HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOARD STANDING COMMITTEES - 04132015 - PPC Agenda Pkt
PUBLIC PROTECTION
COMMITTEE
April 13, 2015
1:00 P.M.
651 Pine Street, Room 101, Martinez
Supervisor John Gioia, Chair
Supervisor Federal D. Glover, Vice Chair
Agenda
Items:
Items may be taken out of order based on the business of the day and preference
of the Committee
1.Introductions
2.Public comment on any item under the jurisdiction of the Committee and not on this
agenda (speakers may be limited to three minutes).
3. APPROVE Record of Action from the March 9, 2015 meeting. (Page 4)
4. CONSIDER approving the draft Contra Costa County Emergency Operations Plan and
forward to the Board of Supervisors for adoption, as recommended by the Emergency
Services Policy Board. (Bani Kollo, OES Staff) (Page 8)
5. CONSIDER accepting a report on the status of the Community Warning System,
including the Telephone Electronic Notification System (TENS). (Heather Tiernan,
Sheriff's Office) (Page 75)
6. CONSIDER accepting a report on the status of coordination of response to disasters
and public emergencies between the County, other public agencies and community
groups. (Bani Kollo, OES Staff) (Page 77)
7. CONSIDER accepting recommendations from the Community Advisory Board (CAB)
related to the provision of mentoring and family reunification services to returning
citizens, as recommended by the CAB. (Lara DeLaney, County Administrator's Office)
(Page 79)
8. CONSIDER accepting recommendations for policies and procedures related to the
expansion of the provision of services by community based organizations to returning
citizens, as recommended by the Community Corrections Partnership - Quality
Assurance Committee. (Lara DeLaney, County Administrator's Office) (Page 90)
9. CONSIDER recommending Mr. Roosevelt Terry to the Board of Supervisors for
appointment to the Community Based Organization seat on the CY 2015 Community
Corrections Partnership. (Timothy Ewell, Committee Staff) (Page 98)
10.The next meeting is currently scheduled for May 11, 2015 at 1:00 PM.
11.Adjourn
The Public Protection Committee will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with
disabilities planning to attend Public Protection Committee meetings. Contact the staff person
listed below at least 72 hours before the meeting.
Any disclosable public records related to an open session item on a regular meeting agenda and
distributed by the County to a majority of members of the Public Protection Committee less than
96 hours prior to that meeting are available for public inspection at 651 Pine Street, 10th floor,
during normal business hours.
Public comment may be submitted via electronic mail on agenda items at least one full work day
prior to the published meeting time.
For Additional Information Contact:
Timothy Ewell, Committee Staff
Phone (925) 335-1036, Fax (925) 646-1353
timothy.ewell@cao.cccounty.us
Acronyms, Abbreviations, and other Terms (in alphabetical order):
Contra Costa County has a policy of making limited use of acronyms, abbreviations, and industry-specific language
in its Board of Supervisors meetings and written materials. Following is a list of commonly used language that may
appear in oral presentations and written materials associated with Board meetings:
AB Assembly Bill
ABAG Association of Bay Area Governments
ACA Assembly Constitutional Amendment
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
AFSCME American Federation of State County and Municipal
Employees
AICP American Institute of Certified Planners
AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
ALUC Airport Land Use Commission
AOD Alcohol and Other Drugs
BAAQMD Bay Area Air Quality Management District
BART Bay Area Rapid Transit District
BCDC Bay Conservation & Development Commission
BGO Better Government Ordinance
BOS Board of Supervisors
CALTRANS California Department of Transportation
CalWIN California Works Information Network
CalWORKS California Work Opportunity and Responsibility
to Kids
CAER Community Awareness Emergency Response
CAO County Administrative Officer or Office
CCHP Contra Costa Health Plan
CCTA Contra Costa Transportation Authority
CDBG Community Development Block Grant
CEQA California Environmental Quality Act
CIO Chief Information Officer
COLA Cost of living adjustment
ConFire Contra Costa Consolidated Fire District
CPA Certified Public Accountant
CPI Consumer Price Index
CSA County Service Area
CSAC California State Association of Counties
CTC California Transportation Commission
dba doing business as
EBMUD East Bay Municipal Utility District
EIR Environmental Impact Report
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
EMCC Emergency Medical Care Committee
EMS Emergency Medical Services
EPSDT State Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and
treatment Program (Mental Health)
et al. et ali (and others)
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
F&HS Family and Human Services Committee
First 5 First Five Children and Families Commission
(Proposition 10)
FTE Full Time Equivalent
FY Fiscal Year
GHAD Geologic Hazard Abatement District
GIS Geographic Information System
HCD (State Dept of) Housing & Community Development
HHS Department of Health and Human Services
HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome
HOV High Occupancy Vehicle
HR Human Resources
HUD United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development
Inc. Incorporated
IOC Internal Operations Committee
ISO Industrial Safety Ordinance
JPA Joint (exercise of) Powers Authority or Agreement
Lamorinda Lafayette-Moraga-Orinda Area
LAFCo Local Agency Formation Commission
LLC Limited Liability Company
LLP Limited Liability Partnership
Local 1 Public Employees Union Local 1
LVN Licensed Vocational Nurse
MAC Municipal Advisory Council
MBE Minority Business Enterprise
M.D. Medical Doctor
M.F.T. Marriage and Family Therapist
MIS Management Information System
MOE Maintenance of Effort
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MTC Metropolitan Transportation Commission
NACo National Association of Counties
OB-GYN Obstetrics and Gynecology
O.D. Doctor of Optometry
OES-EOC Office of Emergency Services-Emergency
Operations Center
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Psy.D. Doctor of Psychology
RDA Redevelopment Agency
RFI Request For Information
RFP Request For Proposal
RFQ Request For Qualifications
RN Registered Nurse
SB Senate Bill
SBE Small Business Enterprise
SWAT Southwest Area Transportation Committee
TRANSPAC Transportation Partnership & Cooperation (Central)
TRANSPLAN Transportation Planning Committee (East County)
TRE or TTE Trustee
TWIC Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee
VA Department of Veterans Affairs
vs. versus (against)
WAN Wide Area Network
WBE Women Business Enterprise
WCCTAC West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory
Committee
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE 3.
Meeting Date:04/13/2015
Subject:RECORD OF ACTION - March 9, 2015
Submitted For: PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE,
Department:County Administrator
Referral No.: N/A
Referral Name: RECORD OF ACTION - March 9, 2015
Presenter: Timothy Ewell, Committee Staff Contact: Timothy Ewell, (925) 335-1036
Referral History:
County Ordinance requires that each County body keep a record of its meetings. Though the
record need not be verbatim, it must accurately reflect the agenda and the decisions made in the
meeting.
Referral Update:
Attached for the Committee's consideration is the Record of Action for its March 9, 2015 meeting.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
APPROVE Record of Action from the March 9, 2015 meeting.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
No fiscal impart. This item is informational only.
Attachments
March 2015 - Record of Action
Page 4 of 103
PUBLIC PROTECTION
COMMITTEE
March 9, 2015
1:00 P.M.
651 Pine Street, Room 101, Martinez
Supervisor John Gioia, Chair
Supervisor Federal D. Glover, Vice Chair
Agenda Items:Items may be taken out of order based on the business of the day and preference of the Committee
Present: John Gioia, Chair
Absent: Federal D. Glover, Vice Chair
Staff Present:Timothy M. Ewell, Committee Staff
Lara DeLaney, Senior Deputy County Administrator
Robert Rogers, District I Staff
Jill Ray, District II Staff
Krystal Hinojosa, District IV Chief of Staff
Lindy Lavender, District IV Staff
Ed Diokno, District V Staff
Mike Casten, Undersheriff
Mark Williams, Assistant Sheriff-Field Operations
Matthew Schuler, Assistant Sheriff-Custody Services
Mary Jane Robb, Sheriff's Chief of Management Services
John Kopchik, Conservation and Development Director
Rich Seithel, Chief of Annexations and Economic Development
Ruben Hernandez, Planner
1.Introductions
Convene - 1:11 PM
2.Public comment on any item under the jurisdiction of the Committee and not on this
agenda (speakers may be limited to three minutes).
No public comment
3.APPROVE Record of Action from the February 9, 2015 meeting.
Approved as presented
Chair John Gioia,
Page 5 of 103
Chair John Gioia,
AYE: Chair John Gioia
Other: Vice Chair Federal D. Glover (ABSENT)
Passed
4.1. EXTEND the Employment, Housing, and Legal Services contracts for an additional
fiscal year (FY 15-16) so contractors have sufficient time to perform on the contracts and
sufficient performance data is developed to evaluate program efficacy. Staff is
developing a “Contractor Compliance Checklist,” and is meeting with the individual
contractors to ensure satisfactory progress in reaching contract goals.
2. ACKNOWLEDGE that the Community Corrections Partnership has referred to its
Community Advisory Board for input, a review of the Mentoring/Family Reunification
Services ($200k) contract allocations for FY 14-15 and directed the CAB to return to the
CCP with a recommendation.
3. APPROVE recommendations of the East/Central County Network Manager to
reallocate program allocations in the East Central Network System of Services budget,
with no change to the total budget amount of $800,000, for fiscal year 2015/16.
Approved as presented
Chair John Gioia,
AYE: Chair John Gioia
Other: Vice Chair Federal D. Glover (ABSENT)
Passed
5.1. ACCEPT a report on County Service Area P-6; and
2. PROVIDE direction to staff on next steps.
Approved as presented with the following direction to staff:
A. Forward issue to the full Board of Supervisors for discussion
B. Provide the following supplemental information for the full Board of Supervisors
discussion:
Breakdown of $4.9 million County Service Area (CSA) P-6 ad valorem and
where it is budgeted in FY 2014/15
1.
What is total actual revenue for CSA P-6 ad valorem for FY 2014/15 (estimated)2.
Provide fund balance information by individual CSA P-6 Zones3.
Total budget and for unincorporated patrol in FY 2014/15. Including:
Patrola.
Helicopterb.
Marine Patrolc.
Investigationsd.
Other support costse.
4.
Sheriff’s Office to discuss how helicopter program is funded (e.g. Contract
revenue, state grant revenue, CSA P-6 Zone and allocation for each)
5.
Page 6 of 103
Provide history of CSA P-6 Zone revenue allocated to helicopter over past five
(5) years
6.
Provide CSA P-6 fund balances by Supervisorial District7.
Calculate the present value of original $200 and $225 per parcel tax amounts
(using annual CPI)
8.
Work with the Department of Conservation and Development to map CSA P-6
Zone Locations against Sheriff’s Patrol Beat boundaries
9.
Work with County Counsel to clarify legal restrictions for use of Zone funding
on:
Helicoptera.
Supplement beat patrolb.
10.
Chair John Gioia,
AYE: Chair John Gioia
Other: Vice Chair Federal D. Glover (ABSENT)
Passed
6.The next meeting is currently scheduled for April 13, 2015 at 1:00 PM
7.Adjourn
Adjourned - 2:34 PM
The Public Protection Committee will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities planning to attend Public Protection
Committee meetings. Contact the staff person listed below at least 72 hours before the meeting.
Any disclosable public records related to an open session item on a regular meeting agenda and distributed by the County to a majority of
members of the Public Protection Committee less than 96 hours prior to that meeting are available for public inspection at 651 Pine Street,
10th floor, during normal business hours.
Public comment may be submitted via electronic mail on agenda items at least one full work day prior to the published meeting time.
For Additional Information Contact:
Timothy Ewell, Committee Staff
Phone (925) 335-1036, Fax (925) 646-1353
timothy.ewell@cao.cccounty.us
Page 7 of 103
PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE 4.
Meeting Date:04/13/2015
Subject:REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
Submitted For: David O. Livingston, Sheriff-Coroner
Department:Office of the Sheriff
Referral No.: N/A
Referral Name: REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS PLAN
Presenter: Bani Kollo, 925-646-4461 Contact: Bani Kollo, 925-646-4461
Referral History:
On March 16, 2015, the Emergency Services Policy Board (ESPB) unanimously approved the
draft revision of the County’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The ESPB requested
review/referral of the draft EOP to the Public Protection Committee for recommendation to the
Board of Supervisors for review/final approval.
Referral Update:
Attached is a copy of the draft EOP. Staff from the Office of Emergency Services will be present
to provide an oral report highlighting revisions to the plan.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
APPROVE the Contra Costa County Emergency Operations Plan and forward to the Board of
Supervisors for adoption.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
No impact.
Attachments
DRAFT Emergency Operations Plan
Page 8 of 103
Draft Version III
Contra Costa County
Emergency Operations Plan
Page 9 of 103
This page intentionally left blank
Draft 2014
Page 10 of 103
Approval Date: XXXXXX
To: Community of Contra Costa County
The preservation of life, property and the environment is an inherent responsibility of local,
state, and federal government. Contra Costa County, in cooperation with the cities, towns,
special districts and partners in the county have prepared this emergency operations plan to
ensure the most effective response to emergencies.
This plan establishes the emergency organization, assigns tasks, specifies policies and general
procedures, and provides for the coordination of planning efforts of the various emergency
staff and service elements utilizing the California Standardized Emergency Management
System (SEMS).
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors gives its full support to this plan and urges all
officials, employees and the residents, individually and collectively, to do their share in the
total emergency effort of Contra Costa County. The Resolution adopting this plan supersedes
prior plans.
Contra Costa County recognizes the work by the many individuals and organizations that
collaborated to revise the Contra Costa County Emergency Operations Plan. Through the
coordinated efforts, this plan provides the framework for the best possible management of
emergencies and assistance to the residents of Contra Costa County when disaster strikes.
Chair, Board of Supervisors
Page 11 of 103
Approval and Implementation............................................................................................................... 1
Plan Development and Maintenance ................................................................................................... 1
Quick Facts – Contra Costa County ...................................................................................................... 5
Map of Contra Costa County ................................................................................................................... 7
Section I – Purpose and Scope ................................................................................................ 8
1.0 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................. 8
1.1 Scope .................................................................................................................................................. 8
1.2 Hazard Analysis Summary ........................................................................................................ 9
1.3 Mitigation ........................................................................................................................................ 12
1.4 Planning Assumptions ................................................................................................................ 12
Section II - Organization .............................................................................................................. 13
2.0 Organization ................................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 Incident Command System (ICS) ............................................................................................ 13
2.2 Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) ............................................... 16
2.3 Emergency Operations Center Organizational Chart ..................................................... 19
Section III - Operations ................................................................................................................. 20
3.0 Concept of Operations ................................................................................................................ 20
3.1 Goals .................................................................................................................................................. 20
3.2 Objectives ........................................................................................................................................ 21
3.3 Response Activities ...................................................................................................................... 22
3.4 Activations ....................................................................................................................................... 22
3.5 Information Collection, Analysis and Dissemination ..................................................... 25
3.6 EOC Reporting Systems .............................................................................................................. 26
3.7 Communications ........................................................................................................................... 26
3.8 Mutual Aid / Mutual Aid Coordination ................................................................................. 28 Page 12 of 103
3.9 Activation of the Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS) .................................... 29
3.10 Emergency Proclamations ........................................................................................................ 30
Section IV - Recovery ...................................................................................................................... 31
4.0 Recovery........................................................................................................................................... 31
4.1 Continuity Planning ..................................................................................................................... 33
4.2 Documentation .............................................................................................................................. 34
Section V – California Emergency Functions .............................................................. 36
Section VI - Supplemental Elements .................................................................................. 39
A. Integrating People with Disabilities and Others with Access and
Functional Needs .......................................................................................................................... 39
B. Warning ............................................................................................................................................. 40
C. Population Protection .................................................................................................................. 41
D. Prevention and Protection .......................................................................................................... 42
E. Public Information ......................................................................................................................... 43
F. Private Sector Coordination ....................................................................................................... 46
G. Volunteers and Donations Management ............................................................................... 46
H. Training and Exercises ................................................................................................................. 50
I. Individual and Family Preparedness ..................................................................................... 52
J. Emergency Management Questions ....................................................................................... 53
K. Authorities and References ........................................................................................................ 54
Glossary of Terms .............................................................................................................................. 56
Page 13 of 103
1
Approval and Implementation
The Contra Costa County Emergency Operations Plan (“Plan”) will take effect upon adoption
by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. The Plan will be officially adopted and
promulgated. The plan will be distributed to those county departments, supporting agencies
and community organizations having assigned primary functions or responsibilities within
Emergency Operations.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Plan Activation
The Contra Costa County Emergency Operations Plan may be activated by the Administrator
of Emergency Services, (CAO) in collaboration with the Director of OES or their designated
alternates under any of the following circumstances:
Upon proclamation by the Governor that a STATE OF EMERGENCY exists in an area of
the state.
Automatically on the proclamation of a STATE OF WAR EMERGENCY as defined in the
California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7, Division 1, Title 2, California
Government Code.)
Upon declaration by the President, of the existence of a National Emergency.
Any Emergency Operations Center (EOC) response or exercise where it would be
beneficial to use the plan
Plan Development and Maintenance
The County Administrator is the administrator of emergency services, and in charge of the
county’s emergency operations center (County Ord. Code, § 42-2.602.) The administrator of
emergency services assumes the ultimate responsibility and authority for directing the Contra
Costa Operational Area’s emergency management organization (including emergency
response and recovery). The administrator of emergency services is responsible for
implementing the Plan. The administrator of emergency services is also director of the
County Emergency Operations Center.
The administrator of emergency services is supported by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s
Office of Emergency Services which has overall responsibility for the following:
Developing response and recovery plans for the unincorporated areas of the County
Organizing, staffing and operating the County Emergency Operations Center
Operating communications and warning systems
Providing information and guidance to the public and elected officials
Page 14 of 103
2
Maintaining information on the status of resources, services, and operations
Directing overall EOC activities
Obtaining support for the Contra Costa County Operational Area and providing support to
other jurisdictions as needed
Identifying and analyzing potential hazards and recommending appropriate counter-
measures
Collecting, evaluating and disseminating damage assessment and other essential
information
Emergency Services Policy Board
The Contra Costa Emergency Services Policy Board (ESPB) functions as the Contra Costa
County Disaster Council (County Ord. Code, § 42-2.404, subd. (b).) The ESPB is an advisory
body providing assistance and advice to the County Administrator and as appropriate to the
director of emergency services on emergency preparedness planning efforts and the
coordination of such planning efforts throughout the county. The ESPB reviews and makes
recommendations on emergency and mutual aid plans and agreements and such ordinances,
resolutions and regulations as are necessary to implement those plans and agreements.
