City of Pacifica
Emergency Preparedness and Safety Commission
Annual Report 2023
May 2022 – May 2023
Members of the Emergency Preparedness and Safety Commission Commissioners:
▪ Debra Johnson, Chair
▪ Jay Crawford, Vice Chair
▪ Frank Erbacher
▪ Jeanne Salisbury
▪ Gregor Blackburn
▪ Evelyn Taverna
▪ Feliks Gasanyan
▪ Peter Balestreri
▪ Tony Guzzetta
Past Commissioner
• Doug Hladky (term ended October 2022)
Ex-Officio members:
▪ Betty Fleming, American Red Cross
▪ Jorge Machado, Pacifica School District
▪ Marcus Peppers, Jefferson Union High School District
City Council Liaison:
▪ Tygarjas Bigstyck, Mayor
▪ Christine Boles, Council Member
City of Pacifica staff representatives:
▪ Pacifica Police Captain Chris Clements
▪ Pacifica Police Sergeant Tom Cumming
The Role of the Commission
The Emergency Preparedness and 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 and 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, some meetings during this period 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 in virtual meetings by telephone or video.
The Year in Review
This report includes Commission activities from May 2022 through May 2023. Beginning in March 2022, the Commission briefly returned to in person meetings. These meetings took place at the City’s Emergency Operations Center, located at the Pacifica Police Department. Unfortunately, a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases countywide resulted in a return to virtual meetings. Beginning in June 2022, through October 2022, these meetings were conducted in a virtual format via Zoom. The Commission resumed in person meetings in November 2022.
Guest Presentations at Commission meetings To support of the Commission’s goal of raising awareness about potential hazards in Pacifica, coordinating disaster preparedness with other governmental agencies and promoting self-preparedness throughout the community, the Commission identified areas of interest and a variety of organizations to present at scheduled meetings. Ongoing concerns about the threat of wildfire drove the Commission to continue to focus on wildfire preparedness and evacuation readiness.
At the meeting in June of 2022, the Commission heard from Senior Planner O’Connor the staff liaison to the Open Space and Parkland Advisory Committee. She spoke about concerns in the neighborhood adjacent to Mori Point. She spoke about the work the Committee had done to address parking and other impacts from a dramatic increase in visitors to this area beginning in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Senior Planner O’Connor spoke about the City’s collaboration with the National Park Service who manages Mori Point, to help reduce the impacts of visitors to the surrounding neighborhood.
At the September 2022 meeting, Inspector Adams from the North County Fire Authority presented to the Commission. 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 November 2022, Captain Clements from the police department presented on the Zonehaven evacuation management platform. This online platform is accessible to all jurisdictions in San Mateo County through the Department of Emergency Management.
This platform assists first responders in identifying and planning possible evacuation zones using data to determine the number of structures in a designated area, as well as calculate traffic conditions during different times of day. Zonehaven also allows local officials to share information about evacuations in real time with community members through the online platform. Zonehaven and the Know Your Zone campaign are promoted often and are an integral part of any wildfire preparedness plan.
In March 2023 Captain Clements from the police department presented on tsunami hazards and preparedness as part of Tsunami Preparedness Week. He discussed how tsunamis are generated, the history of damaging tsunamis around the Pacific Ocean, and identified tsunami hazard areas in Pacifica. He also shared how to recognize the signs of an approaching tsunami, where to receive notifications about local tsunami hazards, and what to do if you need to evacuate for a threat of a tsunami, and where to find additional information on the City’s dedicated webpage.
In April 2023, Inspector Adams and Assistant Fire Marshal Wittner NCFA delivered a presentation about wildfire preparedness. The month of May is recognized as Wildfire Awareness Month. The robust presentation included vegetation management grant applications the City is seeking to reduce fuels, wildfire fire preparedness strategies such as home hardening and creating defensible space, and promoted “Ready, Set, Go.” The “Ready, Set, Go” campaign identifies strategies to be better prepared for an evacuation during wildfire season.
As Commission members become better acquainted with existing preparedness and mitigation strategies and efforts, they are able to help promote these in our community and make recommendations to improve City and community preparedness.
Community Outreach and Education
One of the Commission’s primary goals is promoting disaster preparedness and raising awareness about local hazards. Commissioners continued to work with city staff to use social media to promote education and preparedness strategies this past year. It was also used to disseminate information about extreme weather events during the winter storms in January 2023. Several social media posts provided preparedness and response resources and information for community members as severe storms, damaging surf, winds and flooding, impacted our community in early 2023.
A variety of classes and events were promoted through social media and presented in a virtual format due to COVID-19 restrictions. While concerns about the spread of COVID19 at times impacted the ability to engage with the community this past year, the Commission took advantage of several in person events.
Wildfire Preparedness was the focus of the Commission’s efforts in 2020, 2021 and continued through 2022. The Commission heard concerns from community members surrounding local risks from wildfire, and sought community outreach campaigns and events to raise awareness and promote preparedness.
