Report 2019-103 All Recommendation Responses

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

Recommendation for Legislative Action

To ensure that local jurisdictions develop emergency plans that include adequate measures to protect and assist all people in their communities, including those with access and functional needs, the Legislature should require Cal OES to: review each county's emergency plans to determine whether the plans are consistent with FEMA best practices, including those practices that relate to adequately addressing access and functional needs; review 10 county plans each year, prioritizing counties that we included as part of this audit and that are at high risk for natural disasters; report the results of its plan reviews to the Legislature and on its website at least once every year; provide technical assistance to counties in developing and revising their emergency plans to address the issues that Cal OES identifies in its review; include representatives of people with a variety of access and functional needs in its review of county emergency plans.

Description of Legislative Action

AB 580 (Chapter 744, Statutes of 2021) requires a county to send a copy of its emergency plan to Cal OES on or before March 1, 2022, and upon any update to the plan after that date. Cal OES, if requested and in consultation with representatives of the access and functional needs population, is required to review the emergency plan of each county to determine whether the plans are consistent with best practices and guidance issued by FEMA, including those practices that relate to adequately addressing the needs of those individuals with access and functional needs. Cal OES is required, on or before January 1, 2023, to conduct a review of the emergency plans of at least 10 counties that are of high risk for natural disasters. On or before January 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, Cal OES is required to review the emergency plans of at least ten counties, and, on or before January 1, 2028, is required to conduct a review of each county's emergency plan. Counties are required to develop and revise emergency plans to address the issues identified by Cal OES in its review and Cal OES, if requested, is required to provide technical assistance to a county in developing and revising its emergency plan to address the issues it identified in its review.

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

Description of Legislative Action

AB 2386 (Chapter 254, Statutes of 2020) requires Cal OES to annually review a minimum of 10 county emergency plans to determine if they substantially conform to or exceed specified recommendations made by FEMA, and requires Cal OES to prioritize in its review an emergency plan submitted from a county determined to be at a high risk of a wildfire disaster.

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

Description of Legislative Action

AB 2386 (Bigelow) would require Cal OES to annually review 10 city, county, or city and county emergency plans to determine if the plans substantially conform to or exceed specified recommendations made by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The bill would require Cal OES to prioritize in its review a plan submitted from a county determined to be at a high risk of wildfire disaster.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Legislation Introduced

Description of Legislative Action

As of January 2020, the Legislature has not taken action to address this specific recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: No Action Taken

Recommendation #2 To: Butte, County of

To best prepare to protect and care for people with access and functional needs, the county should revise its emergency plans by following the best practices that we included in our report. The county should begin implementing these practices as soon as possible. By no later than March 2020, the county should develop a schedule for completing updates to its emergency plans.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

Butte County Emergency Operations Plan was updated to include all AFN communities. Butte County EOP is now in compliance with CA AB 477, AB 2311, SB 160 and the ADA Chapter 7 Title II

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

Butte has not provided its updated emergency plans to substantiate its claims that it has updated them in accordance with best practices.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

Butte County Emergency Operations Plan was updated to include all AFN communities. Butte County EOP is now in compliance with CA AB 477, AB 2311, SB 160 and the ADA Chapter 7 Title II

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

Butte County provided its updated Emergency Operations Plan and annexes for alert and warning and evacuation. However, it did not provide documentation demonstrating that it had implemented other key best practices that we describe in our report, such as including in the development of its emergency plans or prescribed alert and warning messages for use during emergencies representation by individuals with access and functional needs.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

Butte County has contracted for full revision of the EOP. A schedule has been developed and the plan is scheduled to be agendized for the BOS at the end of April 2022.

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

1-Year Agency Response

Butte County Office of Emergency Management issued an RFP to hire a consultant. The selection panel was scheduled to meet on September 9, 2020. The North Complex Fire started on September 8, our EOC was open until October 28, 2020. We were still able to convene the selection panel and choose a consultant to complete our EOP re-write. The contract will go for approval before the Board of Supervisors on January 12, 2021. The consultant anticipates a 1 year timeline to complete the plan including stakeholder meetings that will take the whole community approach.

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

We look forward to receipt of Butte's updated plans. We will review those plans upon receipt, and if the updated plans include updates to its alert and warning, evacuation, sheltering, and local assistance center plans in line with the best practices we discussed in the report, we will consider this recommendation fully implemented.

