San Bernardino County hires new emergency services director

As the new Office of Emergency Services (OES) director, Crisanta Gonzalez will play a critical role in strengthening the county’s emergency preparedness, response and recovery capabilities to ensure the protection of life and property before, during and after natural disasters.

Gonzalez, who earned her bachelor’s degree in business and master’s degree in emergency management, said she was drawn to the position because it’s an opportunity to do what she loves close to home.

“I feel a strong need to be of service to my community and love to bring people together to help organize solutions,” Gonzalez said. “I have been doing that all of my life for my family and friends, which has prepared me for this field because being an emergency manager utilizes the same principles, but on a larger scale. It is rewarding to be a part of a team that helps residents prepare for any disaster, and to be there as a county family during their darkest hour to bring them hope.”

Throughout her career, Gonzalez has demonstrated effective leadership in working with various teams to ensure a successful and coordinated response to natural disasters and other types of emergencies. During her tenure as a manager with the California Department of Water Resources, she was assigned to the Flood Operations Center, where one of her priorities was the fleet program including the emergency response vehicles and she was a member of Incident Command Team 5, which focused on strategic planning, logistics and management of large-scale incidents.

She most recently worked at the City of Los Angeles as a division chief in the Emergency Management Department, where she spearheaded the creation of Ready Your LA Neighborhood (RYLAN), a disaster preparedness program offering tools and resources to help neighbors come together to create a plan for any type of emergency.

“Crisanta comes to us with more than a decade of experience in emergency management and community preparedness,” said Board of Supervisors Chair and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “She also has experience in revolutionizing services and enlivening emergency operations plans for large-scale disasters. I am confident in her ability to take OES to a new level.”

As a part of her new role, Gonzalez has been tasked with providing strategic direction that enables the county to respond to, recover from and mitigate natural disasters and other emergencies; coordinating with San Bernardino County Fire, the Sheriff’s Department, Department of Public Works and other key internal and external stakeholders to ensure the county responds swiftly and effectively to disasters; and making certain the county’s emergency operating plans are updated and in compliance.

“My priorities are families and communities,” Gonzalez shared. “Whether that is our children, parents, pets or neighbors, we all want the same thing, to be prepared for any emergency. OES with our county partners are all part of a holistic community approach to emergency management. By supporting the hard work of DPW (Department of Public Works), the Sheriff’s Department and County Fire before, during and after any emergency, we ensure that every family and community has the resources and tools they need to be prepared.”

As a seasoned emergency management professional, Gonzalez has received various accolades from neighborhood groups, elected officials and partner agencies for her community engagement and disaster preparedness efforts.

One of her key accomplishments was creating Camp ReadyLA for Los Angeles city youth to attend a seven-day camp at the city’s Emergency Operations Center where they were introduced to careers in emergency management. The program included high-profile speakers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), L.A. City Fire, L.A. City Police Department, L.A. City Mayor’s Office, and the Emergency Management Department. The camp resulted in an internship for one outstanding attendee.

She has also been an active member of a statewide committee for the California Department of Water Resources that implemented changes to safety standards across each division within the department.

Gonzalez assumed her new position in late January. She succeeded Daniel Munoz, who is now serving as director of the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA).

“I am honored by the opportunity to serve in this position,” said Gonzalez. “My hope is to give the OES staff all the tools and resources they need to become valuable partners to our fellow agencies. By building up a strong OES team, we are able to build a strong San Bernardino team.”

For more information about OES, please visit https://oes.sbcounty.gov.

Additional County Update News – February 22, 2024