County partners with City of San Bernardino to enhance emergency services

The County of San Bernardino will provide emergency management services to the City of San Bernardino under a new agreement passed by the Board on Tuesday.
“The main goal of this partnership is improving public safety. We want all of our 24 cities and towns prepared and ready to respond to any type of disaster so that residents can get the help they need, when they need it most,” said Michael Antonucci, Emergency Services Manager for the County of San Bernardino.
“Not only will this improve current operations, this agreement will also allow the city to qualify for future grant funding for additional emergency management services.”
The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Office of Emergency Services will deliver the contracted assistance. The County will also advise the city in developing a Hazard Mitigation Plan, which will help organize resources, assess risks, and create an emergency management strategy.
“This partnership demonstrates the public benefit that can come from close collaboration between local governments. If we share the same residents, we can share the same goals. Let’s also share the solutions,” said Supervisor Josie Gonzales. The agreement begins this year on Feb. 1 and extends to Jan. 31, 2017 at no net cost to the County. The city has also agreed to give County Fire their future annual Emergency Management Performance Grant funding within the period of the contract.
City of San Bernardino Fire and Police Departments released a joint statement, “Emergency management is a top priority in the City of San Bernardino. We are pleased to help better serve our residents with the support of the County, and look forward to future cooperative opportunities that benefit our shared community.”