The County Administrator is the chair and the Sheriff serves as the vice-chair of the ESPB.
(County Ord. Code, § 42-2.402.)
42.2-2.406 – Operational area council – Purposes, duties, meetings.
(a) Purpose. The operational area council is created as an advisory council to the emergency
services policy board. The operational area council consists of emergency managers from
incorporated cities, special districts, key utilities and businesses and staff of the sheriff’s
office, office of emergency services.
(b) Duties. The operational area council discusses and considers countywide emergency
management areas and issues and makes recommendations thereon to the emergency
services policy board through the office of emergency services.
(c) Meetings. The operational area council meets quarterly when a date and time are fixed by
the emergency services director or otherwise as requested by any member agencies.
Page 15 of 103
3
Steps in the Planning Process
The planning process below is flexible and adaptable. Considerations should be made at each
step of the planning process regarding; training, exercises, equipment and other requirements
within the jurisdiction.
Each phase of The Emergency Management Preparedness Cycle should be carefully
evaluated during the Planning Process.
Step 1 Form a
Collaborative
Planning Team
Step 2
Understand
the Situation
Step 3
Determine
Goals and
Objectives
Step 4 Plan
Developement
Step 5 Plan
Preperation ,
Review and
Approval
Step 6 Plan
Implementation
and
Maintenance
Page 16 of 103
4
The Four Phases of Emergency Management and Personal Preparedness
Mitigation
Preventing future
emergencies or
minimizing their
effects
Includes any activities that prevent an emergency,
reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or
reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable
emergencies.
Buying flood and fire insurance for your home is
personal mitigation activity.
Mitigation activities take place before and after
emergencies.
Preparedness and
Training
Preparing to handle an
emergency
Includes plans or preparations made to save lives and
to help response and rescue operations.
Stocking food and water are both examples of
personal preparedness.
Preparedness activities take place before an
emergency occurs.
Response
Responding safely to
an emergency
Includes actions taken to save lives and prevent
further property damage in an emergency situation.
Response is putting your preparedness plans into
action.
Seeking shelter from severe weather or assessing your
home in an earthquake are both personal response
activities.
Response activities take place during an emergency.
Recovery
Recovering from an
emergency
Includes actions taken to return to a normal or an
even safer situation following an emergency.
Applying for financial assistance to help pay for
repairs is a personal recovery activity.
Recovery activities take place after an emergency.
Page 17 of 103
5
Quick Facts - Contra Costa County
History
Contra Costa County was founded in 1850 as one of the original 27 counties of California. It is
one of nine counties in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is the ninth most populous county in
California.
Population
According to the U.S. Census, as of 2013 Contra Costa County has 1,094,205 residents, of
which more than 60 percent are between the ages of 18 and 65. Most of the county’s
population is located along the urban corridors of state highways 4 and 24 and interstates 80
and 680.
Local Setting
Contra Costa County encompasses a total of 804 square miles, of which 716 are land and 88
are water. Contra Costa County’s physical geography is dominated by the bayside plain and
the Oakland and Berkeley hills in the west and by agricultural land and the Delta waterways in
the east. In between are several inland valleys and Mt. Diablo, which at 3,849 feet is the most
notable natural landmark in the central county area.
Many areas of Contra Costa County are connected to neighboring communities by bridges; the
Richmond/San Rafael Bridge in the northwest, the Carquinez Bridge in the north, the Antioch
Bridge in the northeast and the Middle River Bridge in the east. The Caldecott Tunnel in the
west is another major transportation connector to neighboring communities.
Industry
Due to their waterfront locations, northern and northwestern portions of Contra Costa County
form an industrial corridor. Its businesses include Chevron in Richmond, Phillips 66 in Rodeo,
Shell and Tesoro Golden Eagle in Martinez, and Dow Chemical and USS Posco in Pittsburg.
From vineyards to livestock, East County has a significant agricultural presence in the
commercial life of the county.
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6
Communities
Martinez is the county seat, and is located in the northern central portion of the county.
Martinez is also home to Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. There are 18 additional
incorporated jurisdictions in Contra Costa County, including:
Antioch Brentwood Clayton
Concord Danville El Cerrito
Hercules Lafayette Moraga
Oakley Orinda Pinole
Pittsburg Pleasant Hill Richmond
San Pablo San Ramon Walnut Creek
For more information, see the county website, www.co.contra-costa.ca.us
Page 19 of 103
7
Page 20 of 103
8
Section I – Purpose and Scope
1.0 Purpose
The purpose of the Plan is to provide the basis for a coordinated response before, during and
after an emergency affecting Contra Costa County.
Facilitate multi-jurisdictional and interagency coordination in emergency operations,
particularly between local government, private sector, operational area (geographic
county boundary), State response levels and appropriate Federal agencies.
Serve as a County plan, a reference document, and when possible, may be used for pre-
emergency planning in addition to emergency operations.
To be utilized in coordination with applicable local, State and Federal contingency
plans.
Identify the components of an Emergency Management Organization (EMO) and
establish associated protocols required to effectively respond to, manage and recover
from major emergencies and/or disasters.
Establish the operational concepts and procedures associated with field response to
emergencies and EOC activities.
Establish the organizational framework of the California Standardized Emergency
Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS)
within Contra Costa County.
1.1 Scope
This Plan applies to all emergencies in unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County and
which generates situations requiring planned, coordinated responses. This Plan also applies
to emergencies that occur within incorporated areas, to the extent that those emergencies
require multi-agency coordination at the operational area level.
Other Plans and Standard Operating Procedures
County departments and local jurisdictions are responsible for preparing and maintaining
departmental response plans and standard operating procedures (SOPs). These plans and
SOPs may include items such as: resource lists and checklists along with detailed assignment
responsibilities.
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9
1.2 Hazard Analysis Summary
Contra Costa County is vulnerable to a wide range of threats. An all-hazards threat perspective
will incorporate a complete range of threats including emerging technological factors. It is
important to consider past events for future planning, with attention to the location, scope of
hazards and how they can change over time. Below are resources used to identify, asses, and
track hazards in Contra Costa County:
Digital Sandbox, a secured computer based software program that provides threat and
risk analysis as well as monitoring. Digital Sandbox is used to quantify and monitor
risks from natural and human caused threats, and to direct resources based on threat
and risk priorities.
THIRA, The Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment is a tool that allows
a jurisdiction to understand its threats and hazards and how the impacts may vary
according to time of occurrence, season, location, and other community factors. This
knowledge helps a jurisdiction establish informed and defensible capability targets.
Natural Technological and
Structural
Biological Human Caused
Earthquakes
Funnel
Cloud/Tornados
Severe Wind
Hurricanes
Floods
Extreme
Temperatures
Landslides
Tsunamis
Volcanic Eruptions
Severe Weather
Explosions or
release of toxins
from industrial
plants
Accidental release of
hazardous materials
Hazardous materials
release from major
highways or rails
Radiological release
Dam failure
Power failure
Water failure
Infectious diseases,
such as pandemic
influenza, drug
resistant
tuberculosis and
meningitis
Contaminated food
outbreaks, including
salmonella, botulism,
and E. coli
Toxic materials
present in school
laboratories
Fire
Active shooters
Criminal threats or
actions
Civil unrest
Bomb threats
Terrorist Acts
Cyber attacks
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10
The chart below indicates the top seven natural hazards that have been identified in Contra
Costa County’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). The LHMP primarily uses data from
HAZUS, a nationally applicable standardized methodology utilized by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA). HAZUS contains models for estimating potential losses from
earthquakes and other specified disasters data which is FEMA's Methodology for estimating
potential losses from disasters.
Natural Hazards Risk Ranking
Hazard Ranking Hazard Event Category
1 Earthquake High
2 Severe Weather High
3 Landslide Medium
4 Flood Medium
5 Wildfire Medium
6 Drought Low
7 Dam Failure Low
Earthquake
Earthquakes are unpredictable. They vary greatly in size and intensity, and can cause
devastation. Although infrequent, major earthquakes have accounted for and continue
to have the greatest potential for loss of life and damage to property and the
environment.
There are many fault zones located within the Bay Area. Some known earthquake
faults are:
The Hayward Fault, which runs along the west end of the county
The Rogers Creek Fault is in the north central area of the county and
runs under the Buchanan Airport
The Concord Green Valley Fault, which is in the east end of the county
The Mount Diablo Thrust Fault, along the southwest perimeter of Mount
Diablo
The Greenville Fault in the east end of the county and under several of
the levee protected islands
The Calaveras Fault, which runs through the south-central corridor near
the 680 Freeway
The San Andreas Fault, which is located west of Contra Costa County
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Contra Costa County has many critical facilities including Chevron, Shell, Tesoro and
Phillips 66 refineries, as well as Dow and K-2 chemical plants. These and other critical
facilities in the county have the potential to create additional hazards if severely
damaged during a large earthquake.
Severe Weather
Severe weather refers to any dangerous condition such as extremely hot or cold
temperatures, high winds or excessive rain. All of these weather related
emergencies have the potential to cause damage, serious social disruption, or loss of
human life, especially among the medically fragile, elderly and homeless.
Landslide
Landslides commonly occur in connection with other, major, natural disasters such as
earthquakes, wildfires and floods; however, they may also be caused by normal
seasonal rainfall, erosion and occasionally wildlife.
Flood
Flooding poses a serious risk to life, property, the environment, and public health and
safety, as well as to the economic impact of affected areas. The majority of the county’s
creeks and shoreline areas are within the 100-year flood plain. During heavy
rainstorms, water levels can rise quickly, especially in small streams, and near the
headwaters of river basins. Flashfloods can begin before the rain stops falling.
The most serious flood hazard that exists in Contra Costa County relate to the system
of levees that protect the islands and adjacent mainland in the San Joaquin-Sacramento
River Delta area in eastern Contra Costa County. Levees are subject to failure without
warning; however the threat increases during an earthquake or severe flooding.
Wildfire
Wildfire hazards exist in many areas of Contra Costa County. Fire season generally
lasts several months and varies from year to year. Wildland fire hazards are caused by
a combination of factors including rugged terrain, flammable vegetation and forest,
long summers, drought conditions and human activity.
Drought
Multi-year droughts may result in water shortages, which impact water available for
human consumption and agriculture production within the county.
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Dam Failure
Although rare, dam failures can cause sudden and catastrophic flooding in
communities downstream leading to injury, loss of life, and significant property
damage. Some of the primary causes of collapse and structural failure of a dam are:
severe storms, earthquakes, internal erosion of piping and foundation leakage.
1.3 Mitigation
Many jurisdictions have taken mitigation measures to minimize the impact that is likely to
result from a natural disaster. Contra Costa County’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies
mitigation efforts to reduce the likelihood that a defined natural hazard will impact our
communities. As the cost of damage from natural disasters continues to increase, the County
recognizes the importance of identifying effective ways to reduce vulnerability to disastrous
events.
1.4 Planning Assumptions
The following assumptions were considered in the development of this Plan:
All incidents are local, may occur at any time with little or no warning and may
exceed the capabilities of local government
Emergencies may cause casualties, fatalities and displace people from their homes
An emergency can cause damage to property, interrupt public services, damage
infrastructure and harm the environment
The greater the complexity, impact and geographic scope of an emergency, the
more multiagency coordination will be required
Mutual aid resources may be required
Neighboring counties and the state government may come to the aid of local areas
Contra Costa County’s whole community approach serves and integrates people
with disabilities and others with access and functional needs
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Section II - Organization
2.0 Organization
This section provides an overview of the key roles of the county EOC staff during an incident
or exercise. EOC staff members will carry out their assignments and accomplish their
responsibilities using the Incident Command System. Position checklists which describe
duties of each role are located in designated section specific Emergency Operations Center Go
Boxes. A typical Go Box may also include; reference materials such as, directories, resource
lists, and guide books.
2.1 Incident Command System (ICS)
The Incident Command System (ICS) is used for the command, control, and coordination of
emergency response. ICS incorporates personnel, policies, procedures, facilities, and
equipment, integrated into a common organizational structure designed to improve
emergency response operations of all types and complexities. Below are a few characteristics
of ICS:
Span of control
Personnel accountability
Common terminology
Resources management
Integrated communications
ICS Sections EOC Role
Management Responsible for overall emergency policy and coordination
through the joint efforts of all jurisdictions in Contra Costa
County. Establishes incident objectives, strategies and
priorities
Operations Responsible for coordinating support to response activities
through the implementation of the Emergency Operations
Center Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Planning and Intelligence Responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating
information. Develops the Emergency Operations Center
Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in coordination with other
sections, and maintaining documentation
Logistics Responsible for providing facilities, services, personnel,
equipment, and materials to support the emergency
response
Finance and
Administration
Monitors costs related to the incident. Provides accounting,
procurement, time recording, cost analysis and recovery
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In compliance with the SEMS Regulations, the County has EOC staff to manage emergency
responses within the County’s jurisdiction. The EOC Director in collaboration with
department heads and OES staff requests team members, as needed, to the County EOC to
carry out their duties.
The Contra Costa County EOC staff is responsible for coordinating the resources, strategies,
and policy for any event in the Operational Area (OA) that exceeds the capabilities of first
responders. Tactical control remains the responsibility of field Incident Commanders (ICs) at
all times.
The EOC is staffed according to who is available to respond to the EOC initially. Positions are
replaced as additional EOC staff arrives with more subject matter expertise. Depending on the
length of the operational period, staff may be identified as either A or B shift. These shifts will
typically rotate every 12 hours. Additional factors that impact EOC staffing are the size and
nature of the incident coupled with the jurisdictional boundaries where the incident occurred.
The Contra Costa County EOC staff is comprised of the following sections:
Management
The EOC serves as a central location from which multiple agencies or organizations
coordinate information collection and evaluation, priority setting and resource management.
Within the EOC, the Management function facilitates executive decision making in support of
the incident response, implements the policies established by the governing bodies and
facilitates the activities of the Multiagency (MAC) Group.
The County Administrator or designee is the Emergency Operations Center
Director
Operations
The Operations Section in the Local Government EOC acts as the primary point of contact
between the EOC and each jurisdiction’s Department Operations Center (DOC), and in some
jurisdictions may be linked directly to field Incident Commands. Department Coordinators
assigned to the EOC Operations Section receive incoming situation reports, department status,
resource requests, and field intelligence. Incoming information will be routed to the
appropriate EOC section. It will provide information from the EOC to DOCs and field Incident
Commands, as appropriate.
.
The Operations Section Chief position will depend on the type of incident. The following are
examples:
During a pandemic the Operations Chief may be from the Health Department
During civil unrest the Operations Chief may be from Law Enforcement
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During an earthquake the Operations Chief may be from the Fire District or
Public Works
Planning and Intelligence
The Planning and Intelligence Section is responsible for the collection, evaluation and
dissemination of operational information related to the incident for the preparation and
documentation of the EAP at the EOC. Planning/Intelligence also maintains information on the
current and forecasted situation and on the status of resources assigned to the emergency or
the EOC. As needed, Branch Coordinators are appointed to collect and analyze data, prepare
situation reports, develop action plans, set Geographic Information Systems (GIS) priorities,
compile and maintain documentation, conduct advance planning, manage technical specialists
and coordinate demobilization. Additional information may be obtained from the field IAP.
The Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) Director or
designee is the Section Chief for Planning and Intelligence
Logistics
The Logistics Section is responsible for providing facilities, services, personnel, equipment
and materials in support of the emergency. Unified ordering takes place through the Logistics
Section Purchasing Manager to ensure controls and accountability over resource requests. As
needed, Unit Coordinators are appointed to address the needs for communications, food,
personnel, supplies, facilities and ground support.
The Purchasing Division of the Public Works Department is responsible for issuing purchase
orders, conducting solicitations, and managing vendor registration. In the event of an
emergency, the Purchasing Division can assist in locating product and service providers.
Purchasing maintains a vendor database and can provide logistical support in locating and
contracting with vendors for supplies, equipment, and services.
The Public Works Director or designee is the Section Chief for Logistics
Finance and Administration
The Finance and Administration Section is responsible for financial and cost analysis of the
emergency and for any administrative aspects not handled by the other sections. As needed,
Unit Leaders are appointed for time recording, compensation and claims, contracts and
recovery activities.
The Senior County Deputy Administrator or designee is the Section Chief for
Finance and Administration
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2.2 Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
The Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) is the system required by
Government Code Section 8607(a) for managing emergencies involving multiple jurisdictions
and agencies. SEMS consists of five organizational levels, which are activated as necessary.
SEMS incorporates the functions and principles of the Incident Command System (ICS), the
Master Mutual Aid Agreement (MMAA), existing mutual aid systems, the operational area
concept, and multi-agency or inter-agency coordination.
Local governments must use SEMS to be eligible for funding of their response-related costs
under state disaster assistance programs. SEMS is intended to:
2. Purpose of SEMS
Facilitate the flow of information within and between levels of the system
Facilitate coordination among all responding agencies.
The use of SEMS will improve the mobilization, deployment, utilization, tracking, and
demobilization of needed mutual aid resources. The use of SEMS will reduce the incidence of
poor coordination and communications, and reduce resource ordering duplication. SEMS is
designed to be flexible and adaptable to the varied disasters that occur in California and to the
needs of all emergency responders.
SEMS requires the following functions to be provided at the local government and operational
area levels:
Field
The Field Level is where emergency response personnel and resources, under the
command of responsible officials, carry out tactical decisions and activities in direct
response to an incident or threat.
Local Government
The local government level of emergency management manages and coordinates the
overall emergency response and recovery activities within a local government’s
jurisdiction. Local governments include the County, cities, cities and counties, school
districts and special districts. The local government level is activated when field
response level agencies determine that they need support from a higher level. This
section of the Plan pertains to emergencies that rise to the local government level in
the unincorporated areas of the County.
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Operational Area (OA)/County
An OA is the intermediate level of the state's emergency management organization
which encompasses a county’s boundaries and all political subdivisions located within
that county, including special districts. The OA facilitates and/or coordinates
information, resources and decisions regarding priorities among local governments
within the OA. The OA serves as the coordination and communication link between the
Local Government Level and Regional Level. State, federal and tribal jurisdictions in
the OA may have statutory authorities for response similar to those at the local level.