6-Month Agency Response

Butte County OEM has established a timeline to issue an RFP, hire a consultant and complete a re-write of the Emergency Operations Plan. With the COVID-19 response, our timeline has had to be adjusted. A revised timeline will be submitted via email as directed in submission instructions.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

Butte submitted an updated timeline for updating its emergency operations plan. Similar to the timeline that Butte submitted for its 60-day update, the timeline does not specify that Butte will update the alert and warning, evacuation, sheltering, or local assistance center plans; however, Butte's emergency services officer stated that those plans will be updated with the emergency operations plan. This recommendation will be fully updated when Butte updates each of those plans according to the best practices we discussed in the report.

60-Day Agency Response

Butte County OEM has established a timeline to issue an RFP, hire a consultant and complete a re-write of the Emergency Operations Plan. Timeline will be submitted via email as directed in submission instructions.

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

Butte submitted a general timeline for updating its emergency operations plan. The timeline does not specify that Butte will update the alert and warning, evacuation, sheltering, or local assistance center plans; however, Butte's emergency services officer stated that those plans will be updated with the emergency operations plan. This recommendation will be fully updated when Butte updates each of those plans according to the best practices we discussed in the report.

Recommendation #3 To: Sonoma County

To best prepare to protect and care for people with access and functional needs, the county should revise its emergency plans by following the best practices that we included in our report. The county should begin implementing these practices as soon as possible. By no later than March 2020, the county should develop a schedule for completing updates to its emergency plans.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

The County of Sonoma's Board of Supervisors adopted an updated Emergency Operations Plan on March, 22, 2022, in both English and Spanish.

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

Sonoma provided its updated Emergency Operations Plan, which describes collaboration with representatives of individuals with access and functional needs in its development. Additionally, Sonoma has developed updated plans for alert and warning, evacuation, and sheltering and each describes consideration of and actions to meet access and functional needs. Going forward, Sonoma county should continue to include representatives of those with access and functional needs in the development of its plans to ensure that it can meet those needs during natural disasters.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

Sonoma County has implemented the recommendation to update emergency plans including those for Pandemic, Public Safety Power Shutoffs, Extreme Heat, Russian River Flood, Community Preparedness, Alert & Warning and Evacuations. The County has delayed completion of the primary Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) in order to address the new state requirements contained in SB160 that direct counties to integrate cultural competence into their EOPs upon their next update. The County expects to bring the revised EOP to the Board of Supervisors for adoption in January 2022.

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

We look forward to receiving Sonoma's updated emergency plans. If the updated plans contain updates to its alert and warning, evacuation, and sheltering plans in line with the best practices we describe in our report, we will consider this recommendation to be fully implemented.

1-Year Agency Response

The County of Sonoma has fully implemented this recommendation by implementing many of the best practices outlined in the Audit Report, even before its release, during the successful responses to the Kincade Fire, the PG&E Power Shut Offs in 2019 and 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic, the LNU Complex Fires, and the Glass Fire. Additionally, as recommended by the Audit Report, on May 12, 2020, the County adopted a schedule for completion of updates to its current emergency operations plan. The updated emergency operations plan will integrate considerations and resources for individuals with Access and Functional Needs as well as serve as the coordinating document for supplemental functional annexes including Care & Shelter and Evacuation. The updated plan will also include a review and addition of Disabled and Access and Functional Needs (DAFN) considerations as well as fully implement the new SB160 requirement for integrating Culture Competency as a key element of the updated plan. The Department of Emergency Management will develop the new emergency operations plan in 4 phases:

Phase 1: Review of the existing emergency operations plan to identify area(s) that are out of date, places where new information is needed, identify stakeholders (both internal and external), develop a timeline, and develop checks/balances to ensure goals are met.

Phase 2- Conduct stakeholder engagement, review and update Part 1 of the emergency operations plan.

Phase 3- Conduct stakeholder engagement, review and update Part 2 of the emergency operations plan.

Phase 4- Conduct Stakeholder engagement, review and update Part 3 of the emergency operations plan, and conduct final stakeholder engagement.

Due to the emergency responses to ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, the LNU Complex Fires and Glass Fire, the current schedule for completion of the updated emergency operations plan is August 31, 2021.

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

We look forward to receiving Sonoma's updated emergency plans. If the updated plans contain updates to its alert and warning, evacuation, and sheltering plans in line with the best practices we describe in our report, we will consider this recommendation to be fully implemented.

