One of the City of Coronado\u2019s ongoing goals is maintaining a high standard for emergency preparedness. In the wake of last week\u2019s tsunami watch, the Eagle decided to check in with the City about that process. Brian Standing is the City\u2019s Division Chief for Emergency Preparedness, who leads the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe City of Coronado is deeply committed to emergency preparedness and public safety,\u201d Standing noted. \u201cIn recent years, the City has made a greater investment than ever before in strengthening its emergency planning, response capabilities, and overall community readiness.\u201d<\/p>\n
The investment starts with the EOC team, which includes a representative from each City department who is trained for coordinating the City\u2019s response should an emergency activation be called. The Emergency Operations Center itself, which is located at 700 Orange Avenue, can also be activated both in person by a team member or virtually, if need be. \u201cActivation levels vary depending on the severity and scope of the situation \u2013 from Level 3, a virtual activation for monitoring by the EOC Coordinator, to Level 2 for partial activation, and Level 1 for a full activation with all team members.\u201d<\/p>\n
City staff will also be undergoing additional EOC training this year and next year to ensure newer staff members are familiar with the center and well-equipped to step into an emergency response role should the need arise during an emergency.<\/p>\n
In the event of an emergency situation or disaster, the EOC team then follows the City\u2019s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), the latest version of which was finalized in 2021 and includes takeaways from the most recent county-wide hazard mitigation analysis. Earthquakes, coastal storms, flooding, tsunamis, and man-made hazards are identified as the top threats for Coronado. The EOP was devised to be flexible so that response can scale to match the level needed for any incident. This allows EOP to take an \u201call-hazards\u201d approach to planning in order to ensure that all training, supplies, leadership, and other required resources are identified for the response steps needed at any time.<\/p>\n
Key areas of focus in the EOP include considerations for accessible transportation, accessible public messaging, assistive equipment and services, evacuation assistance, the restoration of essential services, and more. The Plan also takes a Whole Community Planning concept approach that prioritizes community resiliency through diverse partnerships with residents, emergency management representatives, organizational and community leaders, and government officials to further improve the City\u2019s understanding of community needs and capacities within an emergency context.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeyond internal planning, the City actively collaborates with regional, state, and federal partners through the San Diego Operational Area,\u201d Standing added. \u201cCoronado regularly participates in coordinated training and emergency planning efforts with agencies including FEMA, the California Office of Emergency Services, the County Office of Emergency Services, the San Diego County Fire Chiefs\u2019 Association Emergency Management Sub-Committee, Navy Region Southwest and Naval Base Coronado, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port of San Diego, and the San Diego Metro Zone Fire Departments, which includes Coronado, San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, Poway, and Federal Fire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Standing also mentioned that the Coronado Fire Department regularly partners with the community through organizations like the Coronado Unified School District, American Red Cross, and service groups like Coronado Rotary for the purposes of emergency preparedness education.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of these efforts are guided by the Standardized Emergency Management System, or SEMS. SEMS is the framework that underpins California\u2019s emergency response structure and ensures that all levels of government and emergency responders operate under a unified, coordinated approach,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
SEMS includes the standardized Incident Command System framework, elements for multi-agency coordination and mutual aid between jurisdictions, and operational area collaboration to streamline functions of damage assessment and the deployment of resources. \u201cBy aligning with SEMS, Coronado ensures that its emergency response efforts remain consistent with state and federal best practices and standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the City\u2019s EOP and continuing emergency response training, Standing also brought up the importance of emergency readiness at home. \u201cCoronado encourages all residents to take proactive steps to prepare their households in case of an emergency. This includes identifying evacuation zones, creating a family disaster plan, and assembling a basic emergency kit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cResidents are also encouraged to stay informed by following the City on social media, signing up for Nixle alerts, and bookmarking AlertSanDiego.org<\/a> for real-time regional updates. Additionally, the City recommends downloading the Genasys Protect app, which provides timely, location-specific updates during emergencies.\u201d<\/p>\n And though the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is not currently active in Coronado, Standing mentioned that the Chula Vista CERT program is available as an option to anyone interested in pursuing hands-on preparedness training for basic disaster response skills and learning more about local hazards.<\/p>\n