San Bernardino County and all of California live under the constant threat of a violent and devastating earthquake. That’s why the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a proclamation urging all county residents and businesses to be earthquake-ready and participate in the Great ShakeOut exercise at 10:19 a.m. on Oct. 19.
The Board also invited the County Office of Emergency Services (OES) to the Board meeting to explain how participating in the exercise will help OES and the community become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.
“We have more than 683,000 registered participants who will participate in the exercise,” said County Emergency Services Officer Robert Gonzales. “With this information, we will test our ability to create timely reports and accurate initial status reports using information submitted to our Web EOC system. At the conclusion of the exercise, we will collect results and make any changes necessary to better prepare for the next disaster.”
More information on the ShakeOut and how to register can be found at www.shakeout.org/california.
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Homelessness remains an ongoing challenge in San Bernardino and throughout California. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took several significant steps to address the issue.
The Board committed $3 million to the City of San Bernardino and $5 million to Water of Life Community Church in Fontana to develop projects to assist homeless residents in their respective communities. The funding comes from the $15 million San Bernardino County Housing Development Grant Fund created by the Board of Supervisors in March.
Water of Life plans to develop the CityLink Campus, a multi-use community homeless support outreach center and supportive housing site. The City of San Bernardino plans to develop the San Bernardino HOPE Campus, a low-barrier homeless navigation center with 224 interim housing units and onsite supportive services.
“The City of San Bernardino has committed $18 million to this project,” Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., said of the HOPE Campus. “This shows our partnership in good faith. The City of San Bernardino has the largest number of homeless in the county. We know it’s just the beginning. We have a lot of work to do.”
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday also established a Homelessness Ad Hoc Committee consisting of Baca and Fourth District Supervisor Curt Hagman to work with county staff to investigate the root causes of homelessness specific to San Bernardino County and present its findings, as well as policy recommendations, to the Board of Supervisors.
“One of the things coming from that will be recommendations to the Board for a policy regarding how we work with our community partners and cities to distribute dollars,” Hagman said.
The Board on Tuesday also approved a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Inland Empire Health Plan in which the Sheriff will refer potential IEHP members who are homeless to IEHP’s Housing Team. Those found to be eligible for Housing Care Management will receive housing assistance through an IEHP-contracted vendor, which may include finding a more permanent housing solution, coordinating move-in with a landlord and providing additional resources.
Board of Supervisors Chair and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe commended the Sheriff for its efforts to “bring this first-of-its-kind MOU to our county.”
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Two new aerial drones will soon be joining the fight to keep San Bernardino County residents safe from wildfire, thanks to action taken on Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors. It’s the latest effort by the supervisors to apply the latest technologies to improve public service and safety.
The Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to accept $110,000 from the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) to fund the purchase of two unmanned aircraft/drones and supporting equipment by the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District.
The drones will provide livestreaming, planning, documentation, mapping and modeling. The information gathered will provide for better planning, provide public and responder information, and operational coordination. This information will also assist law, fire, and rescue missions before, during, and after emergencies to search, screen and detect potential or ongoing threats.
The UASI is a component of the Homeland Security Grant Program, which provides financial assistance to address the unique multi-discipline planning, organization, equipment and training needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas. Grantees must use UASI funds to employ regional approaches to overall preparedness and are encouraged to adopt regional response structures whenever appropriate.
The county’s drones will be procured from the Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved vendor/drone list, manufactured in the United States, and be interoperable with other FEMA-approved equipment.
Additional County Update News – October 6, 2023
- Supervisors boost sustainable infrastructure by adding new EV charging stations
- Board of Supervisors spotlights award-winning public service
- Procurement veteran Pete Mendoza selected to lead County Purchasing
- Tropical Storm Hilary victims eligible for tax relief, loans
- Redlands and Yucaipa under fruit fly quarantine
- Museum returns archaeological objects to Mexico
- Animal Care relocates administrative office
- Reduced adoption fees make finding your furry friend easier than ever
- Subaru Loves Pets campaign returns this October
- Pet of the Week: Joe Montana
- Protect yourself from COVID-19, flu and RSV
- Things to do in San Bernardino County