as a twenty four hour --
warning point for the community
so were working very hard to
make sure that all of those
dispatchers are trained to
become proficient in the system
so that they can get the alerts
out as quickly as possible
any type of computer device or
or does it have to be special
dedicated hardware software so
it can be done on any device
including a phone -- from
my personal experience I I
don't recommend doing it from
your phone -- there's some
challenges associated with
that -- but they can log in
anywhere in our office -- for
a period of time I did a lot
of the initial learning and
our our protocols of shifted
to wear the dispatch center
is doing the initial learning
and we will follow up with
that or if for some reason to
dispatch centers over one which
happens quite frequently when
alerts go out people me more
information they call my will
want to get that information
unfortunately -- then we we will
assess and by doing that -- in
those cases like I described
we will pull over from our
vehicles and log in and --
if we're not in the office or
something like that and we are
available twenty four seven to
do that and we have done that
numerous times in the past
twenty county has a very
similar scenario -- our office
of emergency services has one
FTA and he said right here --
so twenty four hour coverages
it is difficult for that it
is so our emergency alerts
are done through a sheriff's
dispatch I previously
mentioned I can be done for
many computer -- utilizing
the ever raging iPod systems
I would just say ditto at the
same exact thing -- in the
two thousand and seven fires
San Diego county evacuated
five hundred and fifteen
thousand people as a result
of those fires and our staff
the office of emergency
services very much back up
to the sheriff's dispatch
initiating a public late
morning evacuation campaigns
senator counties taken a
slightly different approach
some of our dispatch centers
for our twenty incorporated
cities do do the notifications
for the agencies other agencies
contact the office of emergency
services to do our notifications
-- we maintain a two
on duty officer status one
emergency manager and one deputy
sheriff for one -- sure of
sergeant so we always have to
people available at any given
time with sending capability but
we've also extended our message
origination capability out to
-- some supervisors in some
of our agencies some of our
wonderful partner agencies
like the highway patrol some of
their sergeants have the ability
to put messages out and arm
our software similarly can be a
have accessed from anything
including a mobile app --
but we've actually -- made it
configured things so that our
software can be operated from
the mobile data terminals that
you'll find in most police cars
most of our fire engines so a
fire battalion chief on scene
if he decides he wants a shelter
in place he can put that message
out right there from the back of
his -- battalion chief vehicle
thank you -- you
know all this testimony just
confirms the fact that there is
no one way to solve this problem
but I'd like to focus on the
-- opt to the issues
of that I try to resolve in the
legislation that that we've been
referring to my legislation on
opting requiring an opt out
in requiring that people are
included in the notifications
unless they don't want to be
-- because we have seen that
there are very few people OB
I don't know whether we should
have voted taken the taco
approach Xin often talk a list
everyone but we're getting
people to opt into the system
has not been as successful as
we would like even after the
Thomas fire we discovered of
very few people that we seat
we did see a little spike in
some of the areas that were
most directly affected but
not throughout the county --
counties as a whole -- and
this is a first line of defense
so the legislation that -- that
I introduced was passed does
-- allow counties gives them
the discretion to create
an opt out program everyone
by requiring that are utility
companies will share their
information about where people
live with their phone numbers
are whether it's wireless her
lan line and put that into
the system then giving people
the right to opt out if they
don't want the notifications
my suspicion is a people
the ark and do anything and so
they'll have been opted into
the program which is a plus
but as you say when people
voluntarily often they can
tell you where they live the
language that they prefer to
get notifications clearly a
better approach but not one that
seems to have been as effective
so it's a system that allows
discretion within each county
and I'm curious -- because I'd
like to see every county do
this -- I just think it will
help save lives and give people
notice assuming that the systems
don't go down you know that we
don't lose sell power will all
the other options but assuming
that the system is in place it
will give notice to people and
that's one of the things we
want to do could you share with
me about whether you are using
that system wanna use that
system -- what the impediments
are because nothing's perfect
and I don't think I was able
to anticipate all of the
concerns -- and just generally
where you and your counties
or cities said in terms of
implementing this discretionary
programs that that does have
those parameters to it that
-- are under SB twenty one
so in summary county we're
working with to local utilities
on the south coast because that
area was most impacted by the
recent emergencies -- and what
we're trying to do right now
is we're trying to identify the
type of data that they have how
we can configure it to be able
to upload it into our mercy
notification system at some
of the concerns about the data
are that -- some of the
data can be quite old -- when
she tell the information -- it
also can be incomplete ideally
what we want to have is one have
a person's name their current
address your email address
-- you know their cell phone
number so they can receive text
alerts voice calls their lan
line number -- and so on and
so on and so on -- the utility
company so far that we spoke
with have some of that data but
not all of it so being able to
piece it all together in a way
that that makes sense so that
they can get those alerts as
quickly as possible checks in
the mail being the fastest route
to getting information it is
what we're trying to accomplish
-- our vendor ever bridge --
-- is very confident that I
can be done easily and like a
server using those two utilities
on the south coast as our test
cases for this and are deadline
for that to kind of have in
place and see how it works is
gonna be January first not soon
enough but you know we are --
trying to do this in a way that
-- it doesn't aye hamstring
our local utilities -- anymore
than we have to -- but we're
also there's a sense of urgency
right maybe storm predicted for
tomorrow you know and we could
be utilized in information --
but I feel very confident based
on what our vendors is told us
and then also about the ability
to provide an easy opt out for
the public thank you
working with that same software
platform and with one of our
cities being its own cable TV
and voice over IP phone provider
they actually voluntarily came
to us and said how do we get our
data into your system so we
actually have a test set of
about twenty thousand customers
that we're actually working
with how we will manipulate the
data how we will get it to fit
into the template how we will
de conflicted with our existing
-- reversed nine one one data
so that we don't end up having
-- two simultaneous calls trying
to originate -- which ties
up dial tone -- which will
be violations short in a large
scale emergency so we're we're
working with the same thing
we're anticipating being able
to have that cities data
in our system by the end of the
year and using that as our test
structure for how we will
then go to -- are
-- clean utility provider
peninsula clean energy --
S. to see what their data
said looks like so that we can
incorporate their information
as well so we're we're we're
in using the same software were
working on the same project
-- we've we anticipated being
successful in at least a test in
very short short term thank
you the other two counties
yeah twenty county is excited
about being able to utilize this
tool -- the specifically with
our utility sanitary district to
be able to reach more folks --
we do have a larger population
of up retired in elderly --
individuals and -- some of
the intelligence individuals
that we come in contact with
our little more hesitant sign
up for it but if they were to
opt out and there are a part
of it I I feel that it will
make it a much more streamlined
process for them to come into it
-- and of course there will
be some work on the front end
-- making sure we don't have
duplications and and -- trying
to transition it seamlessly
into our current system --
but there we definitely feel
that there are a large amount
of benefits to this program
I think my colleagues have
covered it well a different
software program in San Diego
county but same issues with de
conflicting as well as setting
up a formal agreements with
utilities which often take
sometimes with lawyers lawyers
involved -- I would just say
that after -- in a year from now