Region
The Regional Level manages and coordinates information and resources among
operational areas within the mutual aid region, and also between the OA and the state
level. The Regional Level also coordinates overall state agency support for emergency
response activities within the region. California is divided into three California
Emergency Management Agency (CalOES) Administrative Regions – Inland, Coastal
and Southern, which are further divided into six mutual aid regions. The Regional Level
operates out of the Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC). Contra Costa is
part of the Coastal Region, Mutual Aid Region II.
State
The state level of SEMS prioritizes tasks and coordinates state resources in response
to the requests from the Regional level and coordinates mutual aid among the mutual
aid regions and between the Regional Level and State Level. The state level also serves
as the coordination and communication link between the state and the federal
emergency response system. The state level requests assistance from other state
governments through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) and
similar interstate compacts/agreements and coordinates with the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) when federal assistance is requested. The state level
operates out of the State Operations Center (SOC).
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The Field and EOC functions are further illustrated in the following chart:
Primary
SEMS Function
Field Level
EOC Level
Command/Field
Management/EOC
Command is responsible for the
directing, ordering, and/or
controlling resources.
Management is responsible for
facilitation of overall policy,
coordination and support of the
incident
Operations
The coordinated tactical response of
all field operations in accordance
with the Incident Action Plan
The coordination of all jurisdictional
operations in support of the
response to the emergency in
accordance with the EOC Action
Plan.
Planning and
Intelligence
The collection, evaluation,
documentation and use of intelligence
related to the incident.
Collecting, evaluating, and
disseminating information and
maintaining documentation relative
to all jurisdictional activities.
Logistics
Providing facilities, services,
personnel, equipment and materials
in support of the incident.
Providing facilities, services,
personnel, equipment and materials
in support of all jurisdictional
activities as required.
Finance and
Administration
Financial and cost analysis and
administrative aspects not handled
by the other functions.
Responsible for coordinating and
supporting administrative and fiscal
consideration surrounding an
emergency incident, including
recovery.
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Emergency Operations Center Organizational Chart
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Section III – Concept of Operations
3.0 Concept of Operations
The EOC staff and OES staff routinely monitor events and the environment to identify specific
threats that may affect the operational area. The increase in awareness level of emergency
personnel and the community improves operational readiness when a threat is approaching
or imminent.
Ongoing awareness provides the opportunity for operational area response agencies to
enhance leadership decision making. Examples of readiness and response efforts include:
Briefing government officials
Reviewing plans, procedures and resource checklists
Preparing and disseminating information to the community
Testing tools such as the Community Warning System
Activating emergency operations centers or department operations centers.
3.1 Goals
Incident goals govern resource allocation and the response strategies for the County and its
political subdivisions during an emergency. Below is a list of operational priorities:
Save Lives – The preservation of life is the top priority of emergency managers and
first responders and takes precedence over all other considerations.
Protect Property – Efforts must be made to protect public and private property and
resources, including critical infrastructure, from damage during and after an
emergency.
Preserve the Environment – Efforts must be made to preserve Contra Costa County’s
environment and protect it from damage during an emergency.
Restore Essential Services – Power, water, sanitation, communication, transportation
and other essential services must be restored as rapidly as possible to assist the
community in returning to normal daily activities.
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3.2 Objectives
In order to optimize the accomplishment of any disaster mission, the EOC staff at the local government
and operational area levels will consider the following
Mitigate Hazards – As soon as practical, suppress, reduce or eliminate hazards and/or
risks to persons, property and environment during the disaster response. Lessen the
actual or potential effects and/or consequences of future emergencies.
Meet Basic Human Needs – Supply resources to meet basic human needs, including
food, water, shelter, medical treatment and security during the emergency. Provisions
will be made for temporary housing, general needs assistance and support.
Address Needs of People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional
Needs- People with disabilities and others with access and functional needs may be
more vulnerable to harm during and after an emergency. The needs of people with
disabilities and others with access and functional needs must be considered and
addressed. This includes the elderly, children and those with pets or service animals.
Support Community and Economic Recovery – After a disaster, it is crucial to
restore government, individual/household and economic functions in the community.
Recovery involves the development, coordination and implementation of operations,
services, infrastructure, facilities and programs. Immediate recovery is typically
measured in weeks or months. Long term recovery is measured in the years following
the incident.
Coordination
The Contra Costa County EOC staff will coordinate resource requests from the local
municipalities within the Operational Area (OA). If requests exceed the supply in the OA, the
Operations Section will provide resources based on established Operational Area priorities.
If resources are not available within the OA, requests will be made to the Coastal Region
Emergency Operations Center (REOC). The REOC will coordinate resources obtained from the
OAs throughout the region.
If resources are not available in the region, it will request them from the State Operations
Center (SOC). If the State cannot supply the resource, it will request it from FEMA and other
federal agencies.
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3.3 Response Activities
During the response phase, emphasis is placed on control of the situation, saving lives and
minimizing the effects of the disaster. Below is a partial list of actions to be taken:
Alert and Notification - Local response agencies are alerted about an incident.
Notifications go out to first responders as well as the public.
Incident Response - Immediate response is accomplished within the county by local
first responders.
Resource Mobilization - Response agencies activate personnel and mobilize to
support the incident response in accordance with standard operating procedures. As
an incident escalates and expands, additional resources are activated and mobilized to
support the response. This includes resources from within the county, or, when
resources are exhausted, from surrounding jurisdictions.
Incident Command – Incident command is established in the field. The Incident
Commander develops an initial Incident Action Plan, which sets priorities for the
incident, assigns resources and includes a common communications plan. If multiple
jurisdictions or agencies are involved, a Unified Incident Command Post (ICP) may be
established to facilitate multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency policy decisions.
Health and Safety
During response and recovery staff will monitor and assess safety hazards or unsafe
situations to help ensure personnel safety. Staff will routinely inspect and correct any
deficiencies in all operating environments. This will include, but is not limited to
ensuring EOC and field personnel are not over stressed or working extended periods
that may jeopardize their health.
3.4 Activations
DOC Activation
A city or county DOC may activate in support of an incident affecting their department or
jurisdiction. These DOCs are staffed by their respective department or agency personnel. If a
local EOC is activated, a DOC agency representative or liaison may be deployed to facilitate
information flow between the DOC and the EOC. This may occur for any level of activation.
Some county departments may activate a DOC to coordinate information and resources
assigned to an incident. Some of the DOCs in Contra Costa County include:
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Conservation and Development Department
Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Employment and Human Services Department
Health Services Department
Office of Education
Office of the Sheriff
Public Works Department
Local EOC Activation
Local jurisdictions activate their EOCs based on the magnitude or need for more coordinated
management of an emergency. When activated, local EOCs help form a common operating
picture of the incident by collecting, analyzing and disseminating emergency information.
Local EOCs support field operations by coordinating resources. Local EOCs may activate in
support of local DOCs.
Operational Area (OA) EOC Activation
If one or more City/Special District Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) is/are activated, or
if the event requires resources outside the affected jurisdiction, the Operational Area EOC may
activate. The Operational Area (OA) EOC may also activate if a local emergency is proclaimed
by the affected local government. In the event of an EOC activation the various dispatch
centers will be the initial points of contact and per protocol will notify field personnel and the
chain of command. The OA EOC then coordinates resource requests from the impacted
jurisdiction to unaffected jurisdictions. If resources are not available within the Operational
Area (OA) the resource request will be forwarded to the Mutual Aid Coordinators at the
California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
The primary Emergency Operations Center is located at: 50 Glacier Drive, Martinez, CA
94553. As necessary, an alternate Emergency Operations Center (EOC) may be identified and
established based on the location, size and scope of an incident.
Regional Emergency Operations Center Activation
Whenever the EOC is activated, the Cal OES Regional Administrator may activate the REOC
with-in the Coastal Administrative Region and will notify Cal OES Headquarters. The Regional
Emergency Operations Center (REOC) will then coordinate resource requests from the OA to
unaffected OAs within the region. If resources are not available within the affected region,
resource requests are forwarded to the State Operations Center (SOC) for coordination.
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EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ACTIVATIONS
Monitoring
This type of incident can be managed with one or two single resources with
personnel as needed
Emergency Operations Center staff positions support the incident
by actively monitoring through situational awareness
Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is not required
The incident is in the Operational Area, but contained by available
resources and no local OES support is requested
Communications flow and information sharing will be established
with internal and external partners
Partial
Activation
This type of incident extends beyond the capabilities of local control or one
jurisdiction and may go into multiple operational periods. This may require the
response of resources beyond local jurisdictions, to effectively manage the
incident
Emergency Operations Center staff may report to the EOC
Liaisons may be deployed to the local EOCs and/or DOCs
A written Emergency Action Plan may be required for each
operational period
Some of the Incident Command System Sections may be staffed
Communications flow and information sharing will be established
with internal and external partners
Full
Activation
This type of incident is the most complex and may require regional, state, or
federal resources to safely and effectively manage and operate
Emergency Operations Center staff positions are activated
The EOC Director will have briefings to ensure appropriate
common operating picture is established
A written Emergency Action Plan is required for each operational
period
Plan on 12 hour rotational shifts
Communications flow and information sharing will be established
with internal and external partners
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3.5 Information Collection, Analysis and Dissemination
The Planning and Intelligence Section in the EOC is responsible for gathering timely, accurate,
accessible and consistent information and intelligence during an emergency. Information is
used to prepare situational reports that create a common operating picture and action plans.
To ensure effective information flow, emergency response agencies at all levels must establish
communications systems and protocols to organize, integrate, and coordinate information
among affected agencies.
The Planning “P” is a guide to the process and steps involved in planning for an incident. This
process is a continuous cycle that is followed during each operational period.
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There are 2 types of action plans in SEMS: Incident Action Plans and Emergency Action Plans.
Incident Action Plans, (IAPs) are used at the Field Response Level to establish
operational period priorities. An IAP contains objectives reflecting the overall incident
strategy, specific actions and supporting information for the next Operational Period. IAPs
are an essential and required element in achieving objectives under SEMS.
Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) are developed at the local government level. The use of
Emergency Action Plans provides designated personnel with the knowledge of the
objectives to be achieved and the steps required for achievement.
Action plans are extremely effective tools during all phases of a disaster. The action
planning process involves the EOC Director, Section Chiefs, and other EOC staff, as needed.
The EAP documents the operational period, staffing assignments and tasks in addition to
briefing schedules and incident objectives.
3.6 EOC Reporting Systems
The State of California currently has an Internet web-based information reporting system,
(Web EOC) for use during emergencies. The purpose of Web EOC is to improve the state’s
ability to respond to major disasters. The state’s Web EOC has been expanded to include all
Operational Areas (OAs) in the state. The intent of Web EOC is to increase the level of service
and efficiency by improving the state’s ability to, respond to, manage and coordinate requests
for resources in emergencies as well as, to collect process and disseminate information during
and after an emergency or disaster.
3.7 Communications
When the County EOC is activated, communications and coordination are established between
the Incident Commander (IC) and the County EOC directly, or between the IC and department
operation centers (DOCs) and then between DOCs and the EOC.
The following delivery resources support EOC communications:
CAD – A Computer Aided Dispatch system used by first responders, medical personnel
and local government.
Communications Unit – The Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services Support Unit (ESSU)
manages mobile communications capabilities. It has licensed amateur radio operators,
as well as ICS Type-III volunteers with auxiliary communications expertise in the
following modalities: Computers, networks, software, microwave, radio systems,
satellite, video conferencing, and similar technologies. In support of EOC operations, a
primary responsibility is to staff and maintain the communications room in the EOC.
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Volunteers can also be deployed to various duty stations throughout the Operational
Area to further communication if more traditional means are inoperable.
CWS – Community Warning System automatically transmits alerts and warnings over a
variety of communication channels.
EBRCS – East Bay Regional Communications System a P25 compliant digital radio
communication system that provides fully interoperable communications to all public
agencies within Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) – A government
telecommunications service that is intended to be used in an emergency when the
landline network is congested.
Mobile Capabilities – ESSU has stewardship over significant resources such as the
mobile incident command centers, cache radios, mobile repeaters, interoperable
communication patch capabilities, (ACU 1000) and other logistical assets.
OASIS – Operational Area Satellite Information System which provides inbound and
outbound telephone communication between operational areas and the state. The
dedicated lines are located in the Office of Emergency Services.
ReddiNet - A dedicated emergency medical communications network. It facilitates
information exchange among hospitals, EMS agencies, paramedics, dispatch centers,
law enforcement, homeland security, public health officials and other health care
system professionals in local and regional communities.
Satellite Phones/Wi-Fi – The County EOC has two mobile and one fixed satellite
phone(s), along with two BGAN mobile satellite Wi-Fi/Phone devices.
Telecommunications Service Priority – A program that authorizes priority service
for vital voice and data circuits.
VHF Legacy System – A radio system that can be used as a back-up to the EBRCS
system, which is maintained by the Office of the Sheriff.
Web EOC – A web based software program used for situational awareness and
resource requests and tracking within the operational area and with Cal OES.
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Wireless Priority Service – Similar to GETS except using wireless carriers.
440 MHz Radio System – Alternate communication mode for incident
communications within designated talk groups, health services and countywide.
3.8 Mutual Aid / Multijurisdictional Coordination
The basis for this system is the California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid
Agreement (MMAA), which was developed in 1950. The agreement obligates each signatory
entity to provide aid to the others during an emergency without expectation of
reimbursement. This plan promotes the establishment of emergency assistance agreements
between public and private sector agencies at all levels.
Local jurisdictions are responsible for the protection of life and property within their
geographic boundaries. Mutual aid is designed to ensure adequate resources, facilities, and
other support in the event of an emergency whenever their own jurisdictional resources
prove to be inadequate. Requests begin at the field level and follow the SEMS procedures.
Before locally committed resources are exhausted and mutual aid is needed, local officials will
request assistance from the Operational Area. If the need can’t be filled at the operational area
level, the request is forwarded to the regional level.
Master Mutual Aid agreements
cover, but are not limited to
State and Local Mutual Aid
agreements cover
Fire Emergency Management (EMMA)
Police Coroner
Medical and Health Petrochemical Mutual Aid Organization
Communication American Red Cross
Transportation Services and Facilities California Resiliency Alliance
Volunteer Center of the East Bay
Contra Costa Crisis Center
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The following are examples of specialized resources that Contra Costa County may utilize to
augment services to the community:
Cal Fire Ground and Aerial Attack Fire Fighting
Specific SAR canine capability
East Bay Regional Parks and California Highway Patrol helicopter assets
US Coast Guard Vessel Capability
Ambulance Strike Teams
Mutual Aid Mobile Field Force (MAMFF)
Area hazardous materials teams
Robust EMS neonatal / pediatric emergency preparedness program
Bomb Squad
Extensive Ground SAR capability to include remote satellite communications
Dive Team with ROV, (Remote Operating Vehicle) capability
Fire strike teams
The state is divided into six geographic Mutual Aid Regions. Each region is comprised of
multiple Operational Areas and each has a Regional Mutual Aid Coordinator. Currently
Alameda County is the Regional Mutual Aid Coordinator for Law and Emergency Medical
Services (EMS). Contra Costa County is the Regional Mutual Aid Coordinator for Fire. Contra
Costa County is in the Coastal Region, Mutual Aid Region II along with the counties of:
Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco, Marin,
Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt and Del Norte.
3.9 Activation of the Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS)
Responding agencies will coordinate and support emergency management and incident
response objectives through the development and use of multi-agency coordination systems.
This includes developing and maintaining connectivity capability between Incident Command
Posts, local Public Safety Dispatch Centers, local Emergency Operations Centers, Department
Operating Centers, the Regional Emergency Operations Centers and the State Operations
Center.
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3.10 Emergency Proclamations
Local Emergency
The Board of Supervisors may proclaim a local emergency within the territorial limits of
Contra Costa County. When the Board is not in session, the County Administer has authority
under County Ordinance Code section 42-2.802 to proclaim a local emergency, but only after
conferring, if possible, with one or more members of the Board, including the Board
chairperson if available, or declaring in writing that such a conference is impossible. A local
emergency proclaimed in this manner may not remain in effect for more than seven days
unless it is ratified by the Board.
The Board must review the need to continue a local emergency at least once every thirty (30)
days until the Board terminates the emergency. A local emergency must be terminated by the
Board as soon as conditions warrant.
Incorporated cities/towns within the Operational Area may declare a local emergency as
provided under their municipal codes. The city/town shall advise the Contra Costa Sheriff’s
Office of Emergency Services of the declaration.
Local Health Emergency
The County Health Officer is authorized by Health and Safety Code section 101080 to declare a
local health emergency in situations involving the release or spillage of hazardous or medical
waste that poses an immediate threat to the public health, or whenever there is an imminent
and proximate threat of the introduction of any contagious, infectious, or communicable
disease, chemical agent, communicable biologic agent, toxin, or radioactive agent. A
declaration of a county health emergency may not remain in effect for more than seven days
unless ratified by the Board of Supervisors.
State of Emergency
When the County Administrator deems locally available resources inadequate to cope with an
emergency, the County Administrator is authorized by County Ordinance Code section 42-
2.804 to ask the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency.
The Governor may proclaim a state of emergency in areas affected or likely to be affected
when:
He or She finds the existence of “conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety
of persons and property within the state 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
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volcanic prediction, or an earthquake, or other conditions, other than conditions
resulting from a labor controversy or conditions causing a “state of war
emergency,” which, by reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the
control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single county,
city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or
regions to combat. . . that political subdivision and require the combined forces of
other political subdivisions to combat . . . ; and either
The Governor is requested to do so by specified local authorities (in the case of a
county, by the county administrative officer, or the chair of the board of
supervisors; and in the case of a city, by the mayor or chief executive) or
The Governor finds that local authority is inadequate to cope with the emergency.
Section IV - Recovery
4.0 Recovery Activities
The recovery phase of an emergency is often defined as restoring a community to its pre-
disaster condition. Recovery is the process of re-establishing a new state of normalcy in the
affected areas of the county. The specific approach to recovery operations following a disaster
will be determined by the location, size and nature of the incident.
Transition from response operations to recovery is a gradual shift to assisting individuals,
households, businesses and governments meeting basic needs and returning to self-
sufficiency.
Short term recovery primarily involves stabilizing the situation and restoring services. These
activities may last for weeks.
Long term recovery focuses on community restoration and may last months or even years.
Long term recovery activities include, reconstruction of facilities and infrastructure, housing
plans, implementation of waivers, zoning changes and other land use laws and assistance to
displaced families.
