County details disaster response enhancements – Welcome to San Bernardino County

Staff at the County Office of Emergency Services manage the county’s response to natural disasters.

San Bernardino County is in a much better position to face a blizzard than it was two years ago, when an unprecedented and unimaginable amount of snow fell in the mountain communities.

That is the message in the county’s response to the 2024 San Bernardino County civil grand jury final report, which reviewed the measures taken by the county to cope with the February-March 2023 snowstorms. The Board of Supervisors approved the response to the grand jury’s December 2024 report on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

“I was excited knowing that we had done a lot to address the grand jury’s concerns even before we knew these were their concerns, and that we still had room to grow, which is not surprising in an organization as big as we are,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “We appreciate the grand jury’s thoughtful and thorough analysis and bringing it to us in a way that is constructive and so that we can partner to make things better for our residents and businesses.”

The county’s response noted that the 2023 storms far exceeded historical patterns and reasonable expectations for storm response preparedness. There had never been an indication that taxpayer investment in the type and quantity of equipment necessary to rapidly remove such an extreme accumulation of snow was warranted.

Immediately after the storms, the county took swift action to enhance its snow removal capabilities by securing additional specialized equipment to manage extreme conditions to clear accumulations of snow greater than eight feet and equip operators with specialized training to optimize performance. The county has invested in more than 30 new pieces of heavy machinery, including loaders and blowers.

To enhance public communications, the county established an emergency response public information system involving the activation of public communications staff from all county departments. The county also developed and launched the Preparedness Starts Here public information campaign and website, prepare.sbcounty.gov, as an intensely publicized one-stop resource for residents to obtain preparedness information on various types of disasters as well as specific information on current, ongoing emergencies.

County agencies are also in discussions to implement next steps for providing residents with real-time information through an application platform and the use of the Emergency Alert System using AM radio stations. Residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts and follow official county sources to stay informed and prepared.

The county’s Office of Emergency Services has scheduled Elected Officials Training for the Board of Supervisors, local elected officials, and executive leadership through the California State Training Institute. This training ensures that decision-makers understand their critical roles during emergencies and are equipped to provide effective leadership and coordination.

OES is also working towards reestablishing the San Bernardino County Disaster Council to enhance coordination and ensure a unified, efficient approach to disaster and emergency management. This initiative aims to strengthen coordination among agencies, improve preparedness, and streamline response efforts to better serve the community during emergencies.

Also, OES is committed to establishing a Unified Command with Fire and Sheriff primarily, and any other county departments as dictated by each incident. To further enhance collaboration and information flow, a Fire Division Chief has been embedded within OES.

The complete response can be viewed at bit.ly/3ETJC1b.

Additional County Update News – Feb. 27, 2025