in twelve months when that tenth
of a mile is established with
wireless emergency alerts that
will be our primary learning
system because it does capture
visitors -- and you know people
who don't have a land line
phones and our alert San Diego
system we will still use it but
it will be sort of our secondary
-- system because we know will
reach more people -- through
the wireless emergency alerts
then then with the other system
but we we are excited about
the the development with having
utility information so the
last question with respect to
that it does this this does
require cooperation from the
utility companies they have the
information at least most of it
are in your experience are they
cooperating is their problem
is or something that needs
to be done to get greater --
participation by the companies
in providing that information
so far -- the utilities and
I've approached have been very
willing to cooperate with this
-- I I think there sense of
urgency is a little less than
mine -- but on the numbers to
manager some always anxious
but -- I I think we're moving
in the right direction and
having the legislation to
back up our request for
information is being critical
twenty counties worked with
a lot of these districts and
and incorporating them into
our hazard mitigation plan
and and we have a lot of
good relationships with these
folks in a lot of the same
goals envisioned so I don't
foresee any issues with with
any of our local agencies and
partners thank you
thank you senator stern
thank you similar --
couple just quick factual
question so how how has anyone
used we a in the past year
I know there is a there is a
instance you mentioned Holly but
just just by number of
times twenty counties
used at -- once for the Donald
fire once for done now and then
if you use your reverse nine
one opt in framework how many
times -- last two years say a
got a dozen times about a dozen
non fire exam a notification
rivers come through fires this
several different incidents in
Santa Barbara county we pride
use that a total of thirty
times in the last twelve months
ouija ouija okay in the last
twelve months it's probably
been between ten or fifteen
the the majority of that was
around the Thomas fire is the
Thomas fire moved from Ventura
county into Santa Barbara
county incrementally we were
sending out we alerts to alert
folks about the evacuations
that were Kern and we had to
do that repeatedly over the
course of several days and
then subsequently for that the
debris flows we actually also
did a preemptive we -- as part
of the evacuation process ahead
of the January ninth the free
flow I think I remember you
have the alert early seeing
one of them I just was going
back through with my staff
but fast moving brush fire
was the big county wide alert
that went and then it was in
a refer and then went to refer
to the county website it wasn't
sinister there for refined
said evacuation instructions
it was sort of a general be
ready then came more refined
and and you sort of plug and
play through the disaster
where you're going we at first
but then you're using other
the other platform or or you
should once you pick going
that route you sort of stayed
there it's it's a combination
thinks of first I'm not sure
if that was our alert embedded
in Ventura county and either
way I'm sorry but yeah it
is same same idea what we try
to do is we at a minimum we try
to get three bits of information
in there what's happening where
it's happening and what people
need to do to stay safe if we
can will try to squeeze in some
Sir link to more information
right and -- that's extremely
challenging with ninety
characters at the start of the
Thomas fire every we are that
we sent out Santa Barbara county
what county Y. and R. counties
very diverse so we're in for
having something occurring in
say Santa Barbara longer south
coast people in Santa Maria
you know tens of miles away are
getting that alerts so for not
specific about the location --
then there's going to be issues
people are gonna be panicked
unnecessarily in an unaffected
area and like I mentioned before
they're going to call nine one
for more information to find
out what to do we've had that
happen and till next year right
and next year we we the the
system will update the tenth of
a mile that should solve that
should help you know actually in
in the process of the I can't
remember if it was during the
Thomas fire or the debris flow
the process actually became a
fine without our knowledge we'd
became aware that because we
didn't receive the we are in
the EOC that we sent out and
we try to figure out why so we
actually did some some field
testing to try to figure out
what area did receive the alerts
since then -- it's it's been
targeted -- to a greater
degree than had been in the
past so -- alerts are going out
count or are we alerts I should
say are going out county wide
anymore they're going out to a
much smaller more targeted area
but at like was mentioned by
one of the other speakers it's
those we are at -- geo fences
are really dependent on the
configuration location a range
right of the individual cell
towers and even if you have
those maps those ranges are are
you know very you know across
the board -- so that's been
extremely challenging for us
because we know that anytime
we send this it's not going
to go out necessarily to the
poly gone that I draw on a map
or dispatcher draws on a map
to look it's gonna bleed
over and there's also equal
potential a if we go to small
to not reach those towers for
we and nothing goes out and so
so it's it in a lot of ways
it's -- one of our most
valuable tools may be our most
valuable tool but it also has
a lot of complications that
you don't make it difficult
for us to get these out and
what we're trying to do is
hopefully once -- the character
limit is increase it'll allow
us to be more specific in the
air so that even if something
does go county wide if you are
an orchid aye and something's
occurrence out of our and says
Santa Barbara -- you know you
might have gotten woken up in
an all night hopefully not but
you'll quickly be able look
your phone say okay that's Santa
Barbara on nine merry that's
gonna be impacted by that what
I'm hearing from you all is even
if we get more refined with we
-- either with character can't
you can do a big county wide
steerer find you also get to
tenth of a mile you do
everything you can on the Oct
inside tacos it cetera to try
to get the public information
that we haven't had the opt in
rates we need I mean I don't
I don't represent days I know
-- I counterparts their center
Nielsen or Dahle your Gallagher
date there's some going to be
some strong opinions coming
out of that incident -- and
it always happens and law
enforcement actually it's been
a very difficult position to
to make that discretionary
call the state at the time
work shares going to you know
make the decision or on the
back order like you're going to
the transportation factor is
it is an element here that I
I want to know more about it
don't know if it's appropriate
for this panel but sort of
understanding the staggered
ifak discretionary decision
tough judgment calls getting
made I don't know what we can
do for best practices we can
talk to -- yes about that too
but the last question was just
even if all this gets better
get more refined infrastructure
goes down we're still down
right cell phones are down
you're still down so we even
we are not fail safe because
we a single point of failure
in our telecommunications
and our electricity system
so question is how
to veteran a great your voice
is is emergency managers into
telecommunications planning and
great management because we're
rebuilding our our power lines
right now as we speak Edison
is jumped on it added Wolsey
mean things are going back up
but we still have some of the
same vulnerabilities some of
the polls are better so they're
going to be more fire resistant
were still it we are greed
still operates essentially the
same way as it has been have
you have you given thought
to sort of how to participate
I know you have limited
capacity and maybe we can
help with this but --
how to how to get our rebuild
of our telecommunications
and energy systems to be more
resilient to ensure that you're
going to have a better shot
as it is that more distribute
generation for instance and are
there sort of our do we need
smaller cellular penetration
in the communities that aren't
great depend -- I mean have
you thought about sort of those
technological improvements
that you want to see and if so
bring him to us I mean we're
having -- a fire technology
the PC just announced in March
I think a fire tech symposium
I think it's not just about fire
fighting technology it's about
resiliency technology so what
what it like what's what's your
best thought so for having gone
through this what is the
what we need in this rebuild
what what should we be doing
differently this time around if
if you could wave a magic wand
could I just suggest a brief
answers because that's what
the next panel was actually
own clout if that's alright
yeah we like unless you
would have to sure unless
you have some quick thoughts
but that is of very good good
question and the next panel
is hopefully going to address