Local Government entities set priorities and obtain resources for recovery within their
respective areas of authority. The following actions are taken to stimulate recovery:
Conduct damage assessment
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Assess housing needs to include identifying solutions and request support
Initiate temporary repairs to public facilities
Issue permits for repairs and demolition of private property
Remove debris
Open transportation routes
Restore services such as power, water, sewer, communications and transportation
Activate Local Assistance Centers
Coordinate program assistance to individuals, businesses, farmers and ranchers
Document disaster related costs for reimbursement through federal grant programs
Enact zoning variances to accommodate business and commercial repairs
Resume governmental functions
Begin planning for long term recovery
Assist with the identification of temporary business space
Local Assistance Centers: (LAC) are opened by local governments to assist communities by
providing a centralized location for services and resource referrals for unmet needs following
a disaster or significant emergency. The LAC is normally staffed and supported by local, State
and Federal agencies, as well as non-profit and voluntary organizations. The LAC provides a
single facility at which individuals, families and businesses can access available disaster
assistance programs and services. As more Federal resources arrive, a Federal Disaster
Recovery Center may be co-located with the State or Local Assistance Center.
Financial Recovery
Finance is responsible for coordinating and supporting administrative, financial and cost
analysis surrounding an emergency. The cost recovery unit plays a vital role in the EOC by
tracking personnel time, equipment rental and purchases, coordinating procurement
activities, processing claims and tracking costs. Education efforts regarding cost recovery
protocols are offered on a routine basis through Webinar presentations, classroom and on line
courses. Although the county is self-insured and private businesses and homeowners will be
expected to utilize their own means of rebuilding, the county will explore additional disaster
assistance programs as follows:
Individual Assistance (IA) loans and government grant and aid programs
Cal OES Local Assistance Centers (LACs)
State Public Assistance (PA) Program
US Small Business Administration (SBA)
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs)
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FEMA Public Assistance Grant Program and Disaster Assistance Policy 9523.19 for
household pets and service animals
Federal Individuals and Households program (IHP)
FEMA Debris Management Assistance Programs
Assistance to Tribal Governments
Non-Government Organizations Assistance
4.1 Continuity Planning
Threats to Contra Costa County have a single common denominator: the interruption of one or
more critical government functions that are vital to the health, safety or welfare of the public.
Today’s changing threat environment and recent emergencies illustrate the need for
Continuity of Operations capabilities and plans.
The fundamental mission of CCC is reliability of service, particularly in times of emergency.
Public trust is based on the delivery of vital government services.
Planning authority is accomplished by preparing for succession of officers, designation of
standby officers (located in the EOC go box), administration of oaths of office and continuation
of duties of the governing body.
The inability of government to provide emergency and essential services can cause direct
damage to government infrastructures, life safety and basic human needs may be
compromised leading to increased morbidity, mortality and civil unrest. To ensure continuity
the County will address the following elements:
Identification and prioritization of essential functions
Establishment, promulgation and maintenance of orders of succession
Pre identification and updates, as necessary, of delegation of authority
Identification, establishment and maintenance of continuity communications
Identification, establishment and maintenance of continuity of facilities
Establishment and maintenance of a system of vital records management
Establishment of a program that identifies and supports human capital
Establishment of a process for delegation of control and direction
Establishment of a process for reconstitution
Development of an effective test, training and exercise program to support continuity
efforts
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4.2 Documentation
Documentation
Documentation is the key to recovering eligible emergency response and recovery costs.
Damage assessment documentation is critical in establishing the basis for eligibility for
disaster assistance programs. Responsibility for maintaining Emergency Operations Center
records rests with the entire Contra Costa County EOC staff. The following are examples of
how the history and chronology of emergencies are captured:
Emergency Action Plans
Situation status reports
Activity logs
Resource requests
Timekeeping records to include overtime documentation
Damage assessment data
Contracts
Under the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA), documentation of damage sustained
from a disaster is required. It will be the responsibility of all appropriate county jurisdictions
to collect documentation of these damages and submit them to the Recovery Branch Leader of
the Finance and Administration Section. The documentation should include the location and
extent of damage and estimates of costs. Examples include:
Debris removal
Emergency work
Facilities restoration
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After Action Report (AAR)
The After Action Report (AAR) will serve as a source for documenting the County’s or local
jurisdiction’s successes and areas in need of improvement in addition to identifying resource
gaps. County OES staff will coordinate with all the appropriate operational area jurisdictions
in compiling an after action report after an emergency or exercise. All EOC staff are
responsible for participating in the after action review process. The AAR will be written in
simple, clear and concise language as a means to ensure lessons learned are understood.
Actions taken, resources utilized, and the economic and human impacts are just a few key
factors illustrated in an AAR. Each AAR carries over to the next exercise or incident in order to
test previously implemented improvements. Generally AARs lead to an Improvement Plan,
which contains corrective actions that are continually monitored and implemented as part of
improving readiness.
AARs should include the following:
Identified improvement plans
Corrective action by priority level
Responsible staff member or team
Projected resolution date
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Section V – California Emergency Functions
California Emergency Functions
The California Emergency Functions (CA-EFs) are a grouping of functions with activities and
responsibilities, which lend themselves to improving the state’s ability to collaboratively
prepare for, effectively mitigate, cohesively respond to, and rapidly recover from any
emergency. CA-EFs unify a broad spectrum of stakeholders with various capabilities,
resources and authorities to improve coordination for a particular discipline.
Below is a table, which illustrates the CA-EFs. Contra Costa County uses CA-EFs as a guide in
local planning efforts. The definitions of each EF are described below. Each function has
primary and support agencies and supporting plans and documentation.
California Emergency
Function (EF)
Description
CA EF #1 Transportation
Manages Contra Costa County transportation systems and infrastructure,
to include roads, bridges, railways, aviation and marine. Further scope
includes identifying movement restrictions as well as damage and impact
assessment
UASI Mass Transportation and Evacuation Interim Plan
Buchanan Field Airport Emergency Plan resides with Public
Works
CA EF #2 Communications
Provides resources, coordination, support and restoration of Contra
Costa County voice and data communications including emergency
communications
ESSU Communications Unit Strategic Plan completed 2014
Community Warning System Protocols / SOPs
CA EF #3 Construction and
Engineering
Provides technical advice, evaluation, management and inspection of
critical infrastructure
UASI Debris Management Interim Plan
Marsh, Dry, Deer and Pine Creek Dam Inundation Plans ready to
be submitted for approval
CA EF #4 Fire and Rescue
Coordinates and supports to wildfire, rural and urban fire detection and
suppression. Lends expertise and support in emergency scene rescue
(ground urban and rural search operations) activities by providing
personnel, equipment and supplies
Wildland Fire plan approved by the Board of Supervisors
CA EF #5 Management
Supports, communicates and coordinates the collection, analysis and
processing of information
Emergency Operations Plan approved by the Board in 2011
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan approved by the Board
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UASI Earthquake Interim Plan
Flood Plan under development with DWR grant funds
Training Plan under revision
Business Continuity - COOP / COG draft plan
CA EF #6 Care and Shelter
Coordinates disaster housing, emergency food assistance, minor medical
care and family reunification of displaced survivors
UASI Mass Care and Shelter Interim Plan
UASI Interim Housing Plan (Interim)
Pet Emergency Preparedness / Coordination Plan resides with
Animal Services
Medical Needs Sheltering Plan resides with CCHS
CA EF #7 Resources
Coordinates and plans activities to locate, procure and pre-position
logistical support such as space, personnel, equipment and supplies
CCC Regional Catastrophic Earthquake Logistics Resource
Interim Plan
CA EF #8 Public Health and
Medical
Responds to communicable disease outbreaks, human caused
bioterrorism events and health consequences resulting from a disaster.
Oversees the restoration of medical facilities and associated healthcare
services. Performs environmental reviews. Provides behavioral health
services; operates homeless shelters, residential drug treatment
programs, and mental health clinics; and coordinates community agency
services. Coordinates and deploys Disaster Healthcare Volunteers
including Medical Reserve Corp. Coordinates medical/health mutual aid
Excessive Heat Plan approved by the Board
UASI Mass Fatality Interim Plan
CCHS Emergency Medical Services Mass Casualty Incident Plan
CCHS Infection Disease Response Plan
CCHS Alternate Care Site Plan
CCHS Hospital Surge Plan
CCHS Medical Countermeasure Dispensing Plan
CA Public Health and Medical Emergency Operations Manual
Chem-Pack Guidelines
CA EF #9 Search and Rescue Included in CA EF #4 and CA EF #13
CA EF #10 Hazardous
Materials
Provides a coordinated response to actual or potential discharge and/or
release of oil, chemical, biological, radiological or other hazardous
substances in Contra Costa County
Oil Spill / Hazardous Materials Area Plan resides with CCHS
Hazardous Materials Division
CA EF #11 Agriculture
Performs animal and plant disease and pest response; provides food
safety and security, and protection and restoration of natural and
cultural resources and historic properties. Manages weights and
measures regulations
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CA EF #12 Utilities
Provides assessment and restoration of gas, electric, water, wastewater
and telecommunications to include energy industry coordination and
forecast
Water Procedure and Distribution Plan to be developed with local
water agencies
CA EF #13 Law Enforcement
Provides for public safety and security of property, coordinates coroner
activities and supports access, traffic and crowd control. Includes
enforcement of state and local laws as well as some Search and Rescue
responsibility in addition to evacuation operations
Sheriff’s Office Policy and Procedures
Sheriff’s Office Field Operations Guide
Sheriff’s Office Notification Guide
CA EF #14 Long-Term
Recovery
Performs social and economic community impact assessment and
analysis and review of mitigation program implementation
Recovery Plan to be developed
CCC General Plan 05-20 resides with Department of Conservation and
Development
CA EF #15 Public Information Supports the accurate, coordinated, timely and accessible release of
information to affected audiences. Performs media and community
relations while operating within a Joint Information System / Center
CCC Social Media Policy
CCHS Crisis and Risk Communication Plan
FEMA Guideline 517
CA EF #16 Evacuation Included in CA EF #13
CA EF #17 Volunteer and
Donations Management
Coordinates the services of affiliated volunteers and manages
spontaneous volunteers. Manages monetary and in-kind donated goods
UASI Volunteer Management Interim Plan
UASI Donations Management Interim Plan
CA EF #18 Cyber Security
(Under development)
Responsible for re-establishing a stable, safe and resilient cyberspace and
the protection of secure cyber networks
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Section VI – Supporting Elements
Supporting Elements
The supporting elements are variations of functional components tailored to the Plan. While
the basic plan provides broad overarching information relevant to the Plan as a whole, these
supporting elements focus on specific areas requiring an emergency operations focus.
A. Integrating People with Disabilities and Others with Access and
Functional Needs
Contra Costa County takes a whole community approach to serving the needs of the local
residents. In part this is accomplished by engaging critical stakeholders with expertise in
areas such as transportation and sheltering. Populations with access and functional needs
include those members of the community who may have additional needs before, during and
after an incident in functional areas.
Individuals in need of additional response assistance may include those who:
Live in institutionalized settings
Are elderly
Are unaccompanied children
Are from diverse cultures
Have limited English proficiency or are non-English speaking
Are transportation disadvantaged
Have no access to any communications devices
Have no access to a shelter and/or may need to be assigned a Functional Access
Service Team (FAST) member
Have disabilities – temporary and/or lifelong
Have sight or hearing impairments
May require medical care
May require supervision
Other situations that would ensure maintaining independence
Lessons learned from recent emergencies concerning people with disabilities and other access
and functional needs have shown that the existing concepts of emergency planning,
implementation and response must meet the needs of these groups during an emergency.
These lessons show four areas that are repeatedly identified as most important to people with
disabilities and others with access and functional needs:
Communications Sheltering
Evacuation / Transportation Recovery
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B. Warning
The County’s Community Warning System may be used to provide time-sensitive alerts
and warnings to affected members of the public about imminent hazards to human life
or health for which specific protective action is recommended. These types of alerts
and warnings include hazardous material incidents, public health emergencies, law
enforcement emergencies, fires threatening populated areas, severe flooding, or “at
risk” missing persons. The most common protective actions for these types of hazards
are shelter in place, evacuate, or be-on-the-lookout.
The Community Warning System automatically coordinates the transmission of alerts
and warnings over a variety of delivery systems, including:
Sirens near major industrial facilities and in other special safety zones
Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) that includes both
landlines (Reverse 911) throughout the county, and pre-registered mobile
devices (cell phones, text and email messages)
Social media, including Facebook and Twitter, and CWS website postings
California’s Emergency Digital Information System (EDIS)
Federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
Emergency Alert System (EAS)
NOAA weather radios
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)
The Community Warning System has predesigned templates for a variety of warning
messages to expedite the message development process. Although templates exist for
many of the hazards common in Contra Costa County, it is important to remember that
all messages should include:
What authority is issuing the warning
What the hazard is
A specific affected area for which the warning is in effect
Who, specifically, is affected by this warning and what they should do about
it
How long the warning is in effect/when it expires
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C. Population Protection
Evacuations and “shelter-in-place” orders will be handled pursuant to Office of the
Sheriff Policies and Procedures, with the Incident Commander balancing the
immediate hazards associated with remaining on scene against the risks of moving
people in a dangerous environment.
The Incident Commander or other authority will recommend a protective action
based on discussion with the appropriate personnel regarding the nature of the
incident.
The Incident Commander has the authority to initiate evacuation or a shelter-in-
place order based upon his/her assessment of the situation at the time.
Area resources and, when available, additional resources, including personnel,
transport, etc., may assist with the evacuation effort to provide security and to
facilitate an organized transition to a safe environment.
Early/Advanced evacuations will generally be conducted by available law
enforcement working the affected area.
Unaccompanied minors will be evacuated to a safe, contained location and
supervised by a responsible adult/official until they can be reunited with parents.
Parents will be directed to evacuation location to pick up children.
Area resources and, when available, additional resources may be allocated to
provide temporary security to at-risk groups when a credible threat to safety exists.
Detention facility transportation units will move incarcerated individuals to pre-
determined, secure locations in the event of an evacuation.
The Community Warning System may be used to notify the public about existing
hazards and protective actions to take.
At the request of the Incident Commander, all in accordance with policies and
procedures. The Community Warning System can be used to notify the public at the
end of a shelter-in-place action.
Animal Control Services coordinates the care and shelter of evacuees’ pets with
consideration to location of American Red Cross shelters.
Most jurisdictions do not support forced evacuations. Property owners have the
right to make independent decisions about evacuation.
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D. Prevention and Protection
Prevention Activities
The Sheriff’s Office of Homeland Security Unit is responsible for developing and
maintaining positive partnerships between the Sheriff’s Office, its infrastructure partners,
and other local, state, and federal agencies in order to share critical information to
safeguard persons and property. HSU reviews tips and leads to ensure appropriate
agencies and resources are notified.
Protection Activities
The Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NICRIC) position serves within the
terrorism liaison officer outreach program. This position also has direct links to the FBI’s
joint terrorism task force (JTTF) and other state and federal agencies, which facilitate
information dissemination.
Eight Signs of Terrorism
Information
gathering by
suspicious
persons
Tests of security by
suspicious persons
Suspicious
financial activity
Acquiring supplies
in preparation for
an attack
Suspicious
persons out of
place
Dry or trial run to
test infrastructure
vulnerabilities
Surveillance of
critical
infrastructure
Deploying assets in
suspicious
locations near
critical
infrastructure
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E. Public Information
Purpose:
This supporting element is to establish uniform guidelines and practices for the effective
development, coordination and dissemination of emergency information to the public in the
case of an emergency or disaster. It establishes the parameters for the Contra Costa County
Joint Information System procedures for:
Rapid delivery of accurate information and instructions to the public and media
Response to public and media inquiries
Dissemination of critical information to internal and external partners
Establishment of a Joint Information System (JIS) and/or Joint Information Center (JIC)
Assumptions:
During emergency situations:
The public and media will need and want information about the situation and
instructions on what actions to take.
Residents will make better decisions if given updated information regularly.
Local media can provide an essential role in delivering information and instructions to
the public; regional or national media may also play a role and need to be considered.
Many communication channels exist, but not all may be available in any given
emergency. The situation will drive the channels and tools to be used.
Monitoring of the media will require advanced planning to know which methods they
are using to disseminate information besides their primary channels.
Social media will be the most challenging to monitor and control, but have significant
value to the public.
Perception is the key; Joint Information System team members need to convey calm,
authority and knowledge to the media and the public at all times.
Objectives:
To guide public action as determined by the EOC Director in an Emergency Operations
Center, or by the Incident Commander if in the field.
To gain public confidence by providing timely, accurate, credible and actionable
information.
To keep the public calm by building trust, explaining the process in place to find
answers, give people specific actions to take, and reassure them.
To meet the needs of the news media and social media influencers.
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To meet the needs of internal and external partners and stakeholders.
To meet the needs of people with disabilities and others with access and functional
needs, as well as others that would be considered vulnerable in an emergency.
To provide information to the public in coordination with city, state and federal
agencies, as well as community based, faith based and non-government organizations.
Practices and Guidelines:
It is the policy of Contra Costa County to develop plans and procedures to address
public information needs during an emergency or disaster response within the County.
The lead public information officer (PIO) and additional designated PIOs will
coordinate efforts to provide timely and effective information prior to, during and
following a major emergency or crisis that affects public safety, public health,
community well-being and continuity of operations.
The PIO is responsible for the dissemination of accurate and timely information to
affected populations, with consideration taken to include people with Access and
Functional Needs, as well as those who speak and/or read languages other than
English.
Information released to the media and/or public will be verified by public information
staff and the EOC Director.
Contra Costa County will use the concept of a Joint Information Center (JIC) to
coordinate the release of information, and a Joint Information System or virtual JIC
when physically co-locating is not possible or practical.
A joint information center will be opened when there is more than one agency involved
or impacted in an emergency incident.
Media Access:
Contra Costa County will provide media access to public information officers during an
emergency or disaster through contacts within the EOC or a field JIC. Physical access to
the EOC will not be permitted without permission of the EOC Director, and media must
be accompanied by a public information officer at all times.
Disaster and accident scenes may be closed to the public under authority of 409.5(a)
P.C. which states “…a menace to the public health or safety is created by a calamity
such as a flood, storm, fire, earthquake, explosion or other disaster…”
It is important to note, however, that 409.5(d) P.C. states “Nothing in this section shall
prevent a duly authorized representative of any news service from entering the area
closed…” After being advised of any existing danger, members of the news media are
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permitted free movement in the area as long as they do not hamper, deter or interfere
with law enforcement or public safety functions.
