By Nels Johnson
Marin Independent Journal
Posted: 06/26/2011 05:04:00 PM PDT
Marin residents will be on their own in the first day or two after a natural disaster because most county public safety workers don't live here and won't be able to offer immediate help, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury warned.
In the final report of its term, the grand jury reminded Marin residents that only 33 percent of first responders are on duty at any one time, and that "70 percent to 80 percent of first responders live outside of Marin, some as far away as Kern, Butte, Sutter and Nevada counties."
It's a wake-up call for newcomers, but old news for long-time residents who have been told repeatedly by disaster preparedness officials over the years that people must be prepared to go it alone for 72 hours after a natural disaster such as a big earthquake that could paralyze the region at any moment.
The 2011 jury underscored the problem with a detailed chart showing that 90 percent of Novato paramedics and firefighters live outside the county. The live-outside-Marin figures include 82 percent for San Rafael, 75 percent for the Marin County Fire Department, 68 percent for Mill Valley and 64 percent for Southern Marin fire.
Only 9 percent of both San Rafael and Novato police live in Marin, while 19 percent of sheriff's staff live in the county, which has some of the highest housing costs in the state.
The median price last month of a home in Marin — including condominiums — was $640,000, compared with $372,000 for the entire Bay Area, according to DataQuick of San Diego.
"Although some Bay Area cities place a residency requirement on first responders" as permitted by law, "Marin cities do not," the jury noted. At least one local official commented that limiting job applicants to county residents would severely narrow the pool of qualified applicants.
"Flexible work schedules, in which extended on-duty periods are followed by three and four day off-duty periods, make it feasible for personnel to live some distance from Marin," the jury reported.
The panel gave a special salute to Mill Valley, which it called a model of disaster preparedness thanks to thoughtful officials and an engaged populace who have woven a multi-layered safety net that is ready for fire, quake or other calamity.
"Mill Valley is engaging the whole community in disaster preparedness," the jury said, training more than 870 residents in Community Emergency Readiness Training (CERT), dividing neighborhoods into "blocks" with local "captains," and mapping out evacuation routes. The community disaster readiness program involving residents, educators, safety personnel and City Hall includes fire drills, first aid and related instruction, and school training for children in the classroom. The jury also noted that Tiburon and San Rafael have excelled in disaster preparedness.
"This is a blueprint which could be emulated countywide," the jury said of Mill Valley's plan. "However, it takes leadership and political will to make this happen."
The jury's report outlines the various programs propelling disaster preparedness in Marin, including Get Ready Marin, CERT training, the Disaster and Citizens Corps Council, Marin Interagency Disaster Coalition, Marin Search and Rescue volunteers, the Marin Medical Corps and the county Office of Emergency Services. It concluded, however, "there is insufficient interagency collaboration."
The jury, noting leadership of the county Office of Emergency Services has changed three times in the past year, said the office operation falls short, with rotating leaders, training and related inefficiencies. A "stabilized leadership role" is needed, along with an electronic database to track training of county managers and staff, and the Board of Supervisors and Sheriff Robert Doyle should review the operation to ensure preparedness is a priority, the jury concluded.
Sheriff Robert Doyle and Susan Adams, president of the Board of Supervisors, were not immediately available for comment on the jury report, but both will submit formal responses to the panel from their agencies.
http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_18348236
No comments:
Post a Comment