Issues
Disaster Preparedness
Preparing for natural disasters and emergencies is one of the most important charges of government. California must always be ready for a wide range of natural disasters, including floods, wildfires, mudslides, drought and earthquakes. And as a major commercial and cultural hub, California must be prepared for man-made disasters as well – terrorist attacks, hazardous material and oil spills and biological and chemical threats.
A comprehensive emergency management program to serve disaster victims more effectively and to prepare our communities for emergencies must be a top priority for our state government. California must focus on building the emergency response capacity of our national guard, increased coordination between and amongst state agencies and local governments, testing the state’s readiness for a major natural disaster and investing in new equipment, technology and disaster response infrastructure. In the years to come, it will also be critical that California continues to work with the federal government to be fully prepared for the possibility of a major terrorist attack.
In San Francisco, Gavin Newsom has increased regional disaster preparedness cooperation and has spearheaded new emergency planning and safety initiatives to better prepare San Francisco for a major catastrophe, natural or man-made.
Increased Regional Collaboration: Together with the mayors of San Jose and Oakland, emergency management officials, first responders and the State of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES), Mayor Newsom unveiled the Bay Area Regional Emergency Coordination Plan (RECP) in 2008. A coordinated effort between ten counties, the RECP makes the Bay Area the first region in the state to develop a regional emergency plan. The RECP lays out a base plan for regional cooperation in transportation, logistics, mass care and shelter.
Citywide Earthquake Preparedness: Mayor Newsom conducted San Francisco’s first ever citywide earthquake preparedness drill in 2008 called “Shake Up San Francisco.” In total, approximately 179,000 people participated in Shake Up SF including 52 city departments and 192 schools.
Disaster Preparedness Technologies: To improve rapid communication in the event of an emergency, Newsom launched AlertSF, an emergency text-message alert system to provide post-disaster safety information. Newsom also launched 72hours.org, an award-winning site offering step-by-step instruction on how to make a family emergency plan, build a disaster kit and get training before a disaster occurs. In the six months after its launch in 2006, the site received over 300,000 visitors.
Emergency Water System: Mayor Newsom and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission conducted an extensive Emergency Drinking Water Plan to address immediate water response needs after a major disaster. The plan targets specific strategies to transport and distribute emergency drinking water to the public, including predetermined routes for emergency access, identifying emergency water distribution sites and preparing emergency potable water supply centers.
Seismic Upgrades: Mayor Newsom introduced legislation in 2008 to streamline permitting and make it more affordable to perform seismic retrofits to San Francisco buildings. In 2009, a city-sponsored report recommended mandatory seismic retrofits to about 2,800 large, wood-frame buildings within ten years to prevent major damage in the case of an earthquake.
Security Initiatives: With major funding grants from the Department of Homeland Security to the Bay Area Super Urban Area Security Initiative, Mayor Newsom and regional leaders have collaborated on regional disaster preparedness programs, including Chemical and Biological detection and response, citizen preparedness, information sharing, critical infrastructure investments and an Interoperable Communications Initiative to enable first responders to communicate on the same frequencies during a major disaster.
Revamped Emergency Operations Center: Mayor Newsom helped secure an estimated $2 million in renovations to the city’s Emergency Operations Center in 2008. The investments helped equip the center for public trainings and exercises, better coordinate city agencies with state and federal governments and allow for a shared workspace for government and non-governmental agencies.
Join Our Policy Team: Gavin Newsom believes that the best plan is a better idea. If you would like to share your ideas and insights on how to reshape California's Disaster Preparedness policy, please email us at issues@gavinnewsom.com.