Primary Responsibilities for the Public Information Officer:
Evaluate the need for and, as appropriate, establish and operate a Joint Information
System.
Establish a Joint Information Center as necessary, to coordinate and disseminate
accurate and timely information.
Determine from the EOC Director or Incident Commander if there are limits on
information available to be released, and what the scope of release will be.
Develop material for use in media briefings.
Obtain approval of media releases.
Inform the media and moderate media briefings, whether in person, via conference call
or other means.
Arrange for tours, interviews or briefings as needed.
Maintain current information summaries and/or display boards about the incident.
Maintain an Activity log for PIOs.
Manage media and public inquiries.
Coordinate emergency public information and warnings.
Monitor media and social media reporting for accuracy, and take corrective action
where needed.
Ensure that all required agency forms, reports and documents have been completed
prior to demobilizing a Joint Information Center or System.
PIO Roles and Functions within a JIC:
Lead PIO with overall responsibility for Joint Information Center operations
Information Gathering
Information Verification
Coordination and Production of Messaging
Information Dissemination
Media Monitoring
Social Media Monitoring
Liaison
Provides coordinated communication with key program areas and other entities
involved in response and recovery operations
Coordinates with elected officials, community leaders, VIPs, and other governmental
and non-governmental organization support agencies
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Documents available in the EOC go-box and PIO electronic go-materials:
Lead PIO Checklist
PIO Checklist by Role and Function
PIO Contacts
Media Contacts
JIC Templates
F. Private Sector Coordination
The California Resiliency Alliance (CRA) created regional public-private partnerships to
improve homeland security and natural disaster response. Examples of partnerships include
technology, financial, retail, health and biotechnology, and energy companies. The CRA is
linked into a mutual aid alliance network as well as governments and associations. The role of
CRA is to facilitate business and government partnerships to fill important gaps. The CRA
initiatives include cross-sector response coordination, public health emergencies through the
Bay Area Cross Sector Partners in Preparedness (BACSPP) as well as critical infrastructure
protection through the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC). Additional
initiatives include FEMA National Emergency Information Technology Guard volunteers, the
emergency resource registry and the Cal OES Good Samaritan registry.
The CRA is integrated into EOC at all levels of government. The private sector liaison in the
EOC communicates information and obtains situational awareness for business continuity
purposes. In addition the CRA works with the Logistics Section to coordinate private
resources such as, water, food, clothing, cots, facilities such as warehouses and cafeterias,
equipment such as trucks, telecommunications, and laptops and technology.
G. Volunteers and Donations Management
The Volunteer and Donations Management Unit is part of Logistics Section of the County’s
EOC staff. Organized and trained volunteer groups and non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) provide critical services in a disaster. Although it is recommended that volunteers
pre-affiliate before any emergency, there may be spontaneous volunteers who will require
processing. In addition, organizations have been identified, which can assist with bulk / in-
kind donations processing and distribution, as well as monetary donations. Templates with
public messaging exist to aid in notifying the community as to what items are needed and
where the items can be brought to assist with an emergency.
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Partnership Organizations:
American Red Cross exists to provide compassionate care to those in need. The
network of donors, volunteers and employees share a mission of preventing and
relieving suffering through disaster relief efforts. In addition the Red Cross supports
the EOC Care and Shelter Branch.
The Volunteer Center of the East Bay enhances Contra Costa County by expanding
volunteerism to meet the needs of local nonprofit organizations and public agencies.
Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) improve outcomes for people
affected by disasters by facilitating cooperation, communication, coordination, and
collaboration among nonprofit organizations, community-based groups, government
agencies, and for-profit companies.
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) –This program educates people
about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them
in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team
organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT members can assist others in
their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders
are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support
emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency
preparedness projects in their community.
Salvation Army is a ministry with a mission to meet human needs without
discrimination. In addition they can provide feeding services in a disaster.
Saint Vincent de Paul Society is a nonprofit organization that provides direct
assistance to anyone suffering or in need. They offer a lifeline to those in want of food
and clothing, rent assistance, medical aid, help with addiction or incarceration,
employment and shelter.
Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) is a non-profit public
benefit corporation of public emergency response agencies, local government
officials and facilities and businesses that use, store, handle, produce or transport
hazardous materials with a mission to actively enhance public health and safety
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Governmental Volunteer Groups:
Contra Costa County Area Agency on Aging provides leadership in addressing issues
that relate to older residents, to develop community-based systems of care that
provide services which support independence within our local community
interdependent society, and which protects the quality of life of older adults and
persons with functional impairments, and to promote citizen involvement in the
planning and delivery of service.
Office of the Sheriff - Emergency Services Support Unit
The Emergency Services Support Unit (ESSU) manages volunteer groups who
contribute significantly to emergency operations. Activation of the Sheriff's volunteer
programs is through the Law Branch Mutual Aid Coordinator in the Emergency
Operations Center. Volunteer units may be called upon for their specialized training
and professional skills in the following groups:
Air Squadron – Pilots and observers provide air operations support which includes
transportation, surveillance, logistics and disaster response
Cadets – Young adults participate in public events, search and rescue and traffic
enforcement
Communications Unit – Licensed amateur radio operators provide alternate
communication to the operational area in support of an exercise or emergency
Chaplains – The chaplaincy program provides support, comfort, guidance and
counseling in times of crisis to the law enforcement community and the public
Dive Team – Certified rescue divers are available to assist with evidence collection,
victim recovery, hazardous object removal, inspections and disaster response
Food Service Unit – Volunteers support field operations during training and
emergency events by providing nourishing meals
Ground Search and Rescue Team – Volunteers are requested to assist in locating
missing or at-risk persons, evidence collection, public events and disaster response
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MAMST Mutual Aid Mobile/Medical Support Team – Volunteers provide support by
deployment and equipment supply and maintenance for the Mobile Field Force, Search
and Rescue and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team
Reserve Deputy Sheriffs – Reserves assist with in-custody transportation, patrol and
detention duties and special assignments such as DUI checkpoints and off road
activities and special events
SAVES – Sheriff’s All Volunteer Extended Services – This diverse unit of community
members with varying skill sets assist with the delivery of logistical and clerical
support mostly in field operations and administrative assignments
Healthcare Volunteer Groups:
Contra Costa Health Services Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) – a local group of
volunteers committed to improving the public health, emergency response and
resiliency of Contra Costa County
Contra Costa Health Services Disaster Healthcare Volunteers (DHV) - a group of
individual healthcare providers with active licenses in their respective medical
disciplines, public health professionals, or a members of a medical disaster response
team who volunteer for disaster service
Volunteer and donation groups can greatly enhance and supplement emergency response
personnel and materials. The county will follow the State Disaster Service Worker (DSW)
program guidelines. By law, the DSW program says that all public employees are disaster
service workers, and are required to perform “such disaster service activities as may be
assigned to them by their superiors or by law.” Coordination is established by the Operational
Area with neighboring jurisdictions and Cal OES. These coordination efforts have a direct
impact on multi-jurisdictional response planning and recovery roles. The level of involvement
will vary considerably depending upon the nature and complexity of the incident. Volunteer
agencies mobilize their resources through their own systems.
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H. Training and Exercises
Training, tests and exercises are essential to ensure public officials, emergency response
personnel and the public are ready. As part of the emergency management training
curriculum, it is recommended that personnel with emergency responsibilities complete
emergency management courses as described by the SEMS Approved Course of Instruction
and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) integration criteria. The Governor’s
Office of Emergency Services provides training for emergency managers and first responders
through the California Specialized Training Institute. Each agency is responsible to maintain
training and exercise records that demonstrate self-certification and compliance with SEMS
and NIMS.
Preparedness Exercises
Exercises provide personnel with an opportunity to become thoroughly familiar with
the procedures, facilities and systems that will be used in an emergency. County
departments should plan for and/ or participate in an exercise program that involves
emergency management / response personnel from multiple disciplines and multiple
jurisdictions.
Exercises should:
Be as realistic as possible
Use the application of SEMS
Be based on risk assessments
Include non-governmental organizations and private sector when appropriate
Refer to state and federal guidelines for other specifics
The County Office of Emergency Services updates the Multi Year Training and Exercise Plan
annually.
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Building Block Approach to Training and Exercising
There is a focus on exposing participants to a cycle of training and exercises that escalates in
complexity, with each exercise designed to build upon the last, in terms of scale and subject
matter.
One recommendation is to take a building block approach, which recognizes that an exercise
program is progressive. It means that you start with basic exercises to test specific elements
and then go on to occasionally use exercises that take greater resources and time, and are
more complex.
Public Awareness
The County Office of Emergency Services provides public awareness and educational
campaigns on a continual basis. The Office of Emergency Services maintains a directory of
web-sites for more in depth follow up on emergency preparedness efforts such as, Community
Emergency Response Team, fire safety, health and well-being, and hazardous materials. In
addition, presentations, consultations and plan review are conducted routinely along with
research services and pamphlet distribution. It is well documented, that the better prepared
our communities are in advance of an emergency, the easier response efforts will be, and
the sooner they can transition to recovery.
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I. Individual and Family Emergency Preparedness
Preparation will increase survivability. Individuals and families should have the equipment
and plans in place to make it on their own. Everyone should be prepared no matter where
they are when a disaster strikes. Below are some ideas that can help prepare for the
unexpected.
Actions to take
Have a kit of emergency supplies
Make a plan for what you will do in an emergency
Stay informed about what might happen
Get involved in preparing your community
Know your resources
Partner with everyone (fellow parents, neighbors, church members, etc.)
Be aware of assets near you; shopping centers, medical facilities, fire stations,
etc.
Inventory your supplies
Know your hazards
Flood zones where you work
House near open space susceptible to fire or landslide
Church located near a chemical plant
Airport, rail, or other transportation hazards
Understand protective actions
Earthquake: Duck, cover and hold
Fire: Stop, drop and roll
Flood: Evacuate to higher ground
Hazardous Material release: Shelter in place, unless otherwise notified
Severe weather: Stay indoors
Remain mindful of age related needs for both children and seniors, and plan for those with
unique medical, physical and/or emotional needs. Consider a plan for pets.
Remember, attitude is everything! Rehearse in your mind, have documents in order and
physically practice your plan.
In summary, the benefits and value in individual and family preparedness are, saving lives,
providing more control over the emergency, and enabling you to more easily sort out complex
issues in an emergency. Preparedness helps you achieve your response priorities.
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J. Emergency Management Questions
The following is a list of questions that may be helpful in answering when responding to an
incident. Remember, not all questions are absolutely mandatory to answer in every situation.
This is simply a list to help those arriving at the EOC gain an understanding of the operating
picture:
What happened?
What is the name of the incident? (Year/Month/Day/Location/Type)
When did the incident start? (Date/Time)
What type of incident is it?
What is the severity of the Incident? (Low, Moderate, High, Catastrophic)
What was the cause?
Does the EOC require activation? If yes, what level? (Monitoring, Partial or Full)
Incident Summary:
Who is affected
How many, injured, deceased
Property damage etc.
Mutual aid needed
PIO
Any other resources need
What is the current status of the incident? (Green, Yellow, Red)
What is the prognosis? (Stable, Worsening, Improving)
What is the location of the incident? (Address and/or Map Coordinates)
Who is the lead agency?
Who is the Point of Contact (Name, Phone Number, E-mail)?
Additional information:
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K. Authorities and References
The following laws and reference manuals apply to the development and implementation of
this Plan and / or help prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies, including but
not limited to:
Local
Contra Costa County Ordinance Code, Title 4 Health and Safety, Chapter 42-2 Disaster Council
and Emergency Services
County Administrators Bulletin 115 Emergency Management Plan
General Plan, Section 10 – Safety Element
Sheriff’s Office Policies and Procedures 1.06.22 Emergency Activation of Personnel and
1.06.23 Major Disaster Response
State
California Emergency Services Act, Chapter 7, Division 1, Title 2 of the Government Code
Standardized Emergency Management System Guidelines, to include function specific
handbook
Cal EMA Guidance on Planning and Responding to the Needs of People with Access and
Functional Needs
California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement
California Coroner’s Mutual Aid Plan
California Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Plan
California Natural Disaster Assistance Act, Chapter 7.5, Division 1, Title 3
State of California Emergency Plan
California Public Health and Medical Emergency Operations Manual
Regional Catastrophic Earthquake Plan
Regional Emergency Coordination Plan (RECP)
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Federal
Civil Defense Act of 1950
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988
Homeland Security Presidential Directive, HSPD – 5, NIMS
Disaster Mitigation Act
National Response Framework
National Planning Scenarios
National Response Recovery Framework
Americans with Disabilities Act
Comprehensive Planning Guide – CPG 101
National Incident Management System FEMA 501
FEMA 517 Public Information Guidelines
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Glossary of Terms
After Action Report (AAR): Documents identified successes during emergency operations
and describes a plan of action for implementing improvements.
California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement (MMAA): An
agreement entered into by and between the State of California, its various departments and
agencies and various political subdivisions, municipal corporations and public agencies of the
State of California to assist each other by providing resources during an emergency. Mutual
Aid occurs when two or more parties agree to furnish resources and facilities and to render
services to each other in response to any type of disaster or emergency.
California Emergency Services Act (CESA): An Act within the California Government Code
to insure that preparations within the state will be adequate to deal with natural, manmade,
or war-caused emergencies which result in conditions of disaster or in extreme peril to life,
property and the natural resources of the state and generally to protect the health and safety
and preserve the lives and property of the people of the state.
Continuity of Government (COG): Activities that address the continuance of constitutional
governance. COG planning aims to preserve and/or reconstitute the institution of
government and ensure that a department or agency’s constitutional, legislative, and/or
administrative responsibilities are maintained. This is accomplished through succession of
leadership, the pre-delegation of emergency authority and active command and control
during a response and recovery operations.
Continuity of Operations (COOP): Planning should be instituted (including all levels of
government) across the private sector and non-governmental organizations as appropriate, to
ensure the continued performance of core capabilities and/or critical government operations
during any potential incident.
Critical Infrastructure: Systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the
operational area that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a
debilitating impact on security, local economic security, public health or safety, or any
combination of those matters.
Department Operations Center (DOC): A facility used by a distinct discipline, such as flood
operations, fire, medical, hazardous material, or a unit, such as Department of Public Works,
or Department of Health. DOCs may be used at all SEMS levels above the field response level
depending upon the needs of the emergency.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC): The location from which centralized emergency
management can be performed. EOC facilities are established by an agency or jurisdiction to
coordinate the overall agency or jurisdictional response and support to an emergency.
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Emergency Operations Plan: The ongoing plan maintained by various jurisdictional levels
for responding to a wide variety of potential hazards.
Hazus: A nationally applicable standardized methodology that contains models for estimating
potential losses from earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. Hazus uses Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) technology to estimate physical, economic and social impacts of disasters.
Incident: An occurrence or event, either human caused or by natural phenomena, that
requires action by emergency response personnel to prevent or minimize loss of life or
damage to property and the environment.
Incident Command: Responsible for overall management of the incident and consists of the
Incident Commander, either single or a unified command and any assigned supporting staff.
Incident Commander (IC): The individual responsible for all incident activities, including
the development of strategies and tactics and the ordering and the release of resources. The
IC has overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident operations and is
responsible for the management of all incident operations at the incident site.
Incident Command Post (ICP): The field location where the primary functions are
performed. The ICP may be co-located with the incident base or other incident facilities.
Incident Command System (ICS): A standardized on-scene emergency management concept
specifically designed to allow its user(s) to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal
to the complexity and demands of single or multiple incidents without being hindered by
jurisdictional boundaries.
Information: Pieces of raw, unanalyzed data that identifies persons, evidence, events; or
illustrates processes that specify the occurrences of an event. May be objective or subjective
and is intended for both internal analysis and external (news media) application. Information
is the “currency” that produces intelligence.
Intelligence: Product of an analytical process that evaluates information collected from
diverse sources, integrates the relevant information into a cohesive package and produces a
conclusion or estimate. Information must be real, accurate and verified before it becomes
intelligence for planning purposes. Intelligence relates to the specific details involving the
activities of an incident or EOC and current and expected conditions and how they affect the
actions taken to achieve operational period objectives. Intelligence is an aspect of
information. Intelligence is primarily intended for internal use and not for public
dissemination.
Interoperability: Allows emergency management/response personnel and their affiliated
organizations to communicate within and across agencies and jurisdictions via voice, data, or
video-on-demand, in real-time, when needed and when authorized.
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Joint Information Center (JIC): A facility established to coordinate all incident-related
public information activities. It is the central point of contact for all news media. Public
information officials from all participating agencies should co-locate at the JIC.
Joint Information System (JIS): A JIS is the information network of all government,
volunteer, and private-sector organizations with operations directly related to the incident. A
JIS coordinates public information network with common resources and agreed-upon
procedures that links participants through technological means when geographic restrictions,
incident management requirements and other limitations preclude physical attendance at a
central location. The JIS allows public information staff to communicate effectively and make
joint announcements as if they were located in the same facility.
Jurisdiction: The range or sphere of authority. Public agencies have jurisdiction at an
incident related to their legal responsibilities and authority for incident mitigation.
Jurisdictional authority at an incident can be political or geographical (e.g. special district, city,
county, state or federal boundary lines) or functional (e.g., police department, health
department, etc.).
Liaison Officer: A member of the Command Staff responsible for coordinating with
representatives from cooperating and assisting agencies. At SEMS EOC levels, the function
may be done by a coordinator and/or within a section or branch reporting directly to the EOC
Director.
Local Government: Means local agencies per Article 3 of the SEMS regulations. The
Government Code Section 8680.2 defines local agencies as any city, city and county, county,
school district or special district.
Mitigation: Provides a critical foundation in the effort to reduce the loss of life and property
from natural and/or man-made disasters by avoiding or lessening the impact of a disaster and
providing value to the public by creating safer communities. Mitigation seeks to fix the cycle
of disaster damage, reconstruction and repeated damage. These activities or actions, in most
cases, will have a long-term sustained effort.
Multiagency Coordination System (MACS): The combination of personnel, facilities,
equipment, procedures and communications integrated into a common system. When
activated, MACS has the responsibility for coordination of assisting agency resources and
support in a multi-agency or multijurisdictional environment. A MAC group functions within
the MACS.
