City of Pacifica
Emergency Preparedness and Safety Commission
Annual Report 2022
May 2021 – May 2022
Members of the Emergency Preparedness and Safety Commission Commissioners:
Jeanne Salisbury, Chair
Dough Hladky, Vice Chair
Frank Erbacher
Debra Johnson
Gregor Blackburn
Evelyn Taverna
Feliks Gasanyan
Jay Crawford
Peter Balestreri
Past Commissioners
• Breck Hitz (term ended October 2021)
• Charlie Lotridge (resigned February 2022)
Ex-Officio members:
Jorge Machado, Pacifica School District
Marcus Peppers, Jefferson Union High School District
Betty Fleming, American Red Cross
City Council Liaison:
Tygarjas Bigstyck, Pacifica City Council
City of Pacifica staff representatives:
Pacifica Police Captain Chris Clements
Pacifica Police Sergeant Tom Cumming
The Role of the Commission
The Emergency Preparedness & Safety Commission advises and makes recommendations to City Council on activities and programs related to emergency preparedness. The powers and duties of the Commission are advisory only and include; To assist in the preparation and review and make recommendations to Council on disaster preparedness plans;
To increase community awareness of the possibility of future disasters and the need for disaster preparedness;
To develop and distribute disaster preparedness information in the City; To develop, implement and promote, with Council approval, disaster preparedness programs and activities in the City;
To promote and develop resources, volunteer and self-help groups to be utilized in the event of a local disaster;
To assist in the coordinating of disaster preparedness with other governmental agencies
The commission is also the appellate body for appeals relating to abandoned/ inoperable vehicle abatement, vehicles parked 72 hours or more, specific sections of the Building Code, and appeals of staff decisions relating to traffic safety issues.
The Pacifica Emergency Preparedness & Safety Commission meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm. Due to restrictions on in person public meetings due to public health safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings were conducted using an online virtual format via Zoom. Commission meetings are open to the public, and community members participate in meetings through email messages or using Zoom to participate by telephone or video.
Year in Review
This report will include Commission activities from May 2021 through May 2022. In response to the public health threat posed by COVID-19, in March 2020 orders issued by the Health Officer of San Mateo County prohibited all public gatherings. This resulted in the cancellation of in person commission meetings until they could resume using a virtual format pursuant to Executive Orders issued by the Governor. These meetings using a virtual format continued until March 2022. The Commission was able to resume in person meetings at the Pacifica Police Department in the City’s Emergency Operations Center.
Guest Presentations at Commission meetings In support of the Commission’s goal to raise awareness about potential hazards in our community, encouraging preparedness, and coordinating disaster preparedness with other governmental agencies, commissioners identified topics of interest and organizations to invite to present at scheduled Commission meetings. With increased concerns surrounding the statewide threat from wildfire, the Commission focused on this topic.
In June 2021, Supervisor Fernandes from the North Coast County Water District spoke to the Commission about the water system serving Pacifica during normal operation and during an emergency situation. He spoke about the redundant systems in place to provide water to the City in the event of a disaster, and ongoing infrastructure maintenance projects throughout the District. He also spoke about recent improvements to the management systems to protect against cyberattacks.
In July 2021, the presentation by Parks Director Calderon for the County of San Mateo included their department’s comprehensive 5 year plan for wildfire fuels management.
This plan included 32 distinct projects countywide. Of local interest he spoke about the two projects in San Pedro Valley Park. One project included the creation and maintenance of a fuel break along the park boundary and private residences. This project was already underway. The second project is the creation and maintenance of a fuel break along the Hazelnut Trail. A funding source for that project is being sought, and the project is anticipated to be completed in the coming years.
In August 2021, Deputy Chief Kavanaugh and Inspector Adams from the North County Fire Authority (NCFA) presented on grant opportunities and applications they had submitted to mitigate wildfire hazards in Pacifica. The NCFA applied for more than $1,000,000 in grants through CalFire, the Coastal Conservancy and the California Fire Foundation to support a local vegetation reduction community chipping program, roadside vegetation management, public education on fire prevention, fuel reduction projects, and emergency ‘go bags’ for use in the event of evacuations.
In January 2022, Inspector Adams from the NCFA provided the Commission with an update on the wildfire mitigation grants. The Coastal Conservancy Grant awarded $130,000 to the City to fund a vegetation chipping program. The grant provided 20 days of chipping for neighborhoods in the designated areas identified by the Coastal Conservancy, targeting lands adjacent to open space areas. These areas were located in neighborhoods in Linda Mar, Pedro Point, Park Pacifica, Vallemar and Rockaway Beach. NCFA reported 2,500 eligible residences were identified in these areas. The program disposed of more than 28 tons of vegetation helping create defensible space around homes in these areas. NCFA also used social media and created an updated webpage to promote creating defensible space around homes, and this grand funded chipper program.
In March 2022, Captain Clements from the police department presented on tsunami preparedness as March 21-25 was recognized as Tsunami Preparedness Week. He reviewed tsunami hazards in the City, as well as the City response to the Tsunami Advisory issued in January 2022 following the volcanic eruption off the coast of the Tonga Islands. Captain Clements reviewed exercises City staff were participating in to be better prepared in the event of a catastrophic tsunami, and discussed the social media campaign planned to help raise awareness about tsunami hazards in our community.
