Report 2019-103 Recommendation 10 Responses

Report 2019-103: California Is Not Adequately Prepared to Protect Its Most Vulnerable Residents From Natural Disasters (Release Date: December 2019)

Recommendation #10 To: Ventura County

To ensure that the county's emergency planning efforts more fully account for people with access and functional needs in the future, the county should adopt county ordinances that require the county's emergency managers to do the following during each update to the county's emergency plans: when planning to protect people with access and functional needs, adhere to the best practices and guidance that FEMA, Cal OES, and other relevant authorities have issued; report publicly to the boards of supervisors during emergency planning about the steps they have taken to address access and functional needs; consult periodically with a committee of community groups that represent people with a variety of access and functional needs; require that representatives of the community group committees present to the board of supervisors their review of the adequacy of the emergency plans.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

No change from previous report.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement

Ventura County has declined to implement our recommendation. However, we continue to believe that establishing a requirement that the county implement best practices for planning to address access and functional needs would best demonstrate the county's commitment to doing so, and help to ensure that it meets those needs during emergencies. Therefore, we stand by our recommendation.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

The Ventura County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services continues to work to address the needs of the access and functional needs population through an inclusive planning process. Most recently, numerous steps were taken during our EOP update process to ensure best practices were adhered to. Those steps include the forming and subsequent consultation of a DAFN working group as well as incorporating applicable FEMA best practices for individuals with DAFN needs. In September of 2022, the County of Ventura hired a Disability Access Manager who will serve as the Emergency Planning and Response liaison to the Office of Emergency Services and ensure this work continues.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

1-Year Agency Response

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the County of Ventura has not proposed an ordinance as outlined by the California State Auditor however anticipates taking action in the near future.

The County of Ventura Office of Emergency Services has however operationalized the proposed items into our current emergency operations plan update process. Because this plan is updated on a 3 year cycle, staff did not want to wait on the passage of an ordinance to implement the proposed items. In February of 2021, the Office of Emergency Services will be conducting a virtual town hall meeting and feedback public feedback period to garner information from the community. Prior to launching this process, the Board of Supervisors and public will be publicly apprised on our plan update process and encouraged to provide feedback on the proposed document.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The County of Ventura is continuing to explore this recommendation and has not made a determination on whether or not this recommendation will be implemented.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2019-103

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.