National Planning Frameworks: One for each preparedness mission area (prevention,
protection, mitigation, response and disaster recovery), describe how the whole community
works together to achieve the National Preparedness Goal. The Goal is: “A secure and resilient
nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against,
mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.”
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The Goal is the cornerstone for the implementation of Presidential Policy Directive / PPD-8:
National Preparedness.
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO): An entity with an association that is based on the
interests of its members, individuals, or institutions. It is not created by a government, but it
may work cooperatively with the government. Such organizations serve a public purpose, not
a private benefit. Examples of NGO include faith-based charity organizations and the
American Red Cross.
Operational Area (OA): An intermediate level of the state emergency organization,
consisting of a county and all other political subdivisions within the geographical boundaries
of the county.
Operational Period: The time scheduled for executing a given set of operation actions, as
specified in the Incident Action Plan. Operational periods can be of various lengths, although
usually they last 12-24 hours.
Political Subdivisions: Includes any city, city and county, county, tax or assessment district,
or other legally authorized local government entity with jurisdictional boundaries.
Public Information: Processes, procedures and systems for communicating timely, accurate
and accessible information on the incident’s cause, size, and current situation; resources
committed; protective actions to take; and other matters of general interest to the public,
responders and additional stakeholders (both directly and indirectly affected).
Region Emergency Operations Center (REOC): Facilities found at Cal OES Administrative
Regions. REOCs are used to coordinate information and resources among operational areas
and between the operational areas and the state level.
Resource Management: Efficient emergency management and incident response requires a
system for identifying available resources at all jurisdictional levels to enable timely and
unimpeded access to resources needed to prepare for, respond to, or recover from an
incident. Resource management under NIMS includes mutual aid agreements and assistance
agreements; the use of special federal, state, tribal and local teams; and resource mobilization
protocols.
Resources: Personnel and equipment available, or potentially available, for assignment to
incidents or to EOCs. Resources are described by kind and type, and may be used in
supervisory capacities at an incident or at EOCs.
Section: The organizational level with responsibility for a major functional area of the
incident or at an EOC, (e.g., Operations, Planning/Intelligence, Logistics,
Finance/Administration).
Situation Report (SITREP): Emergency Operations Centers are responsible for gathering
timely, accurate, accessible and consistent intelligence during an emergency. Situation
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reports should create a common operating picture and be used to adjust the operational goals,
priorities and strategies.
Special District: A unit of local government (other than a city, county, city and county) with
authority or responsibility to own, operate and maintain systems, programs, services, or
projects (as defined in section 2900, subdivision (hh) of title 19 of the California Code of
Regulations) for purposes of natural disaster assistance. This may include a joint-powers of
authority established under Section 6500 et. seq.
Stafford Act: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act establishes
the programs and processes for the federal government to provide disaster and emergency
assistance to states, local governments, tribal nations, individuals and qualified non-profit
organizations. The provision of the Stafford Act covers all-hazards including natural disasters
and terrorist events. Relevant provisions of the Stafford Act include a process for Governors
to request federal disaster and emergency assistance from the President. The President may
declare a major disaster or emergency.
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS): A system required by California
Government Code and established by regulations for managing response to multiagency and
multijurisdictional emergencies in California. SEMS consists of five organizational levels,
which are activated as necessary: Field response, Local Government, Operational Area,
Region and State.
State Operations Center (SOC): An EOC facility operated by the Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services at the state level in SEMS.
Unified Command (UC): An ICS application used when more than one agency has incident
jurisdiction or when incidents cross political jurisdictions. Agencies work together through
the designated members of the UC, often the senior person from agencies and/or disciplines
participating in the UC, to establish a common set of objectives and strategies and a single
incident action plan.
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PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE 5.
Meeting Date:04/13/2015
Subject:Multi-Language Capability of the Telephone Emergency Notification System
Submitted For: David O. Livingston, Sheriff-Coroner
Department:Office of the Sheriff
Referral No.: N/A
Referral Name: Multi-Language Capability of the Telephone Emergency Notification System
Presenter: Heather Tiernan, 925-646-4461 Contact: Heather Tiernan, 925-646-4461
Referral History:
This matter was referred to the Internal Operations Committee (IOC) in 2000 and was reassigned
to the Public Protection Committee (PPC) in January 2008. The PPC met with Sheriff’s Office
staff and Health Services Department staff in March 2008 to receive an update on the County’s
efforts to implement multilingual emergency telephone messaging. The Committee learned of two
events. First, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was considering mandating that all
Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages be broadcast in both English and Spanish. Second, the
federally-funded Bay Area “Super Urban Area Safety Initiative” (SUASI) had selected a
contractor to undertake an assessment and develop a five-year strategic plan on notification of
public emergencies, with an emphasis on special needs populations.
In 2009 and 2010, The Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services reported to the PPC that little had
changed since the March 2008 report.
Referral Update:
The FCC rulemaking proceedings mentioned previously have not moved beyond the public
comment phase. They were opened for comment in March of 2014, but no further action has been
taken.
The SUASI completed a Five-Year Bay Area Emergency Public Information and Warning
Strategic Plan in 2012 that mentions the gap in capabilities in reaching populations with access
and functional needs and limited English proficiency. Unfortunately, the plan offers no solutions
to assist in solving the dilemma of alerting in multiple languages.
It is unlikely that reliable, automatic, emergency translation capabilities will become available in
the near future. This, coupled with technological difficulties in creating, delivering and
disseminating alerts in multiple languages, has caused the issue of multilingual alerting to remain,
in large part, unresolved. The Contra Costa County Community Warning System continues to
explore potential ways in which it can effectively reach non-English speaking communities during
emergencies. For example:
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We are working with Spanish-speaking Community Based Organizations (CBO) to expand
our reach to Spanish-speaking populations within our county.
1.
We have developed outreach material in Spanish, to make community members more aware
of CWS alerts.
2.
We are exploring options with our primary CWS vendor to develop static messages for
specific emergency incidents in Spanish (and other languages in the future). Determining
how to disseminate and ensure correct delivery of non-English messages continues to be a
challenge.
3.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
ACCEPT a report on the status of the Community Warning System, including the Telephone
Electronic Notification System (TENS).
Fiscal Impact (if any):
No fiscal impact.
Attachments
No file(s) attached.
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PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE 6.
Meeting Date:04/13/2015
Subject:Opportunities to Improve Coordination of Response to Disasters and Other
Public Emergencies
Submitted For: David O. Livingston, Sheriff-Coroner
Department:Office of the Sheriff
Referral No.: N/A
Referral Name: Opportunities to Improve Coordination of Response to Disasters and Other
Public Emergencies
Presenter: Bani Kollo, 925-646-4461 Contact: Bani Kollo, 925-646-4461
Referral History:
Approximately three weeks following the November 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill, the Sheriff’s Office of
Emergency Services (OES) presented to the Board of Supervisors its assessment of the emergency
response efforts, including what worked well and didn’t work well, and what lessons were learned through
those experiences. At the conclusion of the Board discussion, Supervisor Gioia introduced five
recommendations that were approved by the Board.
On February 5, 2008 the Board of Supervisors referred this matter to the PPC for continuing
development and oversight. PPC received a status report from the Office of the Sheriff and Health
Services Department in February 2009 and requested the Hazardous Materials Program Manager to
report back to the PPC on the development of mutual aid agreements from local oil refineries. Following
a second briefing to the PPC by the Office of the Sheriff, the PPC reported out to the Board of
Supervisors on May 6, 2009 with recommendations for follow-up by the Sheriff and Human Resources
departments. The Health Services Department made a report to the PPC on April 19, 2010 regarding the
resources and connections available to respond to hazardous materials emergencies and, again, on
October 18, 2010 regarding who determines which local official participates in incident command if an
event is in Contra Costa County. On December 5, 2011, Health Services reported to our Committee
regarding training and deployment of community volunteers.
In January 2008, the Board of Supervisors referred to the PPC the matter of improving public response to
emergency instructions and protocols through broader and better education, which had previously been
on referral to the IOC. The Board suggested that the PPC work with the Office of the Sheriff, the Health
Services Department, and the CAER (Community Awareness & Emergency Response) Program to
determine what educational efforts are being made and what additional efforts may be undertaken to
improve public response and safety during an emergency. In April 2011, the PPC met with CAER
(Community Awareness Emergency Response) Executive Director Tony Semenza and staff from the
Office of the Sheriff and Health Services to discuss what has been done to better inform the public and
what more can be done to improve public response to emergency warnings. CAER provided a thorough
report on its countywide community fairs, and programs targeted at the education system and
non-English speaking populations. The PPC asked CAER to provide a written outreach strategy that
describes how new homeowners are educated about emergency awareness.
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Referral Update:
Since the Cosco Busan oil spill, response coordination has improved significantly in Contra Costa. The
Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services is fully supportive and in coordination with the
Contra Costa Health Services Hazardous Materials program on ensuring local participation in the Unified
Command structure of an oil spill response. Since the Cosco Busan incident much work has gone into
ensuring local government, through the Local Government On-Scene Coordinator, will be part of the
Unified Command of any spill response. OES has actively trained and exercised this position since 2010.
This local coordination with unified command will enhance the ability of bringing local resources into a
future event much more effectively.
Contra Costa OES is also supportive of the Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) being the
lead agency responsible for managing affiliated and spontaneous volunteers who wish to assist in oil spill
cleanup. OSPR has created a set of policies and coordinated MOU’s with several dozen wildlife rescue
organizations through-out the State that train and prepare to respond to oil spill incidents.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
ACCEPT a report on the status on the coordination of response to disasters and other public
emergencies between the County, other public agencies and community groups.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
No fiscal impact.
Attachments
No file(s) attached.
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PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE 7.
Meeting Date:04/13/2015
Subject:AB109 Implementation: Review of Mentoring and Family Reunification
Allocations
Submitted For: AB109 CAB, Community Advisory Board on Public Safety Realignment
Department:County Administrator
Referral No.: N/A
Referral Name: AB109 Implementation: Review of Mentoring and Family Reunification
Allocations
Presenter: Lara DeLaney, 925-335-1097 Contact: Lara DeLaney, 925-335-1097
Referral History:
On March 6, 2015, the Community Corrections Partnership referred to its CAB a review of the
provision of mentoring and family reunification services to returning citizens. Since that time, the
CAB formed a Mentoring Services Review Committee, which met twice to discuss the issue.
Those meetings resulted in the attached report, which was forwarded to the full CAB for
discussion.
Referral Update:
On April 9, 2015, the CAB held a regular meeting and discussed the recommendations of the
Mentoring Services Review Committee. Attached is the report forwarded to he CAB for review.
Staff will present the findings of the CAB and request direction from the PPC regarding next
steps.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
ACCEPT recommendations from the Community Advisory Board (CAB) related to the provision
of mentoring and family reunification services to returning citizens.
Attachments
Mentoring Services Review Committee - Final Report
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M ENTORING S ERVICES R EVIEW C OMMITTEE
R ECOMMENDATIONS
The following report is submitted to the CAB as a summary explanation of the recommendations
of the Mentoring Services Review Committee. IF approved this report will, with any
recommended/necessary amendments be submitted to the CCP.
At the March CAB meeting Chair, Harlan Grossman, notified the board that the CCP requested a
review of the mentoring services being funded by the county.
The committee met twice: March 19, 2015 (Present: Michele Wells, Angelene Musawwir, Paul
Taylor, Frank Hancock, Harlan Grossman, Stephanie Medley, Charles Brown III, Lara Delaney,
Donte Blue) and March 27, 2015 (Present: Michele Wells, Vernon Williams, Paul Taylor (CHD)
Roosevelt Terry, Mace Thompson, Harlan Grossman, Frank Hancock (MWP), Stephanie Medley
and Charles Brown). The purpose of these two meetings was to evaluate the mentoring services
being provided AND to evaluate the administrative role of Brighter Beginnings and determine
the value of this role.
The following report consists of three (3) sections: 1) CAB Procedural Recommendations 2)
Administrative Recommendations and 3) Mentoring Services Recommendations.
Methods of Review
The committee agreed to pursue a balanced review of the initial RFP weighted against the
testimonial and experience of the three organizations in light of the administrative changes. Thus
using the following as the basis for the review:
1. The committee will evaluate the mentoring services under consideration in
keeping with the “Purpose, Services, and Outcomes” section of the original RFP.
We have chosen this approach to support the goals of the CCP established by the
Contra Costa County Reentry Strategic Plan for Public Safety Realignment. In
particular, we aim to present recommendations that, “Provide for independent
evaluations of reentry programs using, when feasible, random assignment and
controlled studies to determine effectiveness of programs and services provided.”
(“REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) #1302-005 Peer and Mentoring Services
for AB 109 Program”)
2. Additionally, the committee will also consider how the original intention of the
guidelines interact with the actual implementation of the mentoring programs and
services under review in an effort to make recommendations based upon a
balanced evaluation of the quantitative and qualitative data. To that end, our first
meeting allowed for the testimonial and an intensive Q&A session with two
representatives from two of the organizations that provide mentoring services:
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Frank Hancock (Men & Women of Purpose) and Paul Taylor (Center for Human
Development). Hearing first-hand accounts from the service providers supports
the CCP’s goal to “Use a holistic, systemic, and inclusive approach that involves
federal, state and local government stakeholders, community organizations,
advocates, the formerly incarcerated, and family and community members.” By
engaging with the service providers and considering their testimonial, the
committee acknowledges that 1) Quantitative data do not capture a holistic
perspective alone, 2) The short timeline of program implementation plays a role
in the strength of the evaluation method 3) the changes in program administration
structure have a direct impact on the organizations’ respective ability to
implement data and evaluation systems that communicate without explanation or
engagement with those capturing the data.
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CAB P ROCEDURAL R ECOMMENDATIONS
The recommendations begin by stating what CAB needs to do in order to ensure the orderly and
effective review of the mentoring services being provided in the county.
1. Testimonial at CAB Meetings & Quarterly Review of the Quarterly Reports
The committee believes that it would benefit the CAB to review the reports from the
three (3) organizations (or the relevant set of organizations being funded to conduct
services) on a regular basis. The review process was lengthy and cumbersome due to the
overwhelming task of attempting to understand what has happened since the awards were
made in 2013 while analyzing all of the changes that have taken place until now.
It is strongly recommended that CAB review mentoring services contracts quarterly and
have the services providers attend the CAB meeting to provide a quarterly report to the
administrator where they may provide a SWOT (analysis (15 minutes on the agenda) of
their current operating status provided by the administrator of the services as
representative for all three organizations.
If the CAB determines it necessary due to concerns that cannot be addressed in the
meeting, the report/issue at hand should then be sent to the Quality Assurance
Committee, Programs & Services Committee or a special ad-hoc committee (as
determined by the CAB Chair) to review the concern of the quarter or of there are no
issues with the quarterly report then we can move forward rather than allowing issues to
accumulate each quarter.
At the CAB meeting following the resolution of the issue, the committee should then
present as to how the issue was resolved. This allows CAB to be aware of the issues and
provide assistance on a consistent basis.
In pursuing this CAB can provide ongoing assistance and recommendations such that
there is a history and established relationship with the service providers that will enhance
the legitimacy and efficiency of a review of the current nature.
In our review, we were not able to spend sufficient time giving a thoroughly independent
review of the quarterly reports because much of our time was spent engaging with the
service providers. It is challenging to provide for an independent review when the
organizations have a desire to give testimony as to why and how they have come to the
place that they have in their operating status. Nonetheless, in order for the review process
to work, providers may be present but should be provided a forum to provide testimonial
style input in the actual CAB meeting setting.
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In keeping with the spirit of having organizations provide testimony at the CAB
meetings, it is recommended that the annual review process be focused on reviewing the
initial RFP to look for what transpired in each organization and what the cumulative
needs, successes and challenges were throughout the year. This would then allow those
present to, without having to make such recommendations to the organizations
representatives directly, provide an honest recommendation as to whether or not the
organizations being funded to provide said services should in fact continue doing so
under AB109 funding.
All in all, for the nature of the process we undertook this time, having the organizations
present was a great benefit as will be shown later on when the mentoring services are
discussed, because the organizations testimonial allowed the committee to dig deeper into
what is really happening through our own critical analysis and questioning of the
representatives. We received insight that we would not have otherwise gleaned. However
in the future we would like the written data and evaluation to convey the things that we
gleaned verbally through intense discussion.
This review can also be a session where CAB can look at research and findings from
other AB109 programs and services or similar programs across the nation to look for new
and innovative ways of approaching mentoring but this can only be done if the work of
reviewing the reports has been done in an orderly and timely basis up front. This would a
reflective and thoughtful review process.
2. Data & Evaluation Method
In general, information on the actual nature of the services was inconsistent and did not
provide for the analysis of data that would enable us to truly determine whether or not the
mentoring services had been implemented effectively. In particular, the front end data collection
and presentation of methods pertaining to the screening, matching and post-match monitoring
processes was unavailable. Data on the referral process was inconsistent across organizations as
discussed further, and surveys or methods of determining what the community members
impacted by the services provided were not available to determine what the actual need of those
most impacted has been. We also could not determine, from the data alone, whether or not the
referral process was more effective through community engagement or through the original
process. The process for designing the volunteer program was not available.
It is recommended that the CAB move to develop a data collection spreadsheet or other
relevant tool to track the data it will need to obtain to review the organizations’ progress
respectively against the original RFP. This can either be the work of the QAC or a return
to the Mentoring Services Review Committee. This recommendation supports the first in that
it would further streamline the CAB’s efforts to have a tool designed internally for our quarterly
and annual review process.
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A DMINISTRATIVE R ECOMMENDATIONS
The MSRC was attended by two of the three organizations provided funding under the contract
under review. The organization not in attendance at either meeting, Brighter Beginnings, was
contacted to provide testimony with respect to the committees’ questions regarding the
administrative role of Brighter Beginnings. In particular the committee asked: for 1) clarification
on the referral process 2) what does the administrator actually do? 3) and what are the number of
people served?
In response to the committee’s questions, on April 1, 2015, Michele Wells, Vernon Williams III,
Ignacio Ferrey, and Barbara McCullough met to discuss the administration role of mentoring
services under review.
The information from this meeting and the information provided from the testimonial of the
other organizations in addition to the quarterly reports, are working together to inform the
committee’s knowledge of how mentoring services are implemented. The recommendations here
address concerns related 1) the referral process for identifying those designated as AB109, 2) the
administrator role; and 3) data and evaluation.
