To: Board of Supervisors, County of Sonoma
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Emergency Management; Sheriff’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jeffrey DuVall/565-1152; Capt. Shawn Murphy / 565-2650
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Evacuation Annex to the Sonoma County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Receive the Evacuation Annex to the Sonoma County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan.
end
Executive Summary:
Staff will present the proposed Evacuation Annex which outlines the policies, strategies, procedures, and agency roles that will coordinate evacuation efforts during a major emergency incident or disaster in the Sonoma County Operational Area. This is a supporting annex to the Sonoma County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
Discussion:
Emergency evacuation is the organized movement of people away from a threat or hazard. Large-scale evacuations of the community - whether planned or no-notice - must balance restricting the rights of residents, business owners, and the agriculture community with the interest of public safety. Evacuations require several supporting systems including alert and warning, public information, care & shelter, perimeter control, security, and coordinated repopulation.
Sonoma County is no stranger to large emergencies and disasters that result in the need to quickly alert and move residents out of harm’s way. Flooding along the Russian River has long required the evacuation of residents. However, the massive and fast-moving wildfires seen in recent years have required extraordinary evacuation efforts - in both number and scope as well as complexity. The County’s recent evacuations include:
|
Date |
Incident |
Residents Evacuated |
|
October 2017 |
Tubbs/Nuns Fires |
100,000 |
|
February 2019 |
Winter Storm/Flooding |
4,500 |
|
October 2019 |
Kincade Fire |
186,000 |
|
August 2020 |
LNU (Walbridge) Fires |
33,000 |
|
September 2020 |
Glass Fire |
48,000 |
The 2017 Tubbs and Nuns Fires highlighted the need to expand evacuation planning efforts to address the challenges posed by massive and fast-moving wildfires. There are other significant hazards may require large evacuations of County residents and visitors including flooding, hazardous materials release or tsunami. Since 2017, the Sheriff’s Office, Department of Emergency Management, Information Services Department, and the incorporated cities have worked to develop countywide coordinated evacuation zones and incorporate best practices including common evacuation terminology, integrate alert and warning functions and address challenges faces by individuals with Access and Functional Needs (AFN).
Large-scale evacuations are a very complex task, especially when health care facilities and other critical infrastructure are at risk. It takes a coordinated and unified effort to conduct successful evacuations.
Key Evacuation Concepts
Within the State of California, Law Enforcement holds the primary authority to order evacuations warnings and orders. In May 2020, the State of California standardized evacuation terminology. This terminology, which was developed in close collaboration with public safety partners throughout the state, and demonstrates California's continued leadership in protecting lives and property through clear and consistent alert and warning protocols.
This plan incorporates the State of California’s seven common terminology terms:
1. Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
2. Evacuation Warning: Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.
3. Shelter in Place: Go indoors. Shut and lock doors and windows. Prepare to self-sustain until further notice and/or contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.
4. Evacuation Order(s) Lifted: The formal announcement of lifting evacuations in an area currently under evacuation.
5. Hard Closure: Closed to all traffic except Fire and Law Enforcement.
6. Soft Closure: Closed to all traffic except Fire, Law Enforcement and critical Incident resources (i.e. Utility, Caltrans, City/County Roads etc. or those needed to repair or restore infrastructure).
7. Resident-Only Closure: Soft closure with the additional allowance of residents and local government agencies assisting with response and recovery.
Evacuation and Alert & Warning
When public safety leaders decide to evacuate the public, Sonoma County uses several tools to communicate with the community. Sonoma County Law Enforcement partners may first use “Hi/Lo” audible sirens on law enforcement and fire vehicles. The County will then also incorporate use of SoCo Alert, Wireless Emergency Alerting (WEA), Emergency Alerting System (EAS), NOAA Weather Radios, as well supporting our message through local agencies Nixle accounts. These warning systems are designed primarily with the challenge of evacuations in mind. The redundant communications, including lo-tech options such as the Hi/Lo sirens that do not require residents have cell connectivity or electrical power, are designed to maximize the reach of communications to residents regardless of the conditions.
In the event of evacuations, the warning messages will provide the nature and location of the hazard and the name and a narrative description of the zone being evacuated in English and Spanish. For text and email warning messages, an embedded link will allow recipients to quickly access additional information including maps at the SoCoEmergency.org website.
While the Sheriff is responsible for decisions to evacuate in the unincorporated county and will issue alerts in conjunction with the Department of Emergency Management, each city is responsible for determining its own evacuations and issuing alerts. The County and cities strive to coordinate these messages. Due to the need to ensure that residents and visitors receive alerts, some residents may receive alerts from multiple jurisdictions. It is important for residents to “know their zone.”
In 2018 the Alert & Warning Subcommittee was established under the Emergency Council. The mission of the subcommittee was to establish alert & warning guidelines for alerting, unified messaging, training, planning, and exercising.
Evacuation Annex
This Annex establishes general and specific policies, procedures, and protocols for the need of an evacuation in the Sonoma County Operational Area (Op Area) during actual or potential emergencies that pose a significant threat to life or property. This plan serves as a functional annex to the Sonoma County/Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The Annex incorporates both best practices as well as lessons learned from recent disasters and exercises.
The Annex addresses five key objectives:
1. Established authority over evacuations within Sonoma County.
2. Established common statewide evacuation terminology.
3. Established roles and responsibilities within the County/Operational Area Emergency Operations Center.
4. Coordination to mobilize transportation resources to assist people with disabilities and those who do not own or have access to automobiles.
