TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
BY: Mario Rueda, Fire Chief
DATE: June 28, 2024
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER ANNEX TO
THE CITY OF SAN MARINO'S EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
PLAN
STRATEGIC PLAN CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Efficient, Responsive, and Effective City Services
Safe Community
BACKGROUND
On October 12, 2022, the San Marino City Council approved the City of San Marino’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The EOP provides for the effective mobilization of the City’s resources to respond to disasters. Since the adoption of the plan, additional “Annexes” provide a means to continually update the EOP. EOP Annexes have been developed to provide additional guidance and direction to ensure an effective response, given new and emerging practices, lessons learned, technologies and threats not specifically covered in the EOP.
DISCUSSION
A Family Assistance Center (FAC) is a location for families of disaster victims to receive information about loved ones, and establish a connection with resources that aid in their recovery. The FAC provides several types of services for those victims and families and it is the responsibility of the City of San Marino to coordinate along with other allied agencies.
Recovery from a crisis is one of the most sensitive and complex operations in an effective mass casualty response. FAC’s are encouraged to open immediately following an emergency as part of the response which offers Steven W. Huang, DDS, Mayor
Gretchen Shepherd Romey, Vice Mayor
Tony Chou, Council Member
Calvin Lo, Council Member
Steve Talt, Council Member
specialty support functions not assigned to the affected community. Following the immediate aftermath of a Multi Casualty Incident, families will gravitate to where they believe their loved ones may be found, or to obtain information.
The San Marino Municipal Code, Chapter 4, Article 2 codifies the creation of a San Marino Disaster Council for the purpose of developing and recommending for adoption by the City Council, mutual aid plans and agreements and the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. The Disaster Council consists of the Director of Emergency Services (City Manager) as the chair; two members of the City Council appointed by the Mayor, Mayor Huang (primary delegate) and Councilmember Talt (alternate delegate); and representatives from the City’s Fire and Police Departments that were appointed by the City Manager, Fire Chief Rueda and Chief of Police Incontro.
The Disaster Council and Public Safety Commission has reviewed the FAC Annex and recommended its approval without comment.
FISCAL IMPACT & PROCUREMENT REVIEW
None.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's office has reviewed and approved as to form.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Council adopt the Family Assistance Center Annex into the City of San Marino Emergency Operations Plan. If Council concurs with staff’s recommendation, an appropriate motion would be:
”I move to adopt the Family Assistance Center Annex into the City of San Marino Emergency Operations Plan.”
ATTACHMENTS
1. Family Assistance Center Annex