The Morgan Hill City Council recently accepted the city’s 2005
Emergency Operations Plan, which
outlines the roles and responsibilities of city staff and
volunteers during a disaster. Police Commander Joe Sampson
presented the plan to the city council during their Sept. 21
meeting. He told council members the city has developed a planned
response to and recovery from a natural or man-made d
isaster that addresses the safety of people, property and the
environment.
The Morgan Hill City Council recently accepted the city’s 2005 Emergency Operations Plan, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of city staff and volunteers during a disaster.
Police Commander Joe Sampson presented the plan to the city council during their Sept. 21 meeting. He told council members the city has developed a planned response to and recovery from a natural or man-made disaster that addresses the safety of people, property and the environment.
“First, residents have to recognize that disaster can, and probably will, happen in Morgan Hill. It could be a natural disaster or man-made,” Sampson underlined the importance of the plan, in light of the past Sept. 11 tragedy and recent natural disasters.
The plan uses the State of California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) as the basic structure for a disaster operation, Sampson said. He indicated the plan outlines the city Emergency Management Organization and identifies policies, responsibilities, procedures for the Emergency Operations Center. It outlines the emergency activation process at different levels of alert, from a declared state of local emergency, to more severe emergency situations that may require regional or statewide mutual aid and the Santa Clara Operational Area EOC and/or extensive state and/or federal assistance.
Part of the city’s goal over the next six months to a year, said Sampson, is to provide additional training for first responders and city staff in search and rescue, CPR and other related disaster responses.
Sampson indicated, a focal point of the plan is to make citizens aware of what they can do to prepare for an emergency.
He advises all families to come up with their own emergency plan, with a goal to be self-sustaining for 72 hours. This would mean making sure there is water, food, first aid kits in an accessible location in their home and in their car.
Sampson also advises families to decide on a contact person outside the local area, preferably out of state. He said in times of emergency, telephone lines get clogged and it’s easier to call out of state than anywhere in the state.
Community Emergency Response Training classes are being offered to the public, Sampson announced. CERT classes for the public are being held Tuesdays through Nov. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Emergency Operation Center at the Morgan Hill Police Department, 16200 Vineyard Blvd.,
He also noted training exercises are conducted regularly by emergency personnel.
Mayor Dennis Kennedy asked about the role of the city council in times of emergency and recalled the flooding in 1997, when the council members dealt with the media. The plan identifies duties of council members, which would include relaying good public information and reassuring the community, City Manager Ed Tewes said.
In case of emergency, Sampson said the city manager would assume the position of emergency management director. Personnel authorized to activate the city’s Emergency Operations Center include the city manager, as Director of Emergency Services; the chief of police, as Assistant Director of Emergency Services; the acting city manager, in the absence of the city manager; and any city department head, in the absence of the acting city manager. These personnel have the responsibility to determine whether the emergency condition requires partial or full mobilization of the City Emergency Operations Organization to staff the EOC.
Councilman Mark Grzan asked Sampson if he could gauge the preparedness of the community in the event of a disaster.
Sampson replied, “We can do training here and there, but if only 10 percent of the community is trained, it’s not enough.”
“Is there a way that indicates how prepared we are?” asked Kennedy.
“We are not at the point that we can start to do that – measure preparedness,” Sampson answered. “We are at mitigating preparedness, awareness only. We have some more steps to take.”
Rose Meily covers City Hall for the Morgan Hill Times. Reach her at 779-4106 ext. 201 or by e-mail at rm****@*************es.com