The recommendations reflect the categories of the various roles of the mentoring services
administrator relevant to this review.
I. Oversee Incoming Referrals
Brighter Beginnings (BB) provided clarity on the referral process which has actually evolved
into two separate processes: one in which the providers receive referrals and the other involves
presentations to individuals who may potentially be designated as AB109 inside facilities. BB
explained the challenges that they have faced as a result of pursuing these two separate processes
at once while not having clarity or access to data that would direct them to those individuals who
are in fact designated as AB109.
Recommendation: Collaboration to Access Data on AB 109 Population
The service providers have relied upon a community engagement model that sees them actually
speaking to potential mentees inside facilities yet according to Brighter Beginnings many of
these individuals do not actually turn out to hold the proper designation. As it stands, they speak
to individuals in these sessions in the hopes that they will be designated as AB 109.
Waiver/Consent Form
One of the CCP’s goal in the implementation of realignment in Contra Costa County has been to
“Use a holistic, systemic, and inclusive approach that involves federal, state and local
government stakeholders, community organizations, advocates, the formerly incarcerated, and
family and community members.” In an attempt to enhance the administrative role, while
keeping the stated goals of CCP in sight, one recommendation that emerged from this meeting
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was to seek ways of enhancing the collaboration between BB and law enforcement facilities, in
particular, their data keepers.
BB noted that prohibit the sharing of data on a currently incarcerated individuals likely and
understandably to ensure that the legal protections afforded that individual are maintained.
Through our discussion it was suggested that the individual inputting data on an individual’s
designation with respect to AB109 might be asked to provide that individual with a waiver or
information consent form that would waive their right to maintain the privacy of this designation
in order that their information might be shared with service providers who have been designated
by the county to provide them with services, mentoring and otherwise. The data keeper in the
law enforcement agency would then provide the information of those who have given their
consent to be contacted to the administrator who would then contact the AB 109 designee.
Such a process would support the CCP’s goals, streamline the referral process, and, most
importantly, directly identify and impact the population in need of the services provided.
Streamlined Data Collection & Reporting
In its quarterly report (January – March 2014), the former administrator, Office of Education
(CCCOE), reported that “hiring an assistant helped principal maintain database and
communication with probation.” CCCOE also reported that “the AB 109 Peer and Mentoring
Services database was created so that individual agencies could maintain their own data. During
the Quarter 2 data and report submission, it was discovered that agencies were not consistent in
how data was input and maintained.” This finding of CCOE’s remained a central challenge
through the end of 2014 and is yet still a challenge in 2015. Identifying and understanding the
actions and progress of the three service providers in a central data system is a primary concern
of the committee.
1. Administrator Must Keep A Record of All Referrals
The administrator does not currently have accurate data or data collection methods that
would enable CAB to accurately determine how the referral process is moving.
The administrator sited changes in the communication between himself and the relevant
departments in being copied (electronically) on all communication being sent to the
service providers. Regrettably, the administrator was not proactive in ensuring being
copied on all such referrals and has only recently made efforts to collect the information.
Thus the records of the administrator are not in keeping with that of the two providers.
It seems fitting to the committee that the administrator, as given the title, should at all
times have an accurate record of what is happening with the programs being
administered. Mentoring is a people based service, based upon the mentors, mentees and,
with three organizations functioning in three separate ways, the administrator must be the
bridge between CAB and the on-the-ground operations. At the moment, this has bnot
been achieved.
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II. Track Data on Referrals
When CCCOE stepped down as administrator, BB made the transition from a Microsoft Access
based database to an Excel Spreadsheet styled database. BB cited the time and effort required to
manage Access as the reason for the shift. This shift in methods, coupled with the shift in the
manner of the receipt of referrals underscored by the administrators not being proactive in
ensuring proper documentation on referrals has resulted in improper data management resulted.
The committee recommends an evaluation of the administrator’s data management capacity
(including time and people available to conduct such duties).
III. Organize Mentor/Mentee Social Outings
As of March 2015, 1 social outing was organized and hosted for the fiscal year 2014-15.
If the goal of the mentoring services administrator is to provide for consistent meetings between
the mentor and mentees it would seem reasonable to expect the administrator to host meetings on
a monthly basis. Noting that the first meeting between mentors and mentees was scheduled for
February, as the committee understands that the grant period is July – June, we are concerned
that it was six (6) months after the grant period began that the first event was organized by
Brighter Beginnings for the fiscal year.
We recommend that the administrator be required to host monthly meetings and ensure the
consistent contact between mentors and mentees to bolster the formation of long lasting bonds.
IV. Potential Conflict of Interest
It seems reasonable to note that there may exist a potential conflict of interest. This remains to be
discussed by the committee. However it should be noted in the interest of the communities
receiving services that the administrator, while performing administrative duties in organizing
recruitment efforts inside facilities, at the same time engages in recruitment of a separate
program not considered part of the mentoring services collection of services.
It would seem reasonable that the administrator, in its execution of administrative duties, would
at all times, while performing those function be supporting the recruitment and overall success of
the programs and services it administers.
From the community’s perspective, this would tend to give the appearance of a conflict of
interest because the services provided under a separate program by the administrator could
service to compete with the mentoring service providers potential mentees/mentors thus the
administrator could concomitantly be perceived as also a service provider in the midst of
supporting the work of the other organizations.
The CAB is asked to consider and further review what its policy is regarding such potential
conflicts.
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M ENTORING S ERVICES R ECOMMENDATIONS
1. Adopt a Clear Definition of Mentoring Services
The committee accepts the following definition as presented in the original RFP:
“Mentoring” refers to a developmental relationship in which a more experienced person helps a
less experienced person develop an enhanced sense of self-worth and specific knowledge and
skills to increase their chance of successful reentry. Mentoring is a process for the informal
transmission of knowledge, social capital, and the psychosocial support perceived by the
recipient as relevant to work, career, or professional and personal development with the primary
goal of preparing an individual (pre-release) for reentry and supporting him/her during the
reentry process to enhance success. Most importantly, mentoring facilitates connections to
prosocial networks and role models within the community that can facilitate new ways of
thinking.
Mentoring involves communication, is relationship-based, and can take many forms. It may
consist of a one-to-one relationship or it can also occur in a small group setting. Mentoring also
includes support with family reunification including fostering family readiness, health,
safety, and receptivity during reentry and reintegration.
2. Support an Integrative Service Model
In their respective implementation of mentoring services, Men & Women of Purpose and Center
for Human Development have observed that mentoring services are most effective when
coupled when supportive services. A recommendation from the committee that would support
an integrated model of services would enhance the existing collaborative work already present
among these two organizations. This would also support the goals of the CCP. This would also
be supported by research specific to the implementation of mentoring programs geared towards
reentry populations:
“Mentoring alone is not enough. People newly released from prison have many
needs—including housing, health care and employment—that must be addressed very
quickly so that they do not develop into insurmountable barriers to successful reentry.
Virtually all of the participants in Ready4Work received case management and
employment services, including soft-skills training and job placement assistance. In
addition, some participants took advantage of other wraparound services, such as
GED classes or alcohol and drug counseling. The importance of such services is well
known. While dependable and supportive mentoring relationships can be a crucial
component of a reentry initiative, those relationships are a complement to—not a
substitute for—these necessary reentry services.” (“Mentoring Former Prisoners A
Guide for Reentry Programs”, Public/Private Ventures, 2009).
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3. Assist Organizations with Program Implementation & Data Collection
Frank Hancock (MWP) provided insight on his experiences providing mentoring services
to the committee. He discussed strong and high numbers of referrals under the Office of
Education’s administration that had since dropped. He requested assistance with respect
to data and evaluation capacity
a. The committee noted positive outcomes on the training and curriculum
provided by MWP. The committee was however concerned about missing data
with respect to Screening Potential Mentors & Matching Mentors to
Mentees The committee evaluated the reports to determine whether or not the
organizations “Conducted reasonably intensive screening of potential mentors”
and found that too little review, data or information is provided with respect to
the 1) Screening Process and 2) Match Process had been included. This will be
discussed in detail in relationship to the quarterly reports in the next meeting.
b. The committee also inquired about specific data pertaining to the
mentor/mentee relationships: how many mentors currently on
staff/volunteering? What is the mentor/mentee ratio? Who is paired with
whom? Where is the documentation of a proven ongoing relationship? What is
the process for goal setting/attaining? Is there a limit to the number of
mentees? What is working? What has been the outcome overall?
These questions were not answered at the time of inquiry but were noted by
Mr. Hancock who was eager to provide responses in subsequent meetings
which the committee will follow up on before giving a final report.
c. The committee was also concerned that the data did not demonstrate that
potential mentees were asked for regular input/feedback. Questions were:
What do potential mentees need in a mentor?
The committee recommends that the organizations be provided with assistance in data
collection, tracking and data keeping methods that are most suitable to the nature of the
work that they do and would be best implemented with ease.
4. Assist Organizations with Developing Volunteer Selection & Training
Paul Taylor, CHD, provided insight into the challenges of implementing a strict one-on-
one mentoring program. He noted 1) an initial difficulty with obtaining and retaining
volunteers which has since been addressed; 2) challenges with staff/organization; and, 3)
a strong desire to collaborate with MWP to provide family reunification services to
bolster the one-on-one support.
The committee understands that Mr. Taylor views the current services provided as having
departed from the strict/traditional societal view of one on one mentoring but accepts that
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they serve the needs of the community and the CCP’s goals and values in a more
expanded view of what mentoring is and should be in the county.
We believe the CAB can assist by providing organizations with information and proper support
in their development of volunteers in order to ensure the efficiency of the programs being
funded. This could be accomplished in many ways perhaps by engaging Americorps VISTA,
Volunteers of America, or local agencies and bodies that have successfully implemented mentor
training programs with the reentry population.
C ONCLUSION
There is still more work to be done. More analysis is needed to understand what the population
targeted actually needs in order to be successfully and consistently mentored. Not to mention that
mentoring is one facet of a much larger web of challenges: housing, employment, mental health
etc. We hope this report is understood with a spirit of collaboration and a strong desire to
improve ourselves even as we work to understand and try to assist others with improving their
organizational processes.
It goes without saying but deserves to be said that the organizations are all working hard to serve
this population to the best of their ability. From the conversation and testimonials we saw
organizations that cared deeply and wanted to partner with the CAB to make the county services
better. We share the same goals and together we can achieve them.
These are the recommendations of the Mentoring Services Review Committee as submitted to
CAB on April 9, 2015.
Michele Wells
MSRC Chair
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PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE 8.
Meeting Date:04/13/2015
Subject:AB 109 Implementation: Contract Service Delivery
Submitted For: David Twa, County Administrator
Department:County Administrator
Referral No.: N/A
Referral Name: AB 109 Implementation: Contract Service Delivery
Presenter: Lara DeLaney, 925-335-1097 Contact: Lara DeLaney, 925-335-1097
Referral History:
In response to the PPC directive to expand services funded by AB 109 revenue to the County’s
non-AB 109 population, a collaborative workgroup was convened by the Quality Assurance
Committee of the Community Corrections Partnership. The workgroup set out to develop
recommendations for how this expansion could be implemented in the contracts administered by
the CAO in a way that would maintain prioritization of the AB 109 population and ensure
distinctive data was collected from all clients served.
Referral Update:
To accomplish these goals, the workgroup met a total of six times throughout March 2015 and
now presents the attached recommendations for consideration and approval by the PPC.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
1. ACCEPT the Report and recommendations therein;
2. DETERMINE whether the eligible population would include Parolees or not OR phased in
later;
3. DIRECT the County Administrator's Office to develop contracts that make service expansion
optional for contractors, is guided by the population prioritization outlined in the
recommendations, and the period for determining available capacity negotiated between CAO and
contractor.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
No fiscal impact.
Attachments
Summary of Recommendations
Expansion of AB 109 Funded Services - Final Report
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
In response to the PPC directive to expand services funded by AB 109 revenue to the County’s non-AB 109
population, a collaborative workgroup was convened by the Quality Assurance Committee of the Community
Corrections Partnership. The workgroup set out to develop recommendations for how this expansion could be
implemented in the contracts administered by the CAO in a way that would maintain prioritization of the AB 109
population and ensure distinctive data was collected from all clients served. To accomplish these goals, the
workgroup met a total of six times throughout the March 2015 and now presents this set of recommendations to the
PPC.
1. Adopt the workgroup’s framework to provide service providers the option to use their “available
capacity” to provides services to the non-AB 109 population
An organization will have available capacity when it enrolls less than the contracted maximum ceiling of AB 109
clients during an established period of time. This available capacity may then be used to serve non-AB 109 clients in
the following period. For example, if a provider is contracted to provide services to a maximum of 120 clients for the
current year, this could be interpreted as a maximum ceiling of 10 clients for any one month period. If only eight
clients were enrolled for services this month, the provider would then be able to enroll two non-AB 109 clients in
services next month. To protect service providers from becoming overburdened by referrals in any one period,
service providers should be given the option to stop providing services to the non-AB 109 population at any time.
2. Give the CAO discretion to determine the appropriate period to determine available capacity for the
service providers
While shorter periods may allow service providers to react more quickly to changes in demands for their services,
longer periods are more likely to reduce the strain on limited administrative resources. Having flexibility to negotiate
the proper period will also allow for the use of technology to possibly assist in the service expansion process, or to
pursue different implementation approaches that match the varied capacities and services of the providers.
3. Adopt the workgroup’s list of priority status groups
The workgroup used the following priority status groups to guide the development of these recommendations.
Furthermore, the workgroup agreed that the qualifying incident for each priority status group should be related to a
felony offense, and that priority status group 8 should not be eligible for services through AB 109 revenue, but
inclusion of this group on this list could prove useful should the list be adopted for other purposes in the future.
Priority Status Groups
1. AB 109 Sentence
2. Formal Felony Probation
3. Released from a Correctional Facility in the Past Three Years
4. Pretrial
5. Informal Felony Probation
6. Specialty Courts
7. Parole
8. None of the Above, and Beyond Three Years Since Incarceration Release
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4. Give direction to the CAO on how service expansion should be implemented using the priority
status groups
Some members of the workgroup believed that each organization should be able to use its available capacity to
provide services to everyone who belonged to priority status groups 2-7. Other members of the workgroup, however,
expressed concern with using local revenue to fund services for individuals on state supervised parole. These
members also felt that service expansion should either be limited to the highest level priority status groups, or phased
into these higher groups first and only expanded to further groups if service providers were still reporting available
capacity.
5. Require all contracted service providers to use ServicePoint to track client enrolment/exit data, and
other information that will be required to be reported
Most service providers are already using ServicePoint to track data that is reported for the AB 109 population.
ServicePoint should used by all contracted service providers to track information for every clients enrolled in services
supported by AB 109 revenue. This data system should also be set up to indicate if each non-AB 109 client’s
identity, residency, and priority status have been verified, and track the referral of non-AB 109 clients between
service providers on the system.
6. Require an eligibility process that includes minimum standards for the verification of each client’s
identity, residency, and priority status group
Because the non-AB 109 population is unlikely to have the single referral source of Probation, service providers
should be required to perfume due diligence in their attempts to verify each enrolled client’s identity and eligibility for
services. To be eligible for services, each client should be a resident of Contra Costa County, and belong to a
specified priority status group. Verification of a client’s identity should require one government issued photo ID which
may also verify the residency status if it includes a local address. In the alternate, any other government issued
document and second document with the person’s name will verify their identity, and residency will be verified if
either of these includes a local address. For those that are homeless or staying with others, a letter from the housing
provider or an affirmed statement of residency may be used to verify residency. Priority status should be verified by
presentation of any government issued document.
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Expansion of AB 109 Funded Services
Introduction
The following proposal is in response to the January 26, 2015 directive from the Public Protection Committee
(PCC) of the Board of Supervisors to the County Administrator’s Office (CAO) to amend AB 109 contracts with
community based service providers to allow them to use available program capacity in contracted services for
non-AB 109 residents of Contra Costa. The directive included an assurance that the use of AB 109 revenue
would be prioritized for the AB 109 population and that data would be collected from the service providers to
clearly show the AB 109 status of anyone receiving services and the outcome of the services provided.
To make the necessary changes as quickly as possible, in February 2015 the Quality Assurance Committee of the
Community Corrections Partnership convened a collaborative working group on this issue that included
representatives of the County and its partner CBO’s. The workgroup convened in early March 2015 and included
representatives from Probation (Todd Billeci), the CAO (Lara DeLaney), Behavioral Health (David Seidner), the
Network System of Services Management Team (Kathy Narasaki), West County Reentry Resource Center
(Jennifer Costa), Center for Human Development (Paul Taylor), Reach Fellowship International (Dr. Edwina
Perez-Santiago), Rubicon Programs (Rhody McCoy), and Bay Area Legal Aid (Adam Poe). After the workgroup’s
first meeting, the CAO provided the PPC with a progress report. Included in this report was the workgroup’s
recommendation that amendments for service expansion were best implemented through inclusion in the FY
2015-2016 service provider contracts. With PPC support of this course of action, the workgroup continued to
meet throughout the month of March for a total of six meetings; each 60 – 90 minutes in length.
This proposal for the expansion of AB 109 services is now presented for consideration by the PPC. In developing
these recommendations, the workgroup was guided by a belief that a primary intent of AB 109 generally was to
support local data-driven justice reinvestment strategies that seek to improve public safety by pursuing
reductions in recidivism.1 What is also important to note is that this expansion of services is only being
considered for organizations that have contracted with the County to provide services to the AB 109 population
which are administered by the CAO. This will not have an impact on services such as drug treatment and mental
health services, that might include contracts administered by various other County agencies. These
recommendations may, however, serve as a template for similar service expansion by these departments in the
future.
Available Capacity
Contractual deliverables for each service provider are as different as the services each organization provides
(employment services, housing, mentoring, documentation support, leadership/entrepreneurial training,
specialized employment training, and family reunification services). Nonetheless, each contract includes a
description of the maximum number of clients to be served in one year under the terms of their contract. This
ceiling is seen as the maximum program capacity of the service provider. When an organization has provided
services to all of the suitable AB 109 clients that have been referred to them for a particularly period of time,
1 See Cal. Pen. Code § 17.5.
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and has still not reached their numerical ceiling, this organization will be understood to have available capacity
in their program. It is this available capacity that will be used to provide services to the non-AB 109 population.