5. Incorporate social equity measures and ensure the ability to reach individuals with Access and Functional Needs by identifying potential barriers and implementing mitigation strategies as required.
By approving this Annex, the Board is establishing clear and consistent policies and providing direction to staff regarding when and how evacuations will be coordinated. Key elements include:
1. Introduction to evacuation concepts
2. Terminology
3. Authorities
4. Agency Roles & Responsibilities
5. Re-Population efforts (allowing residents to re-occupy an evacuated area)
6. Countywide Evacuation Zones and Map
Countywide Evacuation Zones
In 2019, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Emergency Management, and Information Services Department partnered to work with stakeholders in developing a map of pre-designated evacuation zones for the County and all the cities. Draft versions of the map were used in the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex and Glass wildfire incidents. The map was completed and distributed to stakeholder agencies and made available to all County residents in May 2021.
This map is designed to be easy to access and ensures clearly defined boundaries for all 200+ zones within the County. The zones will enable fire and law enforcement agencies to quickly identify and communicate areas that may need to be evacuated. The use of the zones will also support the rapid and effective use of the County’s alert and warning systems.
County unincorporated zones align with the Sheriff’s Office patrol zones to support habitual relationships with communities, neighborhoods, and their respected law enforcement and fire protection districts. The zones have been developed in consultation with local fire agencies and reflect local conditions such as the road network in the area. All incorporated cities have also developed evacuation zones to support common understanding within their communities.
Efforts to socialize the map and zones are underway. The “Know your Zone” campaign has given residences the opportunity to become familiar with the zone map, through the Sheriff’s Office and SoCoEmergency.org Web-site. The public information teams in the Sheriff’s Office and County Administrator’s Office very effective in enlisting traditional media to help carry the story of the new map and share how residents can look up their zones. The County’s social media efforts were also successful in directly reaching residents. Staff have also worked directly with community-based organizations to get the word out through their networks. The May 23, 2021 edition of the Press Democrat also carried a large four-page section with the new evacuation zone maps and information on how residents can be prepared to evacuate. Residents can call also 2-1-1 to find out their zone.
The Department of Emergency Management is working with local businesses and the tourist sector to identify how places where visitors gather or stay may also be able to share information regarding evacuation zones.
Evacuation Ribbons and “Evac Packs”
The Sheriff’s Office has initiated a new program which provides evacuation tags to residents as a new tool to help local law and fire staff to more quickly ensure that neighborhoods are evacuated during a disaster. Residents tie the tag in a location that is highly visible when they evacuate. This saves time because first responders don’t have to tie their own ribbon on the property and they can immediately check the next home. Over time, we have learned that seconds can count during evacuations. Each tag comes with a bilingual instruction flyer.
Earlier this year, the Department of Emergency Management produced evacuation information kits, or “Evac Packs”, which are clear view envelopes loaded with information and planning aids to help residents prepare for potential evacuations. The pack includes a Personal Emergency Plan template, Evacuation Check list, a Know Your Zone sticker, and tips for Power Shutoffs. Materials are designed to give residents a chance to pre-plan this stressful and unpredictable activity. The pack can be hung inside a closet door or other handy location so it is ready and accessible if needed.
So far, Emergency Management has distributed over 9,000 Evac Packs in both English and Spanish. The packs continue to be available at the Sonoma County Libraries and continue to be distributed throughout the County at different events and by neighborhood preparedness groups.
Community Evacuation Drills
The County of Sonoma, Department of Emergency Management in conjunction with Sonoma County Sheriff’s office have been conducting community-specific alert and warning and evacuation exercises throughout the County. These exercises familiarize residents with local designated routes for evacuation; safely practice evacuating residents using those routes; exercise our SoCo Alert system, use of the Hi/Lo Siren to notify participating residents and facilitate residents to register for the County’s alerting system.
To date we have completed four community exercises (chart below) and are planning to conduct more in the summer of 2022.
|
Cavedale/Trinity Community |
July 2019 |
|
Mill Creek Community |
October 2019 |
|
Fitch Mountain Community |
June 2021 |
|
Camp Meeker/Occidental Community |
June 2021 |
|
Grove Street/Diamond A Community |
Summer 2022 |
|
Cazadero Community |
Summer 2022 |
These exercises are key in assisting our residents to familiarize with other routes out of their communities, capabilities and limitations of SoCo Alert, Law Enforcement’s Hi/Lo Siren, Wireless Emergency Alerting (WEA), and the Emergency Alerting System (EAS).
Prior Board Actions:
June 11, 2018 - The Board approved the Emergency Operations Center After Action Report and Improvement Plan for the October 2017 Wildfires
Recovery and Resiliency Framework Alignment:
1. Strategy Area: CP2. Meet future challenges by redesigning the County Emergency Management Program, providing additional resources, enhancing external funding capabilities, and recommitting to the County’s public safety missions
2. Actions: Develop a public information and warning systems training program for County officials, Emergency Operations Center personnel, including appropriate authorizations to issue evacuation orders (2.3.1). Prepare household pre-emergency and emergency packets (templates), to include information a resident will need in the event of an evacuation (3.2.9)
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
1. Sonoma County Operational Area Evacuation Annex
2. PowerPoint Presentation
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None