6-Month Agency Response

The County of Sonoma has fully implemented this recommendation by implementing many of the best practices outlined in the Audit Report, even before its release, during the successful response to the Kincade Fire and the PG&E Power Shut Offs in 2019. The County has continued implementing applicable best practices during the response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Finally, on May 12, 2020, the County adopted a schedule for completion of updates to its current emergency operations plan.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

Sonoma provided a schedule for updating its emergency plans. Although the schedule does not explicitly state that Sonoma will update its alert and warning, evacuation, and sheltering plans, the county stated that those plans will also be updated. We recommended that Sonoma incorporate best practices for protecting people with access and functional needs into its updated plans. Until Sonoma updates those plans to include those best practices, this recommendation will not be fully implemented.

60-Day Agency Response

The County of Sonoma's Director of the Department of Emergency Management is in the process of developing a schedule for completing updates to the County's emergency plans. The schedule will be completed by the end of March 2020.

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

Recommendation #4 To: Ventura County

To best prepare to protect and care for people with access and functional needs, the county should revise its emergency plans by following the best practices that we included in our report. The county should begin implementing these practices as soon as possible. By no later than March 2020, the county should develop a schedule for completing updates to its emergency plans.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

No change from information provided during last report.

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

Ventura County clarified that it has finished updating is alert & warning plan, and is currently working on an evacuation plan that it expects to finish in early 2024. We reviewed the alert and warning plan and found that Ventura County no longer references a separate annex for addressing access and functional needs, and instead within the alert and warning plan itself discusses considerations for ensuring that emergency alerts reach individuals with access and functional needs, which is consistent with best practice. We will review Ventura's evacuation plan when it submits it upon completion.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

In March of 2022, the County of Ventura Board of Supervisors adopted the updated version of the Ventura County Emergency Operations Plan. Updates to this plan included many of the suggestions proposed by the California State Auditor, including the full integration of disability, access and functional needs (DAFN) concepts. While working to complete the update, the County of Ventura established a DAFN working group that was instrumental on providing feedback and suggestions to the various topics covered by the plan. Lastly, the County of Ventura hosted a series of community workshops in multiple languages where participants from the community learned about the plan and were provided a forum to publicly ask questions and provide feedback.

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

Ventura County provided documentation demonstrating that it has implemented several best practices that we describe in the report, including updating its emergency operations plan while including representatives of people with access and functional needs, establishing agreements with transportation providers to assist with evacuations, creating an updated shelter plan that includes strategies for meeting access and functional needs, and establishing storage trailers that are pre-stocked with shelter supplies. However, Ventura has not yet documented an evacuation plan (which Ventura states is in progress) or updated its alert and warning and local assistance center plans to include strategies for meeting access and functional needs during those stages of emergency response.

1-Year Agency Response

The County of Ventura has and continues to update plans in accordance with state and federal requirements. This includes updating/adopting our Emergency Operations Plan on a 3-year cycle and our Hazard Mitigation Plan on a 5-year cycle. Numerous other plans that are not required by statute are updated as needed.

The County of Ventura is in the process of completing an update to our Emergency Operations Plan which includes the incorporation of Disability, Access & Functional needs (DAFN) concepts directly into the plan. These concepts were drawn feedback provided by a newly formed DAFN advisory committee. This committee is comprised of 50+ local stakeholders representing a variety of organizations and causes across Ventura County. The draft plan is slated to be published for public review and comment the first week of February and a virtual town hall will be held at the end of February before the plan is finalized and presented to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors for adoption.

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

Ventura's response indicates that it is in the process of updating its plans, but has not yet finished updating them. We look forward to reviewing Ventura's completed plans. If those plans - and the manner in which they were developed - adhere to the best practices that we describe in the report, we will consider this recommendation to be fully implemented.

60-Day Agency Response

The County of Ventura has drafted and approved an improvement matrix that addresses each one of the California State Auditors recommendations and a proposed implementation strategy and timeline. Some of the Auditor's recommendations have been implemented already and many remain in progress with a completion date of 12/31/2020 or sooner. Please refer to the attached matrix for more information.

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

Ventura provided a timeline that includes a schedule for developing an alert and warning plan, an evacuation plan, a sheltering plan, and a local assistance center plan. The timeline also includes a schedule for implementing the best practices we discussed in the report. We will continue to track Ventura's progress through the subsequent follow-ups, and will assess the recommendation as fully implemented once the county has updated each of those plans in accordance with best practices.