In coming to this conclusion, the workgroup understood that some AB 109 clients were not suitable for services
due to untreated mental health or substance abuse issues. It is expected that available capacity will be used to
provide services to the non-AB 109 population similarly suitable for services.
To operationalize this concept of available capacity, the number of clients to be served in a year should be
divided into shorter periods of service delivery. For example, if a service provider is contracted to provide
services to 120 clients in a year, this can be seen as a maximum ceiling of 10 clients per one month period or 30
clients in any given quarter-year period. When the number of AB 109 clients enrolled by a service provider in
any period is less than the ceiling established for the period, this shortfall may then be used by the service
provider to provide services to the non-AB 109 population in the period that follows. Continuing the example
from above, if only 25 clients are enrolled by a service provider in the first quarter of the contract, then the 5
clients worth of available program capacity may be used by the service provider to provide services to the non-
AB 109 population during the second quarter. Where a service provider uses more than their maximum
capacity in a period, this over-capacity should rollover in the same way and reduce maximum capacity in the
next period to ensure services continue to be prioritized for the AB 109 population.
For this to work effectively, the language in the contract should be clear that service expansion to the non-AB
109 population is optional for service providers. One concern raised by the workgroup is when an organization
has a period of low enrollment followed by one of maximum demand the organization may be asked to provide
services to 150% or more of their maximum ceiling in a period. This capacity overload could reduce the quality
of services being provided. With the program being optional, however, a service provider will have the
discretion to only roll-over the available capacity from a previous period that their organization can effectively
manage.
Finally, in designing the contractual language around capacity, the CAO should be given the discretion to
determine how long the period determining available capacity should be.2 Although a shorter period will allow
service providers to react more quickly to changes in the demand for their services, longer periods will also
reduce the strain on limited administrative resources. The use of ServicePoint by all contracted service
providers may provide an ability to use technology to provide real time reporting on the available capacity of
each organization. In any event, available capacity should at least be determined and reported on a quarterly
basis.
The Non-AB 109 Population
An individual is considered part of the AB 109 population if s/he is currently serving a jail sentence in Contra
Costa County under the sentencing laws created by AB 109 or for the violation of parole,3 under supervision by
Probation following a “mandatory sentence” in the county jail under Penal Code § 1170(h), or under Probation
2 The CAO should also be given discretion to determine if a mechanism should be created that will allow for services to be
provided to the non-AB 109 population in the first determination period.
3 A person in the County Jail will not be determined to be AB 109 until after sentencing has occurred. If the sentence is one
created by AB 109, then the person will be considered part of the AB 109 population until the entire sentence (including
post release supervision) is completed or terminated.
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supervision after being released from prison on Post Release Community Supervision. Everyone else would be
part of the non-AB 109 population.
Prioritization
To ensure that all those classified as AB 109 have access to the services paid for by AB 109 revenue, it is
recommended that the County utilize the following hierarchy of reentry populations within Contra Costa. In
developing this list of priority status groups, special attention was paid to each population’s inclusion in
recidivism calculations, the ease at which each group could be referred to services, and the jurisdiction of the
supervision agency. Given the limited resources currently available for reentry services, this list only considers
adults whose qualifying event was being charged with or convicted of a felony offense.
Priority Status Groups
1. AB 109 Sentence
2. Formal Felony Probation
3. Released from a Correctional Facility in the Past Three Years4
4. Pretrial5
5. Informal Felony Probation
6. Specialty Courts
7. Parole
8. None of the Above, and Beyond Three Years Since Incarceration Release
How to Prioritize
After careful deliberation, the workgroup agreed that priority status 8 should not be included in the expansion
of services due to its large size and inability to directly impact the County’s recidivism metrics. While concerns
were raised with using local County revenue to provide services to individuals being supervised by the State’s
parole agency, due to the current lack of services available to this population in Contra Costa County, some
members of the workgroup expressed grave concerns about completely excluding this group from
consideration. Workgroup members that wanted to include individuals on parole in this service expansion effort
also believed that available capacity should be available to everyone who fit into any of the priority status
groups 2 – 7.
The members of the workgroup who were concerned about the use of local AB 109 revenue for individuals on
state supervised parole felt limiting service expansion to just a few of the higher priority groups would
accomplish the goals of utilizing the available capacity of service providers while targeting populations most
likely to reduce recidivism rates of the County’s local justice system . In the alternate, it was also suggested that
service expansion be phased in beginning with these higher priority status groups and only expanded further if
4 Because jail time should be substantial enough to cause a serious life disruption, the time of incarceration should be at
least 30 days. Also, this priority status group was used to be consistent with the State’s recidivism definition.
5 This specifically refers to individuals that have been released pending trial through the Pretrial Services Pilot program tha t
is currently funded by AB 109 revenue. There are pre-conviction and post-conviction populations currently in the jails that
could be included on this list, but currently any services provided in the jails that are funded by AB 109 revenue allocated to
the Sheriff are available to everyone. Upon release from jail these individuals will fall into one of the other enumerated
categories, and become eligible for services at that time.
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service providers continued to report available capacity. The PPC should give direction to the CAO on which of
these approaches to implementation is preferred.
Risk and Needs Assessments
While a risk and needs assessment is usually helpful in determining the likelihood of an individual to recidivate,
they also tend to help obtain maximum value from scarce resources. While they are often an ideal way to
prioritize service delivery within populations, it isn’t clear if that is true here because the services being provided
through these contracts do not provide the high dosage of cognitive behavioral interventions that are normally
associated with recidivism risk reduction among the higher risk populations. For instance, those considered high
risk have been found to require 150-200 hours of cognitive based therapy to effectively reduce their recidivism
risk.
While risk and needs assessments may not be used to prioritize populations with the services now being
provided, the results of such an assessment should add value to the reentry system generally. Specifically, when
an individual enters the system through a service provider, the information provided by a standard assessment
can be useful in supporting the case management functions that will be provided by the Network System of
Services and the Reentry Resource Center. Because of this inherent value, there might be a need to explore
future adoption of a risk needs assessment that can be adopted for use throughout the County’s reentry
system.6 While Probation is willing to provide information from the risk and needs assessment they conduct,
this information would not be available for those who were not being formally supervised by the department.
Data Management & Record Keeping
Currently Probation acts as the hub of referrals for the AB 109 population. Referral authority has been
centralized with this department because in addition to being the only agency performing risk and needs
assessments, Probation uses a Microsoft Access database for its AB 109 unit that allows the department to
accurately track referrals made to the various service providers. Because there is very limited use of this
database by other populations supervised by Probation, a new system will need to be relied upon to track
services being provided to any non-AB 109 population. Because the County has already been in the process of
rolling out ServicePoint to its AB 109 contracted service providers, ServicePoint should also be used to record
and report all required data for the services provided to both AB 109 and non-AB 109 populations.
ServicePoint
All contracted service providers should be required to use ServicePoint to track client enrollment and exit data
and specific information they will be expected to report that is related to the service being provided. This
required reporting information should be, or continue to be, included in any future AB 109 service provider
contracts for ease of reference and subject to change. To ensure consistent and accurate reporting, use of
ServicePoint should be required to track data for all clients served regardless of their AB 109 status. In support
of this, the County has made strides to ensure all contracted service providers are able to use ServicePoint by
the start of the 2015-16 fiscal year. These efforts have included preliminary work to ensure ServicePoint will be
6 Currently the only risk and needs assessment being performed in the County is the Correctional Assessment and
Intervention System (CAIS). This is done by Probation on just about everyone who is formally being supervised by the
department to help tailor Probation’s supervision strategy to each client.
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able to track a person’s AB 109 status, the services provided to them, and the available capacity of all contracted
service providers.
Additionally, ServicePoint should be set up to indicate whether each non-AB 109 client’s priority status, identity,
and residency status have been verified. The system should also provide service providers with information
about available capacity, as well as the ability to indicate they are not accepting new non-AB 109 referrals. This
will allow service providers the ability to protect the quality of services being provided during periods where
their services are in high demand. Finally, protocols will need to be developed so service providers can use
ServicePoint to refer non-AB 109 clients to other service providers with available capacity. For the non-AB 109
clients served, it will also be important to record the source of the referral.
Eligibility Determination
With services being expanded to the non-AB 109 population, there will be a need to verify a person’s eligibility
for services. Where the person walks into an organization, there could be difficulty establishing whether the
person fits within one of the priority groups, confirming the person is a resident of Contra Costa County, or that
the person is who they say they are. All three of these data points should be prerequisites to a service provider
providing services to a non-AB 109 client. Understanding that it could be difficult for this population to
document their eligibility for services, service providers should be required to record and report what was used
to verify a client’s eligibility, and what eligibility criteria the service provider was unable to verify despite their
due diligence.
The following mechanisms are recommended as standards for due diligence of service providers attempting to
verify a non-AB 109 clients eligibility. Government issued photo identification should be considered sufficient to
verify both a person’s identity and residency. Identity can also be documented by presentation of a government
issued document (social security card, birth certificate, etc.) with the person’s name along with a second
document with their name issued by a government or non-government organization. If the person’s address is
listed on one of the two documents, then residency can also be established through this method.7 For those
who are living in shelter or some other temporary living arrangement within the County, a letter from the
person or agency providing the housing will suffice to verify a person’s residency. In looking at the priority
groups, it is likely a straightforward countywide verification protocol can be established for most of the
categories.8 A government issued document (rap sheet, jail or prison release papers, minute order, etc.) may
also be used to establish a person’s priority status. If a service provider isn’t able to verify the priority status,
identity, or residency of a person, they must then have the person sign an affirmed statement attesting to the
truth of all unverified eligibility criteria before enrolling the person in any services.9
7 To establish residency in this way, the document with the person’s name and address should not be expired or more than
six months old.
8 This will likely consist of establishing a contact person within each public agency that can verify a person’s status. For
instance, a representative of Probation, the Court, or Parole can verify a person’s current involvement with a particular
agency or program. This can be done by phone, fax, email, or some other easily established method.
9 The CAO might want to ensure the contract with the service provider includes a promise to immediately stop providing
services to any client they believe has falsified any unverified information.
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PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE 9.
Meeting Date:04/13/2015
Subject:APPOINTMENT TO THE COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION SEAT
ON THE CY2015 COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PARTNERSHIP
Submitted For: PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE,
Department:County Administrator
Referral No.: N/A
Referral Name: APPOINTMENT TO THE COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION SEAT
ON THE CY2015 COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PARTNERSHIP
Presenter: Timothy Ewell, (925) 335-1036 Contact: Timothy Ewell, (925) 335-1036
Referral History:
↵The California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 109 (Chapter 15, Statutes of 2011), which
transferred responsibility for supervising certain lower-level inmates and parolees from the
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to counties. Assembly Bill 109
(AB109) took effect on October 1, 2011 and realigned three major areas of the criminal justice
system. On a prospective basis, the legislation:
• Transferred the location of incarceration for lower-level offenders (specified nonviolent,
non-serious, non-sex offenders) from state prison to local county jail and provides for an
expanded role for post-release supervision for these offenders;
• Transferred responsibility for post-release supervision of lower-level offenders (those released
from prison after having served a sentence for a non-violent, non-serious, and non-sex offense)
from the state to the county level by creating a new category of supervision called Post-Release
Community Supervision (PRCS);
• Transferred the custody responsibility for parole and PRCS revocations to local jail,
administered by county sheriffs
AB109 also created an Executive Committee of the local Community Corrections Partnership
(CCP) and tasked it with recommending a Realignment Plan (Plan) to the county Board of
Supervisors for implementation of the criminal justice realignment. The Community Corrections
Partnership is identified in statute as the following:
Community Corrections Partnership
Chief Probation Officer (Chair)1.
Presiding Judge (or designee)2.
County supervisor, CAO, or a designee of the BOS3.
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District Attorney4.
Public Defender5.
Sheriff6.
Chief of Police7.
Head of the County department of social services8.
Head of the County department of mental health9.
Head of the County department of employment10.
Head of the County alcohol and substance abuse programs11.
Head of the County Office of Education12.
CBO representative with experience in rehabilitative services for criminal offenders13.
Victims’ representative14.
Later in 2011, the Governor signed Assembly Bill 117 (Chapter 39, Statutes of 2011), which
served as “clean up” legislation to AB109. Assembly Bill 117 (AB117) changed, among other
things, the composition of the local CCP-Executive Committee. The CCP-Executive Committee
is currently identified in statute as the following:
Community Corrections Partnership-Executive Committee
Chief Probation Officer (Chair)1.
Presiding Judge (or designee)2.
District Attorney3.
Public Defender4.
Sheriff5.
A Chief of Police6.
The head of either the County department of social services, mental health, or alcohol and
drug services (as designated by the board of supervisors)
7.
Although AB109 and AB117 collectively place the majority of initial planning activities for
Realignment on the local CCP, it is important to note that neither piece of legislation cedes
powers vested in a county Board of Supervisors’ oversight of and purview over how AB109
funding is spent. Once the Plan is adopted, the Board of Supervisors may choose to implement
that Plan in any manner it may wish.
Referral Update:
At the November 2014 PPC meeting, the Committee made nominations for membership to the
2015 CCP and CCP-Executive Committees to the Board of Supervisors with the exception of the
Community Based Organization (CBO) seat. For that seat, the Committee directed staff to
forward a nomination, to be determined by Supervisor Glover's office, to the CCP Community
Advisory Board (CAB) for review and return to the Committee for final approval.
On February 23, 2015, District V staff forwarded a nomination of Mr. Roosevelt Terry for the
CBO seat to Committee staff. Subsequently, Committee staff forwarded the nomination to the
CAB for discussion at a future meeting. On March 12, 2015, the CAB met and discussed Mr.
Terry's nomination - Mr. Terry was present for the discussion and answered questions of the CAB.
The CAB requested that Mr. Terry engage in and support the work of the CAB, which Mr. Terry
agreed to.
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Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
RECOMMEND Mr. Roosevelt Terry for appointment to the Community Based Organization seat
on the CY 2015 Community Corrections Partnership.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
No fiscal impact.
Attachments
CSAC Informational Letter
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MEMORANDUM
July 12, 2011
To: Members, Board of Supervisors
County Administrative Officers
From: Paul McIntosh
Executive Director
Re: AB 117 and the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP)
There continues to be a great deal of confusion and misunderstanding regarding
the changes in the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) encompassed in
Assembly Bill 117 (Chapter 39, Statutes of 2011), passed as part of the 2011-12
budget. AB 117 did not change the make-up of the CCP, first formed in SB 678
in 2009, but does provide for revisions to the makeup of the CCP’s Executive
Committee, which originally was established in AB 109 (Chapter 15, Statutes of
2011).
The fourteen-member CCP in each county remains essentially unchanged and is
comprised of the following (Penal Code Section 1230.1):
Chief Probation Officer (Chair)
Presiding Judge (or designee)
County supervisor, CAO, or a designee of the BOS
District Attorney
Public Defender
Sheriff
Chief of Police
Head of the County department of social services
Head of the County department of mental health
Head of the County department of employment
Head of the County alcohol and substance abuse programs
Head of the County Office of Education
CBO representative with experience in rehabilitative services for criminal
offenders
Victims’ representative
AB 117 requires the CCP to prepare an implementation plan that will enable the
county to meet the goals of the public safety realignment. AB 117 is silent as to
what those goals may be and provides counties with flexibility in how to address
realignment. AB 117 does not abdicate the board of supervisor’s authority over
appropriations and does not enable the CCP to direct how realignment funds will
be spent.
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The seven-member CCP Executive Committee, as provided in AB 117, is
comprised of the following:
Chief Probation Officer (Chair)
Presiding Judge (or designee)
District Attorney
Public Defender
Sheriff
A Chief of Police
The head of either the County department of social services, mental health, or
alcohol and drug services (as designated by the board of supervisors)
Under AB 117, the CCP would develop an implementation plan and the
Executive Committee would vote to approve the plan and submit it to the board
of supervisors. The plan would be deemed accepted unless the board of
supervisors voted via a 4/5 vote to reject the plan and send it back to the CCP.
Concerns have been raised regarding why the CAO or board member is not part
of the Executive Committee and why a 4/5 vote is required to reject the plan.
CSAC’s role in the drafting of this component of AB 117 was as one of several
stakeholders involved in the public safety realignment. While most of the county
stakeholders maintained general agreement on realignment issues during each
phase of negotiations in general, there were disparate opinions in how the
planning process should unfold. CSAC felt strongly that the only way
realignment will be successful is if the planning effort results in a significant shift
away from a predominantly incarceration model and movement to alternatives to
incarceration. Therefore, it was critical that the planning process be structured to
encourage compromise in the CCP to reach the goals of the community in a
manner acceptable to the board of supervisors.
The CAO, as you know, must be in a position to remain objective and provide the
board of supervisors with unvarnished recommendations on matters that come
before them. Having the CAO or a board member as part of the Executive
Committee, and therefore casting a vote on the plan to be presented to the board
of supervisors, would represent a conflict of interest to the CAO or board member
and place them in a position that could compromise their independence. Rather,
this approach seemed to capture the best of both worlds – the CAO is part of the
planning process and can bring that global vision to that process but is also free
to make contrary recommendations to the board of supervisors should they
disagree with the ultimate plan adopted. Likewise with a member of the board of
supervisors being part of the executive committee.
Some have commented that the 4/5 vote requirement to reject the plan submitted
by the CCP limits local flexibility and discretion of the board of supervisors.
While the dynamics of the planning process will differ from county to county, the
goal was to force consensus within the CCP and the planning process and not
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provide an avenue for a participant to try to push their opinion outside of the CCP
with the board of supervisors. A super majority makes an “end run” difficult, but
still enables the board to reject the plan if the board disagrees with it. A 4/5 vote
requirement is not unusual, but does place a higher level of focus on the planning
process. It should be noted, as well, that counsel has opined that meetings of
the CCP and the Executive Committee will be subject to the Brown Act and all
discussions will be required to be conducted in a public meeting.
AB 117 is not a perfect solution but it represents a negotiated agreement that will
enable California’s counties to move forward with the dramatic changes
necessary to make realignment successful. Clearly the successful
implementation of realignment will require a significant paradigm shift in our
public safety communities. The successful model will not be an incarceration
model, but one that seeks to divert and rehabilitate citizens, returning them to be
productive members of our community. Hopefully, the construct of the CCP –
that is intended to drive the local public safety community to a consensus about a
“different way of doing business” - will ultimately lead to that approach.
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