Heavy equipment works to clear mud from Highway 101 west of Goleta after a storm in January. The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management coordinates preparation for, response to and recovery from major disasters, such as the late December and early January winter storms that caused mudslides and $7.6 million in damages to government assets.
Heavy equipment works to clear mud from Highway 101 west of Goleta after a storm in January. The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management coordinates preparation for, response to and recovery from major disasters, such as the late December and early January winter storms that caused mudslides and $7.6 million in damages to government assets. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk file photo

The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management is “understaffed and underfunded,” according to the county Grand Jury, which concluded last week that the seven-person office is not adequately prepared to address emergencies.

Because of that, the Grand Jury has recommended that the office be returned to the oversight of the County Executive Office, where it was before being moved under County Fire Department authority a decade ago.

The Grand Jury also recommended increasing staffing to 12 employees.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors should “recognize (the office) as the critical department it is, increase staffing, and provide full and dedicated executive support” to the office’s director, the Grand Jury said in the report. “The safety and protection of county residents depend on it.”

The 19-person Grand Jury is a division of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court that issues recommendations to local governments and other agencies each year.

The OEM coordinates preparation for, response to and recovery from major disasters.

Staff operate the ReadySBC website and emergency alert system, partner with other agencies, conduct risk assessment and response plans, manage resources during emergency responses and manage the Emergency Operations Center.

That center is located adjacent to the county’s new Regional Fire Communications Center at 4408 Cathedral Oaks Road.

Santa Barbara County ranks in the top 1% of overall risk compared with 3,144 counties nationwide, according to the report.

Since 2014, the county has faced 40 disasters for which emergency proclamations were issued as the Emergency Operations Center was activated.

The region has experienced major storms and many large, destructive wildfires.

The report cites the Painted Cave Fire of 1990, which killed two people and destroyed 427 homes in a few hours, and the more recent Zaca, Gap, Tea and Jesusita fires.

The devastating 2018 Montecito debris flows, which killed 23 people, came after the record-setting 2017 Thomas Fire. That fire burned 281,893 acres across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Firefighters monitor flames from the 2017 Thomas Fire near Parma Park above Santa Barbara.
Firefighters monitor flames from the 2017 Thomas Fire near Parma Park above Santa Barbara. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk photo

The report examined staffing at two comparable regions: Sonoma and Monterey counties. The Grand Jury found that those counties’ emergency management offices have more staff than Santa Barbara, and they report directly to county administrators.

Despite the risks of wildfires, floods and other emergencies in the county, the Grand Jury found that the county’s OEM is not only smaller than other regions, but it may shrink down to four full-time staff members in the next 14 months because of budget cuts.

Along with adding staff, the report recommended increasing training and boosting the number of disaster service workers across the county workforce by the end of 2026. Those disaster workers are other county employees who are trained to respond during extended emergencies, including at the Emergency Operations Center.

To ensure cooperation from department heads, the report recommended having disaster worker training requirements included in annual performance reviews.

The Emergency Operation Center incident management room is packed with work stations. The county activates the EOC during major incidents, including wildfires.
The Emergency Operations Center’s incident management room is packed with work stations. The county activates the center during major incidents, including wildfires. Credit: Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo

The report also stated that the Grand Jury believed the county is out of compliance with its Operational Area Oil Spill Contingency Plan since it moved the roles of inspection, training and other duties for oil and gas facilities to the County Fire Department.

In addition, the Grand Jury recommended that the county restore its volunteer program, which is provided for by the California Office of Emergency Services. The program trains and registers local volunteer emergency communication organizations.

The supervisors have 90 days to respond to the report and its recommendations.

The county may agree, disagree or state that certain recommendations have already been put in place.

The county can also explain why it will not implement specific suggestions.

— Noozhawk staff writer Daniel Green can be reached at dgreen@noozhawk.com.