Finance and Management Services
www.santa-ana.org/finance
Item # 20
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
April 2, 2024
TOPIC: Ordinance Amendment Relating to Emergency Services - Definitions
AGENDA TITLE
Ordinance Amending Chapter 2 of the City of Santa Ana Municipal Code (Administration), Article IV (Officers, Departments, Boards and Commissions), Division 15 Relating to Emergency Services Section 2-643 – Definitions
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Approve the introduction and first reading of an ordinance to expand the definition of an emergency in the Santa Ana Municipal Code.
ORDINANCE NO. NS-XXX AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AMENDING CHAPTER 2 OF THE SANTA ANA MUNICIPAL CODE (ADMINISTRATION), ARTICLE IV (OFFICERS, DEPARTMENTS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS), DIVISION 15 RELATING TO EMERGENCY SERVICES, SECTION 2-643 - DEFINITIONS
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No
DISCUSSION
Local government has increasingly become the target of cyberattacks affecting computer systems, networks, and infrastructure. Several California agencies, including the cities of Oakland, Modesto, and Long Beach, as well as the Orange County and San Bernardino County Sheriff departments, have all been recently targeted. These attacks can paralyze City services affecting normal work processes, revenue collection, public safety communications, water service, and could result in the theft of sensitive information. The City’s Information Technology department has taken various measures to increase cybersecurity, including new tools and staff training. The Finance Department has initiated preparation of a cyberattack playbook for business continuity. The City has purchased cybersecurity insurance to help mitigate risk of loss.
At this time, staff recommends updating the Santa Ana Municipal Code definition of an emergency to include cyberterrorism, a de-energization event, and an electromagnetic pulse attack. Adding these perils to the definition of an emergency will support maximum flexibility to quickly respond to such an event.
Ordinance Amendment Relating to Emergency Services - Definitions April 2, 2024
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Currently, Section 2-643 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code defines a local emergency as follows:
“Emergency or local emergency means the duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of the city or county, caused by such conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, drought, sudden and severe energy shortage, plant or animal infestation or disease, the governor's warning of an earthquake or volcanic prediction, or an earthquake, or other conditions, other than conditions resulting from a labor controversy, which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the political subdivision and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat, or with respect to regulated energy utilities, a sudden and severe energy shortage requires extraordinary measures beyond the authority vested in the California Public Utilities Commission.” The proposed Ordinance would add the three new classifications noted above to the definition of a local emergency event.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Ordinance
Submitted By: Kathryn Downs, Executive Director of Finance and Management Services & Jack Ciulla, Chief Technology Innovations Officer Approved By: Tom Hatch, Interim City Manager