thank you so much for taking
the time add to it to have a
conversation with us anything
assembly member Levine is going
to introduce the next panel
thank you thanks very much
for that and we're going to
break the next panel out into
two panels just simply because
I don't think we have enough
seats for -- for the seven
people that we've got so let me
invite up for next ups improving
emergency alerting in California
part one rob Lewin the director
the Santa Barbara county
office of emergency management
Kevin a gallon the manager of
the Ventura county sheriff's
office of emergency services
lieutenant Eric Everhart of the
tawny county sheriff's office
and captain Cindy Pontus the
Santa Barbara area commander
for the California highway
patrol thank you for joining
us and -- in Mister loan if you
like to begin a senators
and members thank you --
overall the broader issue is
evacuation ultimately in times
of disaster be an approaching
wildfire debris flow flutter
hurricane evacuating people
may be the only sure way to
protect them evacuating people
is complicated the decision to
evacuate the timing the method
the messaging the manner of
alerting the coordinating of
the evacuation all require
a great deal planning
educating staffing and funding
ostensibly evacuation seem
simple alert those who need to
leave and they'll comply of
course evacuation is complex
emergency responders may not
fully understand the situation
technology and staff training
women options especially when
events outpace expectations
finally in the chaos of a
disaster citizens ultimately
make their own decisions
individually on their course
of action in some incidents
emergency officials have
enough time to do three things
create a plan alert the public
and execute the evacuation
other emergency situations
cascade rapidly without
adequate time for advance
preparation or warning alerting
becomes a kill the feel of
evacuation when it comes to
late or doesn't reach enough
people to Brett loss of life
instead of a common approach
to learning evacuation however
each of California's fifty
eight counties have been left
to its own devices resources
and safeguard lives -- during
disasters then after each
tragedy news articles identify
perceived failures of the
impacted county systems and
methods blame misplaced however
and appropriately in the light
of hindsight and finally some
corrections are made the next
time disaster strikes me joining
county or in a county that just
does not have the resources
to identify and fix a problem
they do not know they even have
the same systematic problem
leads to greater loss of life
and property the necessary
following the two thousand three
devastating fires in southern
California that killed twenty
four destroyed three thousand
seven hundred ten homes outgoing
governor gray Davis in incoming
governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
establish the governors Blue
Ribbon fire commission charged
with broad review of all aspects
of wildland fire impacts in
California the governor's Blue
Ribbon fire commission a report
-- was very comprehensive and
identified many recommendations
that dealt with all aspects of
while and fire protection one of
those clearly identified -- they
need to improve systems to alert
and evacuate residents a quote
from the report the commission
recognizes the critical role of
timely emergency notification
of the public of imminent
threats and recommends that
local governments prioritize
development of appropriately
early warning systems to address
the needs of their communities
many of the victims of the
October two thousand three fire
siege indicated that they had
no warning of the fires approach
in examining potential early
warning system to address our
needs of their communities local
governments should consider
reverse nine one one emergency
evacuation siren systems and
potential combination systems
especially in remote areas
so what do we do to improve
our learning and ultimately
evacuation so taking a cue
from the two thousand three
fire season it behooves us to
once again convene a diverse
group of experts to focus
on evacuation alerting and
provide a foundation for all
the counties -- to insure
each county has three tangible
things for successful learning
software and hardware adequate
staffing and good training
number three for an alert to
be successful requires five
three five things the field
into c£m Anders of fire law
need to be able to attain
a situational understanding
the murders he quickly lan
to put together they must
convey the actions of the
public needs -- they must convey
the action the public needs
to take to -- the dispatch
center a clear messaging of
the public that they understand
including a multiple language
must be sent quickly from that
dispatch center a technical
system that works faster
deliver the alert message every
time -- we have so providers
that are now as important
as our public utilities they
should be included in that
level of regulation and
finally a citizenry that is
prepared and willing to take
action such as to evacuate
thinking thank you Mister
Lewis wrote down cheers
on shares honorable
members of the committee my
name's coming down from the
Ventura county sheriff's office
of emergency services thank you
for this opportunity to provide
testimony today regarding
emergency notifications --
first I would like to just offer
a heartfelt thanks on behalf
Ventura county for everyone
that -- supported us during our
response and now are recovery
from the borderline hill and
we'll see incidents it's been
a pretty impactful two weeks
-- many of the people in this
room and maybe watching where
some of the first responders to
mutually to help us out so thank
you Ventura counties Hauser
portfolio spans a pretty broad
broad spectrum is many places in
California we have technological
failure hazards such as dams
natural hazards earthquakes
being one of the prominent
ones and human costs threats
such as terrorism unfortunately
many of these hazards we face
-- have the potential to yield
catastrophic results and come
with no notice so there's a
big difference between what our
east coast -- public safety
organizations may face with a
hurricane -- than what we face
here in southern California or
California on the broader scale
-- this is why I
I think I'm you know alert
and warning has become such a
valuable tool but also is one
of the most important critical
responsibilities and functions
we face in public safety on
these large scale events and
disasters on because it out
inventor county we strive for
perfection in alert and warning
we've invested significant
capital and resources over
the years to ensure that we
have a successful program
and at the core of the it's a
partnership and a lot of our
colleagues today have already
discussed this but -- rob
rob brought it up with the
-- the comment about alert
mornings really just a tool
it's evacuations its emergency
protective measures that were
trying to communicate and those
are originated via software
tool -- those are human decision
making processes and capacities
and so first and foremost I just
want to acknowledge that and
Ventura county -- we look at
that as the primary -- the
primary focus of an effective
alert morning program is this
human element the decision
making process -- and it's
an integration between what's
going on in the field and what's
going on out support locations
whether their command post
emergency operation centers --
so forth -- our approach
to hold community emergency
management on the grand scale is
-- definitely echoed throughout
our emergency notification an
alert morning program of inter
county all ten cities along
with the county on a formal
are in mourning agreement
which establishes our baseline
standards and processes this
also includes our emergency
operations plan that includes
sections -- that discuss how
alert morning is going to take
place in the county -- we use
a multi modal system -- that
system includes our emergency
alert system the wireless
emergency alert system VC alert
which is our locally -- managed
program -- siren systems for
one particular hazard the dam
hazard -- and then all of
our other sources traditional
social media -- websites
and then something I can't under
emphasize but it's the in person
notification we spent a lot of
time talking today about the
technological side but when you
have it a no notice event such
is the hill fire that occurred
-- it doesn't matter if you
have dispatchers who are twenty
four seven it doesn't matter
if you have someone keyed up
ready to you -- type out an
emergency notification initial
notifications gonna happen
by first responders inventor
county we spent a lot of time
training discussing planning for
-- -- variations in what would
be our typical response to
something so if there's a fire
it's rapidly moving based off
of red flag conditions we as an
operational area take different
actions initially them what
would have been take in if
it wasn't in those conditions
such as fire resources and law
enforcement resources might not
actually put out the fire they
might go down range to trying
to evacuate people -- so in
person notification still still
is a very very important pillar
within our notification process
