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DisasterMan
Lessons learned: `California Department of Forestry (CDF) ECC
(King City)' was added to the addresses of Emergency Services Bulletins
beginning with EmerBull 517 on January 23,1995. (Note: The improvement
of communications and interagency coordination between the County and
the CDF is vital to the protection of Monterey County cities from the danger
of a fi re similar to the Oakland/Berkeley East Bay Hills 1991 fi re when
3,354 houses were destroyed.)
The County's EOC needs to be physically manned by appropriate
personnel. If the Director of the emergency operations center is out of
town or actually unable to come to the EOC, the order of succession
should produce someone. It would appear that no one was in charge and
necessary decisions on such matters as alerting, warning, evacuation,
manning, and requests for mutual aid were never made. Note: Other cities
such as Pacifi c Grove, have orders of succession with fi ve alternates for
continuity of government.
The County EOC was not adequately manned. There were only two
administrative staff present instead of the usual numerous helpers for
updating situation status boards , documentation, updating resource status
boards, messengers, answering the telephone, etc. The Public Information
Offi cer was only there `part-time.' Hydrologists were in and out and not
present to provide technical advice when necessary. The Governor's Offi ce of
Emergency Services has an elaborate system for mutual aid for emergency
managers to assist in the EOC. Additional emergency managers could have
reported to the County EOC within a few hours since the OES Regional
Offi ce telephoned the EOC at 2300 and 0030 to request status reports.
One of the requirements of cities and counties receiving FEMA grants is to
participate in the State's mutual aid system. FEMA grants pay half of the
salary of emergency managers.
Emergency Plans
`The emergency plans applicable to this emergency were limited to the
Monterey County Multi-Hazard Emergency Plan. This Plan, distributed on a
limited basis, was employed during the emergency.' (County report)
Comment: The distribution was indeed on a limited basis. None of the
twelve cities of Monterey County had copies and none were available in
County libraries for the public to read. Actually, the Plan did not discuss the
possibility of fl ooding in the areas which received the most damage.