In April 2022, Inspector Adams from NCFA delivered a presentation to the commission about wildfire preparedness. The month of May is recognized as Wildfire Awareness Month. His presentation included fire prevention and preparedness strategies, and the Zonehaven evacuation management platform. He also promoted the NCFA “Ready, Set, Go” wildfire preparedness and evacuation program. The “Ready, Set, Go” program identifies strategies to be better prepared for an evacuation during wildfire season.
As Commission members become better acquainted with existing preparedness and mitigation efforts, they are able to help develop strategies and make recommendations to improve City and community preparedness.
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
One of the Commission’s goals is to develop, implement and promote, with Council approval, disaster preparedness programs and activities, and to coordinate disaster preparedness with other governmental agencies. In 2021 the City updated their volume of the Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, a large regional and crossjurisdictional plan for the reduction of risk from natural and man-made disasters. The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) assesses hazard vulnerabilities and identifies mitigation actions to reduce the level of injury, property damage, and community disruption that might otherwise result from such events. Adoption of the LHMP helps the City and participating jurisdictions remain eligible for various types of pre- and postdisaster community assistance, such as grants, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State government. Disasters do not know jurisdictional boundaries. The City partnered with the County of San Mateo and 36 local governments and regional special districts for this process. The LHMP update was informed by a steering committee and robust public engagement which was promoted using social media platforms. The Commission received updates from staff throughout this process. Our volume of the LHMP was adopted by City Council in November 2021.
Community Outreach and Education
One of the Commission’s primary goals is educating our community about local hazards and promoting personal disaster preparedness. Commissioners worked with city staff to promote preparedness through use of social media this past year. Disaster preparedness courses and events were presented in a virtual format due to COVID-19 restrictions on in person gatherings. While concerns about the spread of COVID-19 significantly impacted the ability to engage with the community this past year, the Commission is already planning to participate in a number of in person events in 2022.
Wildfire Preparedness was the focus of the Commission’s efforts in 2020 and again in 2021. The Commission recognized community concerns about the wildfire risk, and heard several presentations this past year from the North County Fire Authority (NCFA) and the San Mateo County Director of Parks about local wildfire mitigation efforts and wildfire preparedness.
In 2020, the Commission proposed increasing community outreach about wildfire mitigation; creating defensible space, preparedness, planning for evacuation and promoting the Zonehaven Evacuation platform, and promoting enrollment in alert notification systems (such as SMCAlert). Both NCFA and the police department have continued to use social media platforms to promote wildfire preparedness. In June 2021 the NCFA and Pacifica Police Department hosted a virtual Wildfire Awareness Event via Zoom. A similar in-person event is already scheduled for June 11, 2022. This event is being promoted through social media platforms Nextdoor, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as the City ebulletin Connect With Pacifica.
COVID-19 Response was another focus this past year. Again, social media platforms were used extensively to promote COVID-19 information such as access to vaccinations and testing. Connect With Pacifica, and the City website also promoted up to date information to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community. COVID-19 mobile testing is currently available three days a week at the City lot on Francisco Boulevard.
Earthquake Preparedness Course This 90 minute course was created and first presented by our CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program in 2016. Community members learn how to prepare for an earthquake and tsunami; create a family plan, create an emergency kit, and identify supplies to keep at home, at the office and in their vehicle. This class also promotes the CERT basic course to improve personal preparedness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this class was presented virtually for the first time, and a number of times in 2021. It is presented in conjunction with Tsunami Preparedness Week in March.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is a nationwide effort intended to educate people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills Two commissioners serve as instructors in our CERT Basic Course. Over 350 Pacifica residents are graduates of the CERT basic training program. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CERT Basic Course was offered twice a year and conducted at the Pacifica Police Department. CERT instructors include a mix of CERT volunteer coordinators and City staff from our police and fire departments.
COVID-19 impacted our ability to present these courses. Plans are underway to resume classes again in 2022. This past year, our CERT volunteers remained engaged through events presented virtually using Zoom. Topics included the Zonehaven evacuation management platform, and Resilience and Psychological First Aid.
Looking Ahead
Wildfire Awareness In the coming year, the Commission will continue to monitor local efforts to mitigate the hazard posed by wildfire. Ongoing community outreach and education through social media and other events will continue to be a priority for the Commission.
Community Outreach One of the Commission’s goals is to increase community awareness and the need for disaster preparedness, and to distribute disaster preparedness information. The Commission is looking forward to the return of several in person events that have been cancelled in recent years due to COVID-19 restrictions.
This includes the Wildfire Awareness Event at the Community Center on June 11, the San Mateo County Disaster Preparedness Day at the San Mateo Event Center on July 30, and the Pacific Coast Fog Fest on September 24 and 25.
Outreach Through the Internet/ Social Media In the absence of in person events in recent years, the Commission has learned to utilize social media for community outreach and awareness. The staff liaisons from the police department used their platforms on Nextdoor, Facebook and Twitter to promote a wide range of preparedness topics; such as the Zonehaven evacuation platform, SMCAlert notification system, the MyShake earthquake early warning mobile app, and the City’s dedicated Wildfire Preparedness webpage. Looking ahead to the coming year, the Commission continue to find ways to use these platforms to raise awareness and share information with our community. They will also see the Commission’s webpage and the City’s Natural Disasters webpage are regularly reviewed and updated with the most current resources and information for our community members.
Printed Materials The Commission has developed and adapted a variety of brochures for public education about local hazards and disaster preparedness. In the coming year the Commission will update these materials with current information and consider adding additional online resources. These materials include:
Tsunami Preparedness
72 Hours- Are You Prepared?
SMCAlert- San Mateo County’s alert notification System