-- and knocking down includes
all kinds of respond or is
using PA systems aviation air
assets -- the whole nine yards
aye during recent incidents
like the Thomas fire walls
the in hell fires be deployed
everyone of these tools to
significant levels and we've
had the opportunity to see were
some of the challenges exist
within the deployment of these
tools I also would like to
mention that pose the Thomas
fire all of our lives have
gone out in both English and
Spanish along with all of our
support public information
tools such as our websites and
social media accounts -- it
comes out Acosta aye specificity
and -- -- the ability
to be -- clear and timely
when you're adding translation
factors into it definitely has
-- degraded timeliness or
effectiveness -- however it's
increase the effectiveness in
communicating to you larger
populations so there's a
given take and we're trying to
navigate through that process
as we work in -- unfortunately
were navigating it through
during real disasters --
currently not one of these tools
is perfect we for that multiple
times today -- there's plenty
of limitations each one use so
that's why were in all in county
we deploy every tool we think
is appropriate given the scale
or the severity of that event
now we're not gonna send out a
wireless emergency alert for a
small -- -- incident
that's in packing a very you
know type population we might
have better opportunities using
in person notifications and
our and our hosted system the
sealer -- but when we rise to
the scale of large fast moving
brush fires or other types
of events -- we had hazardous
materials incidents -- a few
years back in Santa Paula we
use every tool on those types of
events -- to mitigate these
limitations enhance infected
effectiveness in providing
emergency notifications alerts
and warnings for this panel
to take kind of contemplate a
few things that we think are
important one obtaining better
access to the best data sets
available including -- cellular
service providers -- continued
funding for local emergency
management training programs
and continue funding to procure
the best a learn warning systems
available on the market --
even with passing the recent
legislation for example that the
opt out program -- with --
utilities -- it doesn't include
that cell service provider group
and they have a monumental
amount of data that could
be used by us to effectively
communicate that right now
we don't have access to --
additionally improvements
in the wireless emergency
alert system we as a local
organization -- are trying
constantly to communicate
the importance through FEMA
and the F. T. C. too quickly
improve or provide these updates
to the wireless emergency
alert system I would just ask
that you know the state also
participate in that advocacy to
continue to improve the wireless
emergency alert system or I
pause the integrated public
alert and warning system as
the programs called -- at the
national level and when we get
this new rollout next year --
with expanded characters and the
possibility of embedded images
we're we're a nation of images
now -- we like to get evacuation
orders with maps -- that's
why all of us have interactive
maps on our websites now I
having the wireless emergency
alert come across with expanded
character count and then also
embedded images would be an
amazing -- improvement in that
system but once we achieve that
hurdle there's going to be the
next hurdle that we need to
achieve a jump over aye with
wireless emergency alert and
so just to continue to -- --
advocacy on all of our parts
at the local and state level
with the federal government to
continue to improve that project
-- will be beneficial to us
in the long run I including
Ventura county will continue to
-- collaborate with all of our
partners both local state and
federal to ensure that we're on
the cutting edge of defective
-- alert and warning but not the
bleeding edge we tend not to
want to deploy tools that are
vetted in don't have -- tried
and true methodology a we're
one of those groups that was one
of the early adopters of ouija
however we didn't initially
deploy our our wireless
emergency alerts at first --
because of the challenges and
the unintended consequences
that could have been a created
by it so it took us some time
to -- before we deployed in
on the Thomas fire was the
first time we deployed that I
thank you very much for this
opportunity to testify in and
happy to answer any questions
you may have your mistress from
a gallon of the tenant -- heart
put an error error with each
woman county sheriff's office
in is described earlier twelve
county is a rural county were
about twenty two hundred square
miles with about fifty two
thousand people so with the
spread out quite a bit about
seventy percent of that land
is public land so we get a lot
of outdoor recreation which
was actually challenge during
the Don L. fire going up those
campgrounds because we don't
have coverage in those areas
a lot of the solutions we talk
about deal with technology
and we do used ever bridge
we do use we -- but because
of those gaps in the cell
coverage in our county we
still make personal contact
with that said typical staffing
for us for law enforcement is
a sergeant three deputies for
the entire county so for me that
to get Debbie's out to a
campground that maybe forty
five minutes or an hour away to
make sure it's clear -- working
with local for service cal fire
whoever else maybe in the area
as a kid get those contacts out
there when you start looking at
ways to increased the resiliency
or the coverage in those
areas I know that first net
is going to help without any
with the following first not
know the bill those solutions
are many years out so as we
go forward you I think we need
to look at the so companies and
see you asked the question are
we doing everything we can to
expedite that process second
we are the so companies doing
everything they can using all
the technology that's available
today to provide that resiliency
so if that bundle of fiber is
melted our cat -- that there's
some type of back call whether
it's be through radio or
satellite to make sure that
system stays up in place I we
had a bundle of fiber several
years ago coming into quality
county that was cut and the
majority county was without
phone service for many hours
-- because there was a single
point of failure so we need
to also make sure we identify
where those other single point
failures are -- so that's that's
a big challenge for us in our in
our county is one is having the
system is reliable that we know
is gonna get the message out
but also getting the resources
on the ground how to the people
that need those notifications
thank you lieutenant captain
Pontus place good morning
I met city pints cap to the
California highway patrol
here in Santa Barbara I'm
honored to be here on behalf
of commissioner Stanley who was
regrettably unable to make it
today -- I'm here to provide
some information regarding
C. H. P.'s emergency alerting
processes and capabilities
this each fees emergency
notification and tactical alert
center serves as a resource to
all law enforcement statewide
into learning the public in
response to adopted children
assaults on law enforcement
an endangered missing elderly
persons through the amber
blue and silver alert programs
divisibility these emergency
public notifications the
siege be directly accesses the
national emergency alert system
to broadcast approved alerts
across public television cable
and radio broadcast networks
we also utilize the wireless
emergency alert system we add
to you directly message cellular
devices with best within
specified geographic areas in
addition to these alerts the
C. H. P. may coordinate the
activation of highway changeable
message signs with Caltrans
the lottery message boards with
the California state lottery
and we also post to social
media sites which are actively
monitored by law enforcement
and media outlets across the
state amber blue and silver
lower emergency notifications
to the public are typically
disseminated within minutes
of the initial request as
a result of these capabilities
proven over more than fifteen
years this CHP possesses the
technologies and has established
the relevant communications
links to support emergency
notifications to the public at a
note as a no cost resource to
all law enforcement statewide
unlike most other emergency
operation centers which must be
stood up over a period of time
in response to an event the
siege be status it's emergency
notification and tactical alert
center around the clock twenty
four seven three hundred and
sixty five days a year which
insures immediate access to a
cadre of trained personnel only
slowed in the dissemination
of emergency notifications
by the limitation of exist in
technologies disease fees
not combined or limited by
jurisdiction a single county
or city when disseminating
emergency notifications
rather as the state police the
department rapidly pushes these
notifications statewide or can
target any combination of local
jurisdiction I county or several
counties several cities a suburb
or specific neighborhood and
that is necessary to reach
the affected public based upon
the specified incident that's
occurring at the time the C.