Continuing work started in 2020 to increase community awareness about wildfire awareness and preparedness through a dedicated event. On June 11, 2022 the North County Fire Authority (NCFA) coordinated the in-person Pacifica Wildfire Awareness Event. The previous event in 2021 had been presented virtually. Both NCFA and the police department promoted this event through social media on Nextdoor, Facebook, and Twitter, and the weekly e-bulletin Connect With Pacifica. NCFA, the police department and San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management hosted booths with materials and staff on hand to speak about SMCAlert, Zonehaven, and the Ready, Set, Go wildfire evacuation preparedness campaign. This event will return this year on May 20, 2023.
San Mateo County Disaster Preparedness Day (August 2022) This annual event is held at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds. Participating agencies include police and fire departments from throughout the county, several CERT programs, the San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management, CalFire, and other agencies showcasing equipment, distributing emergency preparedness materials and offering classes in first aid, stop the bleed, and CPR.
City staff promoted this event locally through social media. The Pacifica display was staffed by two Commissioners and City staff. The focus of our display was tsunami preparedness, and promoting SMC Alert notification system and Zonehaven. This event will return to the county fairgrounds on August 5, 2023.
Pacific Coast Fog Fest (September 2022) This annual street fair is one of the most successful opportunities for engaging our community and sharing information about local hazards and emergency preparedness. Commissioners staffed a dedicated booth throughout this two-day event. They distributed materials about disaster preparedness and local hazards, displayed hazard maps, and engaged the youth in games that provoked thought and elicited disaster preparedness and safety tips. This event finally returned after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioners look forward to Fog Fest in 2023, and have been planning improvements to the offerings for this coming year.
COVID-19 Resources This past year the police department continued to utilize social media platforms to disseminate information about COVID-19 to our community. This included opportunities to register for free at home test kits, as well as access to mobile testing hosted at locations in Pacifica and throughout San Mateo County. At the height of testing, COVID-19 mobile testing was available three days a week at the City parking lot on Francisco Boulevard. The funding for this program came to an end in January 2023.
Earthquake Preparedness Course First presented in 2016, this 90-minute course was created by our CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) volunteers. Open to all community members, attendees learn how to prepare for an earthquake or tsunami. They learn to create a family plan, emergency kit, and identify supplies to keep at their home, office and even their vehicle. These strategies apply to any type of disaster. The class promotes the benefits of the CERT basic course to improve personal preparedness. In 2020 during the pandemic, this class was presented virtually for the first time. The course was presented virtually several times in 2022, and returned to an in-person presentation in March 2023 as part of Tsunami Preparedness Week.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is a nationwide effort intended to educate people about disaster preparedness related to local hazards and trains them in basic disaster response skills Over 350 Pacifica residents are graduates of the CERT basic training program. Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, the CERT Basic Course was offered twice a year. CERT instructors include a mix of CERT volunteer coordinators and City staff from our police and fire departments. In 2022, a rise in COVID-19 cases again impacted our ability to present these courses. Plans are underway to resume classes in 2023. This past year, our CERT volunteers remained engaged through events such as the presenting the Earthquake Preparedness Classes and helping to staff the Commission booth at Fog Fest.
Supporting Local Traffic Safety Improvement Projects
The Commission supports improving traffic and roadway safety in the City. On two occasions this past year the Commission provided letters in support of grant applications for roadway and pedestrian safety improvement projects in the City. This included the Rosita Road Pavement Rehabilitation Improvement Project and the Sharp Park Priority Development Area Pedestrian Improvement Project.
This past year Commissioner Crawford was a part of the City’s Local Roadway Safety Plan update. He attended a number of meetings with the City’s consultant, provided community input and feedback. The final plan will be presented to Council later this year.
Looking Ahead
Wildfire Awareness The threat of wildfire continues to be in the minds of community members. 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 The Commission strives to improve community awareness about local hazards and promote disaster preparedness. They are also considering support for more locally offered classes for community members such as First Aid, CPR, and Stop the Bleed. COVID-19 restrictions continued to be a challenge to conducting in person events this past year. The Commission was pleased to see the return in person events last year and hope to see more in person classes and events in the coming year.
Outreach Through the Internet and Social Media During the lockdowns during COVID-19 in 2020, many sought news and information from online sources and social media. The Commission learned to utilize social media for community outreach promoting awareness and preparedness in 2020. The staff utilized the police department’s platforms on Nextdoor, Facebook and Twitter to promote a wide range of preparedness topics including the SMCAlert notification system, Zonehaven evacuation platform, the MyShake earthquake early warning mobile app, and the City’s dedicated webpages for Winter Storms and Flooding, and Wildfire Preparedness. Social media was also widely used during the 2023 winter storms to disseminate weather alerts and provide information about sandbag locations, road closures and power outages. In the coming year the Commission will continue to find ways to use these platforms to engage our community. The Commission’s dedicated webpage and the City’s Natural Disasters webpages are also being reviewed and updated with the most current resources for our community.
Printed Materials The Commission previously developed number of brochures for public education about disaster preparedness. In the coming year the Commission will find ways to update these materials with current information and consider adding additional online resources. These include:
▪ 72 Hours- Are You Prepared?
▪ Tsunami Preparedness
▪ SMCAlert- San Mateo County’s alert notification system ###