H. P.'s emergency notification
and tactical alert center has
become a known resource for all
law enforcement statewide as a
result of the amber blue and
silver alert programs thinking
thank you captain Pontes we're
gonna ask for this panel to swap
seats with part to the panel
that to still hang out with
us we may have some questions
for you and you may have some
more insight to add the like
to welcome Dr Chad Hansen
the research he colleges with
the John Muir project Mitch
make dig of itch the deputy
director of logistics management
from the governor's office of
emergency services for an encore
presentation and lily on and
seen as the public outreach
coordinator from the Santa
Barbara fire department when
I say thank you for all three
of you for sticking it out and
remain with us -- for this panel
and doctor Hanson if you will
thank you I want to thank the
legislators said and staff
first off for organizing this
and and focusing on public
safety -- on these issues
-- I think that's year where
where it needs to be --
I also want to start by
emphasizing -- that you're the
point obviously is to create a
public warning system that is
effective and meaningful in in
protecting the public and done
there are two things that don't
really need to happen to make
sure that that occurs is not
just a matter of of of having
a warning system because out
-- people have to receive it
and we talked a little bit
about that -- -- cellular
-- is going to be obviously
primary but some people don't
have that access -- that the
communication for structure can
get taken up pretty easily so --
low tech redundancies are going
to be important they're going
to continue to be important --
sirens knocking on doors basic
things like that especially
some the more rural areas
-- end of the second
thing is that -- people
you need to be able to receive
the information a way that helps
them to safely evacuate --
and part of that comes down to
-- for lease for some people
evacuation assistance -- not
everyone once they receive the
warning is able to evacuate on
their own -- there are some of
residents who are elderly and
are not able to -- actually
-- leave quickly without
assistance -- people gonna
need that help -- some people
need help evacuating themselves
and animals as well and we need
to keep that in mind because
people are staying behind in
some cases because they don't
want to be there forces are dogs
or cats need to be mindful of
that -- so I think we need a
a better evacuation assistance
infrastructure -- they can be
mobilized -- and that maybe
is dispersed in various places
especially during high fire
weather when we know what's
coming and then the
the the other key aspect of this
is the timing people need the
amount of time to evacuate after
they receive the warning and
there's certain things that can
influence that so I'm a talk
about one of those briefly which
is -- unplanned human additions
in this comes in a lot of
different forms but the reason
I raise this especially as a
a forest and fire ecologists
is that ignitions are very very
different in high elevation
more remote mountain areas
other farther away from
communities those are mostly
lightning strikes and those
areas those fires are a long
ways away the people have a
lot of notice a lot of time
even if those fires do move
downslope towards towns Sir to
communities in lower elevation
areas those -- ignitions are
overwhelmingly human additions
and -- they're coming from a lot
of different things sometimes
it's power once images have
a conversation about putting
a lot of that underground in
some cases making sure that
those power ones are shut down
during extreme fire weather
-- and having the authority to
do that in other cases it's is
just people doing -- ill advised
things fireworks are illegal
campfires -- lots of things
that can cause ignitions -- near
communities in some cases it's
ours are there is an example
just a few weeks ago -- in
the mountains where I live in
southern California -- where
we had -- the person driving up
and down highway thirty eight
in the truck throwing flaming
objects out the window -- during
what was predicted to be extreme
fire weather -- and --
this happened this one of ours
and -- to my knowledge this
individuals not was not caught
but the point is is that people
were you knew about this is
happening this was going on for
three or four hours up and down
in this person was deliberately
doing this to throw to try a
treat fires near communities
during what was predicted to
be extreme fire weather now
fortunately the heavy winds
that were predicted didn't come
on that particular day at that
elevation and so -- disaster was
averted but the point is is that
extreme fire weather was known
to be coming and this was a
person who is taking advantage
of that in a very -- your
pathological way and -- this
can be prevented if we have --
more law enforcement funding
more infrastructure devoted
to preventing those on plan
human additions in extreme
fire weather near communities
so I think we need to think
about that because that
matters from alert and warning
standpoint because if it's
humid missions are occurring
close to communities during
extreme fire weather then people
have very very little time to
evacuate once those warnings
come and so it's it's a factor
we need to keep in mind -- the
other one -- mention yes just
in terms of funding allocation
-- where do we put our resources
resources are finite and there's
a lot of different funding
streams out there that have
been allocated for various
things about these issues of
the did the basic dichotomy is
do we focus on -- vegetation
management out and while this
what we focus on communities
-- defensible space -- home
hardening -- making your Farsi
principles prevention on twenty
missions things a prevent those
fires close in the communities
and I would submit we we need to
focus on the ladder -- and I set
up for a couple reasons number
one it's been proven to be
highly effective -- and number
two a lot of the vegetation
management activities that
happen removing chaparral for
example can replace it with very
combustible invasive grasses
that spread far even faster --
allowed the logging activities
that occur can actually increase
fire intensity and spread --
and -- you again resources are
finite so -- to the extent
possible where there's
flexibility -- I would argue
that those resources should be
focused and spent on protecting
homes -- prevention on planes
unit ditions helping people
do defensible space doing all
those things that can prevent
fires and help people safely
evacuate during fires -- I would
say also that -- -- SB nine
a one funding is an example
of this three broad language
fire prevention I think a lot
of that funding to be used
in that capacity and I would
suggest that you be happy to
questions with thank you doctor
handsome semitic that should
thank you are you know there's
been a lot of great information
it's been shared so I just
wanted to target in a couple
items -- specifically for
improving -- and you've heard
it over and over but it's
-- it's not a question of
if the question when you're
gonna have to issue an alert
so -- exercise in practice
and proficiency -- has to
be maintained at anybody who's
going to be issuing alert has
that authority and has that
responsibility on has to be
ready to to show when you get
that warning -- whether it's
a red flag or purple or
-- National Weather -- warning
of some type you know locally
have to be ready to what's
what is the message you're
gonna send that alert level
-- we talked là before but
increase participation -- and
there are multiple tools and
tool kits and you have to have
something in your could -- ready
to be used at the local level
-- all hit it again but --
resiliency of infrastructure
-- is is a recurring theme
in you're going to hear
that -- over and over again
-- and so public safety grade
should be our standard -- that
we're looking at -- and in
those areas -- with our full
cooperation together between
local to federal -- we should
be able to take take a good
chance to -- to tackle this
set and come back to the
original method thank you
thank you very much Byzantinist
hello thank you for having me
I'm honored to be here and make
a statement on these issues --
secondary alerts for non English
speakers is unacceptable just
unacceptable cross cultural
sensitivity successfully
navigating a different culture
and interacting with this
culture cultural relativism
is the idea that a person's
beliefs values practices should
be understood and based on
that person's own culture it
has been proven time and time
again that -- in an emergency
situation people will revert
to their native language and
I translators and interpreters
build capacity and -- and
they have to have deep
knowledge of both languages
-- -- these are skills or
linguistic disciplines that
are rarely performed by the
same people the difference is
not only the medium but the
difference in skills training
aptitude and even knowledge
that are so substantial that few
people can do it successfully
we should not rely solely on
volunteers or persons familiar
with the language but invest
in our own staffing model
-- in the in the higher
certified and qualified multi
lingual personnel that are
within our emergency operations
centers -- because of the
ability -- so interpretation
and translation are two
different things and the skill
of interpretation is crucial in
an emergency setting because of
the ability to transform idioms
local colloquialisms and other
cultural specific references
into analogous statements the
target audience will understand
I'm it's just like you cannot
explain of thought without
understanding the thought first
and so if you did not fully
understand it neither can you
translate or interpret that
message -- without the mastery
of the subject matter related
and hence the importance of
certified qualified interpreters
and translate into translators
hence the importance of
cultural relevant teaching
being crucial in all of our
preparedness efforts such as
programs that are state funded
or state supported through the
office of California volunteers
which is the state office I
like least those for example
that means ready in Spanish
and these are grassroots public
education programs that enhance
the preparedness efforts taking
into consideration that cultural
sensitivity there's the Spanish
language cert program which
stands for community emergency
response teams and then there's
programs like our local programs
here the radio ready programs
that partner with agencies
that will have of you know live
broadcasting or or airing and
and really relay that message
to these will double populations
are non English speakers I'm
I'm gonna leave you with the
with up well lastly right no one
is at lunch to seek out to your
community and include them in
your local preparedness efforts
sometimes at an emergency
of managers level or worry
within our organization we
forget to get the communities
input and what do they want
how do they want to receive
this messaging to they rely
on their phone what is their
method of communication and
sometimes it's easy if we
relate relate to that to build
the whole community approach
when up plan for disasters
nuns again leave the powerful
phrase that always sticks to me
by -- Nelson Mandela and it
says if you speak to a man in a
language they'll understand but
if you speak to them in their
language it will not go to their
heads but to their hearts think
thank your image for leaving
us with that thought are there
any questions for the panel
yeah we could just
throw down a bit with
with you match on --
can just go a little further
on resiliency we talked
about the cell network on
the edge of that last panel
but help us through this bit
so what thank you ideally
you would like to be at the
public safety grade -- for
what is that what is that mean
that is a standard that is
established that -- allows --
its its premise for what -- the
hardening in the resiliency of
of the what you have there so
-- what you see is --
on those platforms received
back up of power sources
for them you're gonna see --
gently hardened and structure
of some type in a sea of
-- clearance of the sea in
maintained a for them -- so
there's in a kind of a whole
series of those items that are
there and -- and when you have
that it obviously helps protect
-- your cellular infrastructure
radio infrastructure that you're
using so -- that's obviously
the ideal and you want to be
able to you know for example
callow yes we divert areas
we could refill our personal
network were because we
support -- the first responder
community cal fire CHP --
DOJ's corrections are on our
on our network calluses network
-- and our sites -- were without
power for multiple days and
so -- you know we have backup
generators that allow them to
run -- for long periods of time
so that they're not going to --
go down there we didn't have to
try to race in there to get to
refuel them in the middle of the
event -- we had that capacity
and so on when you have that
that back up nay capability
it's certainly helpful and
so the more resilient whether
to hurricane or fire your you
want to make sure that you're
in a position where -- systems
are operating in and so in the
context of SB nine no one I mean
I I know we sort of went through
a broad directive to the
public utilities commission
about how to interface with
both I'll use --
I have I forget the role the PO
used by no the CCA's also have
a role to play here I mean are
they your your your protocols
are pending right you're still
you're going to publish the
protocols sorry not under nine
no one but your recommendations
later this year early next year
you for a eight thirty three
for our guys for before that's
I work we're gonna have ours
-- it should be fairly soon we
we've already drafted -- and
at the what I would call the
technical advisory level where
our locals they've already
taken a good look at this in a
been editing the document so we
we were scheduled to have that
presented at the Sims here in
the middle of December I just
don't know if -- the advisory
board -- and not sure if that's
gonna still take place based
on what our current events
but just to just to manage
expectations for the scope of
that that's a that's voluntary
guidelines for public emergency
alerting and warning not
necessarily gonna touch on this
resiliency question correct it
it's it's it's more about best
practice -- Acosta locals to
utilize that's correct okay so
really it's a Browning this
conversation would got its start
maybe engaging the PC or those
on the on the who can actually
require or -- interface with
our telcos in our utilities
in terms of that resiliency
planning that is actually
correct and we -- have met with
the CPC and continue to work
with them okay great thank you
thank you yes I think there's
a lot more in the hardening
level I think of our cell
phone companies I've heard I've
heard that mentioned several
times that they've got a step
up here and help they're one
of the primary sources of
information I'm not sure that
SB nine a one included them
per se it might been the power
companies but they have been --
noticeably silent in their
-- participation and it's
my hope that they will step
up -- before the legislature
-- requires that they do so
since they are clearly now
part of this whole emergency
notification process -- I
wonder if the other people
who spoke if anyone has --
any thoughts about that war I
did I did have a couple of quick
questions -- I know we've we're
running over in our colleague
-- assemblymember Levine had
to go to catch a plane -- but
I think this is still very
important we're not done yet
we've got debris flow pot
potential up and down the state
-- rains coming this is all
very I think urgent and media
is solemn for anyone on the
panel -- it is anyone thinking
about alert and warning systems
like cell phone tax that --
cam and confirm receipt or
identify -- causes why the lower
alerts are not being received
so that we make sure everybody
gets that information Sir any
anything being done to address
that problem for that conserve
senators and members -- -- I
guess I would add to what you're
suggesting that the the cell
companies responsiveness in
that we have vast -- questions
and of the cell companies on
why certain things are happening
why there were certain failures
and unfortunately we don't get
those responses I'm not sure
what the requirements of a cell
company already to go and do
researcher report back to who
or what -- let me give a couple
examples during the -- one
nine debris flow the National
Weather Service issued a we --
of flash flood warning but
it did not seem to go out we
don't know exactly to -- one
of the provider companies --
so there was a big hole in the
system -- that we don't know
exactly why that happened and
then there's -- during the
presidential alert -- we
experience that several phones
in this big meeting we're having
did not activate including one
of mine -- both of my phones
have the same provider but one
activating the other didn't
we've asked a question about why
so there's I think part of it
just not just hardening but also
understanding and looking at
the technology to try to figure
out where these problems are
-- a -- retired fire chief in
Santa Barbara City we're all
fond of a path not gray was --
asks why we can't have a read
a -- system that works to the
same level of uber and lift
where when you need a fire
engine it goes and sees where
you're out in response to in
the same sort of method Alaska
another question why can't we
have learning system instead
is based on cell towers but
instead is based on the GPS
of your telephone that instead
of sending it out all over and
hitting different -- bleeding
over other system why is there
a technology I've no idea that
could hit target people that are
in those areas just in the same
way that other systems that we
currently have do they certainly
target you to show you a pair
of shoes and they also target
you -- when you're in another
location I was in Chicago over
thanksgiving for share with my
grand kids and I was getting
all sorts of advertisements
about all the stuff I could
buy in Chicago I'd not given
them permission I didn't know
how they knew it but they do
and I think -- I think you know
obviously there's a lot of money
associated with that those kinds
of efforts and -- hopefully they
will be a little more responsive
when it comes to saving lives
in the public safety of the
people in the communities
that they are also serving
so appreciate that you are
absolutely right that those
kinds of things I'm sure are
available they know where you
are all the time chisel creepy
but but they do know this and
certainly there there should
be upper opportunities and
-- it's not the desire than at
least some sort of incentive
for them to step up on this
and that and eight I would be
remiss if I didn't also mention
that they are very responsive
during an emergency to trying
to help first responders
are communicate and all of
that is greatly value well
that's wonderful to hear and
obviously once you're in the
emergency getting that help is
critical but also we we talk
about those warnings to get
people to safety -- we've got
extend that debt responsibility
as well would seem to me
-- last question I have is
-- how do we structure a public
warning system that allows the
public to follow up and to ask
questions in a way that doesn't
involve calling nine one one --
because I know during the -- --
I can't remember what part of
the Thomas fire two thirty in
the morning I got a we a call
-- didn't tell me much except
that there was a fire didn't
say where didn't say what
in my temptation was to
call -- markedly duty
because I am on speed dial
of not a good plan at two
thirty in the morning but I
was awakened and I wanted to
know what was happening and
I suspect everybody in the
community had those same --
anxieties but didn't have
his phone number so I think
that that's a question that
would be helpful if we could
get some kind of indication
whether that follow up type
system is being considered is
available or should be part of
our discussion going forward
chairs that kept me going again
from mentor county office of
emergency services so currently
I don't know about that
technological capability of
-- like a push receive type of
the notification system in that
sense we do get analytics back
on our on our hosted system
the BC alert where we can see
people had received the message
when they -- select different
-- different options once
they get the message a how we
address that a very topic though
is we establish a call center
-- it it does two things one it
alleviates pressure off of our
-- safety access points are nine
one system -- which is hugely
important because people still
need to call nine one one when
they're having a heart attack --
while the fires occurring right
so we -- establish immediately
when we issue evacuation orders
or shelter in place orders in
Ventura county we established
that -- emergency hotline
and then we also have the
website where people can get
information and we push those
-- passive systems through that
emergency notification system
so as they're getting those BC
alerts or the wireless emergency
alerts they're getting follow
up information that says go
to these different sources
for additional information and
we actually use the caller ID
number for RBC alert system
as the call center number
so some people will just be
able to hit re dial or a you
know call back that caller ID
number and they'll get routed
directly to our -- call center
all right do we have
anyone else who wants
to respond guess
cation we asked the the
residents if they have a need
or systems to get out of their
home to contact us and writing
a refer as well because it was
an issue that came up on the
rim fire was how many ambulances
buses or whatever also may need
for people that can't walk that
they were were car assistance
getting out of the home -- what
would be nice if there was a way
to a one stop shop if you will
for somebody to it whether it's
physicians in hotel services
to provide that information to
law enforcement so that we we
have that information readily
available when we draw our map
of the impacted area to say okay
I'm gonna need six ambulances
to get these people out area so
that would be some we would like
to see as well thank you very
interesting all right -- yes
Mister yeah account center check
such wonder does he won party
thing there there's a couple
conversations on on accuracy and
for that information and some
of the technologies was going
on there ma'am the FCC controls
location accuracy and this is an
area that -- your support when
you're talking with our federal
counterparts could be helpful
to remind them to continue to
improve our location accuracy
whether it's calling nine one
one or the ability to broadcast
signal backwards on same
cellular network -- for that
same location accuracy Mitch cam
just as commission fall here Sir
-- what what does it just
in lightness in terms the we
advocacy Prosser with the stage
it is there are there Senate
guidelines have been published
that folks are commenting on now
like how how does that process
actually worked to hitting
at twenty nineteen deadline
coming up and then as well as
sort of this FCC side like is
this is this all locked in or
is it influx could go faster
potentially you know are we
gonna have formal opportunities
to reshape this or is it just
sort of on track and going
the the from from the
sampling from Calloway's
producing those guidelines were
on track and work and that night
that you -- the federal process
on the federal side yes yes
the the federal process for for
improving -- location
accuracy is is -- is has been
said they're not they have not
adjusted their time lines to
increase that so -- we obviously
would prefer them there there's
currently no mandate to actually
go to a hundred percent so --
they're they're they having set
their target at in our level
where you're going to guarantee
that portion of the let alone
the the more we talk about the
Z. axis for vertical axis for
you -- that's -- we're just
one X. Y. I know where you're
out on the ground and can target
Chiu a properly on your call
and get you complete located
there so and the reason assure
that is because the the you
you reverse frame the question
of what can I similar back
out to the individual and and
so because hand in hand with
the same location accuracy
and that's not a part of the
we update process though that's
a separate process within FCC
that's it that's outside and
who's who's overseeing the the
we update is that going to DHS
it is sent and we work on the
aye plus our household that
that whole program is working
-- through that through the
DHS silence I think that might
be something we can pursue a
little bit further what we can
do is a state we do have some
limitations -- certainly there
are things that we need to
do going forward if we can
jurisdictional a we may not be
able to but to the extent we
do a jurisdiction that would be
helpful so we have run a little
bit late but it's time to thank
you very much I I hope it's been
is helpful for you is I think
it's been for those of us here
in the días and hopefully for
people who are -- watching us
online -- it we will take public
comment now if there is any
-- sixty seconds hot but
may I see how many people are
public up we have -- at least
three four will give you a
two minutes each and I will
I will bang down the gavel at
the end of that two minutes so
why don't you come on up give
us your name affiliation and
-- -- your two minutes
good afternoon I'm Richard
road when I'm vice chair of
the California emergency alert
system state committee and is
your single point of contact
for broadcast radio television
and cable as far as -- emergency
warnings that go over the
air or come through the cable
-- there over is over a
half century of research
that says that reinforcement
is important to get --
a public at risk to act
in reinforcement comes
through multiple warning
sources multiple messages
and -- coordinated
information release --
the -- this is
going back to something that
is kind of low tech like
broadcasting is important when
the infrastructure is impaired
it also provides a feedback loop
if you have relationships with
local broadcasters so that when
-- -- they go all emergency all
the time people have a way to
-- -- get on the air
in the broadcasters can actually
if they're monitored by the
emergency management community
can -- get a handle on what's
going on out in the field
-- within the two minute limit
on going to say is I have a
hand out I'm gonna leave with --
with you about draft best
practices for local emergency
public information and --
I think I'm gonna leave it
there and -- anybody wants to
speak to be off line I'm very
much available on the contact
information is on here and
I think a major two minute
limit thank you and thank you
for your good work on this
issue will look forward to the
documentation next my name
is Brian could on the vice
president IBM which is emergency
management consulting company
I also previously served as the
director of emergency management
for the state of Florida --
for seven years until the end
of last year -- Florida faced
in faces many this similar
challenge the California does
in terms of large population
rural and urban divide -- and
the number of hazards as well
as areas they're difficult
to evacuate -- so a couple
of recommendations based on
my experience in Florida one
is -- insured as Lilly Anna
said to be citizen centric and
think about all the different
ways that your Californians
receive information so aside
from city county government
state government they'll also
be receiving information from
schools colleges universities
-- your tourist attractions
a utilities so you wanna make
sure that you coordinate your
policies and your messaging
-- ahead of time so they don't
receive conflicting information
because conflicting information
leads to friction in their back
you Asian process which can
lead to death so bringing more
people to the table at this
stage -- will greatly enhance
your effort -- the second thing
is it is -- in your working
on and you guys are doing
terrific work in terms of policy
development and legislation --
is everything you can do at the
state level to help support in
terms of policy development --
in terms of funding in terms
of marketing outreach education
to help citizens understand
-- what the systems can and
cannot do and what their role
will be when they receive
this information -- and then
making sure that they'll the
local governments have the
operational control it it's a
very important at the locals be
able to push that message out
for their communities that you
do everything you can at the
state level to empower their
ability to do that we found
that to be the most effective
relationship -- and I think --
probably also work in the state
of California as well thank you
thank you very much appreciate
I'm should I know you've had a
few problems in Florida too so
we she hears testimony anyone
else step up
hi my name's Frank Redondo
Chumash most likely descendants
native American heritage
commissions list as part of that
-- my biggest concern is about
the disturbance of ancestors
are buried in when we have fire
occasions like this there's
a potential discovered human
remains up there are native
as we see up on the wall we've
got you know native -- imagery
that's here I'm I'm here on
behalf of the barber individual
band of mission Indians Julie
to my test low stencil --
but one of the issues that
we've discovered of the past
couple years is that we've been
working on emergency response
projects Refugio oil spill
twenty fifteen and Ventura the
hall canyon oil spill as well
-- Thomas fire came out we got
brought in we were supposed
to be brought in in February we
brought in in may we're about
thirty five parcels that we
actually addressed in in and
serving but we weren't able to
get to all of them now we have
this new fire the taking place
-- we know that the office of
emergency services -- -- house
a tribal constitution tribal
policy but from each of the
murders C. event we get sort
of different responses from the
agencies that say that we
deal with federally recognized
tribes the Armenian venture
abandon mission Indians are
not fully recognize what they
are are listed on the heritage
commissions AB fifty two tribal
consultation this now granted
that's for development proposals
but if you look at the tribal
policy for -- office so yes
-- they basically say that we
have an option for non for the
recognize strides as any in
organizations to participate
especially for developing best
management practices as well as
protocols we would like to be
at the table we wish we would
have been notified about this
meeting we only heard it I heard
about it on the radio by Mr
Palminteri this morning coming
in and notify the tribal chair
that this meeting was taking
place and she said definitely
come in and say something
so -- under the government's
-- executive order be ten
eleven its responsibility of
all agencies to initiate some
form of consultation with
tribes because this group is
on the verge to list they've
done the due diligence to the
paperwork to follow the laws
we just want to be noticed
brought to the table so
Preciado thank Newman Julie
noted thank you for coming any
other members of the public
good afternoon good afternoon
thank you for the opportunities
say a minute -- or two minutes
I'm my name is Rebecca --
August I'm from those countries
-- force March and we're
a nonprofit organization
protecting wildlife wilderness
and water on the central
coast and I just want to thank
you so much for focusing on
I'm also resident here in Santa
Barbara county and have been
impacted by local wildfire for
focusing on ways to improve
community alert systems
and for your dedication and
willingness to learn and to
involve how you understand and
take action to protect people
and property in this new as on
senator Jackson's said -- new
abnormal we encourage you to in
k¿t conducts similar hearings
on retrofitting homes to
improve wildfire resilience on
discouraging new development and
high on fire hazard areas and
Dodd dressing human ignitions
as well as how to focus finite
resources on tactics that fire
scientists have -- soon to be
most effective at protecting
our communities from a far
thank you so much thank you very
much are there any other public
comments alright I'm gonna
take the liberty of his closing
up so we have a number of other
activities since the assembly
member is going to be out the
easiest be I think I'm gonna go
join her for a hearing dealing
with our great university
they've of course been involved
and helpful in this and -- as
has -- my staff I want to
give a special shout out to
Toby Halvorson who has been
the -- consultant for the --
-- state joint committee on
emergency management which I've
been honored to share for the
last two years it will now --
turn over to the assembly --
for the chair over the next
to -- but -- Toby's been an
extraordinary resource and help
to me want to thank my staff
and I know assembly member of
León wants thank her staff --
for their work in putting this
together I think this is been
extraordinarily successful I
want to thank senator stern
in particular for coming he
himself is dealing with the
-- the outcome of the -- will
see fire both personally and
as the representative of his
community we know what this
is like assembly member Limón
and I -- we're still battling
a lot of the follow up to the
Thomas fire which occurred a
year ago and then the debris
flow this is a process and a
problem that really is -- --
almost feels never ending but
its impact -- cannot be --
-- overstated -- whether it's
our schools whether it's the
challenges for housing both
on the temporary and permanent
basis insurance rebuilding
recovering bearing are dead
-- these are the problems
associated with this situation
as a result of changing climate
and the need to address it
while we try desperately hard
to stop it from occurring
-- but this has been a very
helpful hearing I want to thank
our first responders I want to
thank all of you who are working
in the emergency management
field and all of the public has
been here and our media it's
ical import the public has got
to understand that there are
limits to what we can do mother
nature does not share play book
with us mother nature is not
happy with this we are seeing
events occurring throughout
the country in the world from
Florida to Texas the California
that we never anticipated --
if what we are doing our best
and I think it's important that
that message get out there that
we are working together -- the
we're going to do our best that
we are going to try to include
the public create best practices
and deal with the situation as
best as is humanly possible so
with that I want to thank all
of you for being here thank
you for your good work there
will be more to come they'll
be more that we can try to do
legislatively collaboratively
working together as communities
as a state is a country -- as
a planet to deal with the ever
changing climate and of the
dramatic circumstances that are
being generated from that so
thank you all and -- we are now
adjourned we do have I suspect
some donuts still out there if
you would like to grab a little
bite before lunch thank you all