Recommendation #5 To: Butte, County of

To ensure that the county maintains updated emergency plans that are consistent with current best practices, the county should adopt ordinances establishing requirements for the frequency with which the county must update its emergency plans and should set that frequency at no greater than five years.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Emergency Operations Plans are living documents that should be reviewed and updated after exercises, events, and when best practices are shared. Butte County OEM will strive to update its EOP in accordance with industry standards but will not limit the plans through creation of arbitrary deadlines or ordinance.

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

We stand by our recommendation that Butte adopt an ordinance requiring more frequent updates to its emergency plans. Such an ordinance would not prevent Butte from updating its plans after exercises or events, as Butte's response implies. Instead, it would implement a legal requirement, which would better ensure that the county maintains updated plans in line with current best practices for protecting people with access and functional needs during emergencies. As we describe in the report, at the time of our audit Butte's emergency plans were significantly outdated. For example, its alert and warning plan did not discuss its addition of a major federal alert and warning system to its alert and warning strategies.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Emergency Operations Plans are living documents that should be reviewed and updated after exercises, events, and when best practices are shared. Butte County OEM will strive to update its EOP in accordance with industry standards but will not limit the plans through creation of arbitrary deadlines or ordinance.

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

As we note in our report, FEMA guidance states that maintaining updated plans is critical to the continued utility of those plans and that local jurisdictions should review and update their plans at least every two years. It further states that outdated plans can cause setbacks for local jurisdictions because of old information, ineffective procedures, incorrect role assignments, and outdated laws. However, at the time we published our report, Butte County had not updated its emergency operations plan in more than eight years. Establishing a required timeline for updating its emergency plans would not result in an "arbitrary deadline," rather it would require Butte County to update its plans consistent with best practices.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Emergency Operations Plans are living documents that should be reviewed and updated after exercises, events, and when best practices are shared. Butte County OEM will strive to update its EOP in accordance with industry standards but will not limit the plans through creation of arbitrary deadlines or ordinance.

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

We stand by our recommendation that Butte adopt an ordinance requiring more frequent updates to its emergency plans. Such an ordinance would implement a legal requirement, which would better ensure that the county maintains updated plans in line with current best practices for protecting people with access and functional needs during emergencies.

We noted in our report that Butte had not updated its emergency plans since 2011 and that weaknesses in Butte's emergency plans support FEMA's observations about potential problems with outdated plans. Some of the response strategies that Butte's plans describe are not reflective of more recent changes to Butte's actual response processes. Therefore, by not committing to update its emergency plans on a regular basis, Butte remains at risk of maintaining outdated emergency plans.

1-Year Agency Response

Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Butte County will convene a committee and invite representatives of the populations described in the recommendation and hold periodic meetings for input on emergency plans once there are financial and staff resources available for planning purposes. Staff will provide written updates to the Board of Supervisors during the planning process and post the updates to the County's Office of Emergency Management website for the public. Butte County will consider the best tool for the participants to provide feedback on the plan to the Board of Supervisors

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

We stand by our recommendation that Butte adopt an ordinance requiring more frequent updates to its emergency plans. Such an ordinance would implement a legal requirement, which would better ensure that the county maintains updated plans in line with current best practices for protecting people with access and functional needs during emergencies.

6-Month Agency Response

The County will consider adopting an ordinance as recommended, though it will have a caveat that it is a goal and not a requirement and will recognize that future disasters or competing priorities for limited resources may make meeting the frequency goal difficult.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

As stated in our response to Butte's 60 day update on our recommendations, we recommended that Butte adopt an ordinance establishing requirements for the frequency with which it updates its plans because of the importance of maintaining updated emergency plans. A county ordinance would be a stronger commitment than simply making maintaining updated plans a goal because it would make that commitment a legal requirement. This recommendation will not be fully implemented until the county adopts ordinances as the recommendation indicates.

60-Day Agency Response

The County will consider adopting an ordinance as recommended, though it will have a caveat that it is a goal and not a requirement and will recognize that future disasters or competing priorities for limited resources may make meeting the frequency goal difficult.

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

We recommended that Butte adopt an ordinance establishing requirements for the frequency with which it updates its plans because of the importance of maintaining updated emergency plans. A county ordinance would be a stronger commitment than simply making maintaining updated plans a goal because it would make that commitment a legal requirement. This recommendation will not be fully implemented until the county adopts ordinances as the recommendation indicates.

Recommendation #6 To: Sonoma County

To ensure that the county maintains updated emergency plans that are consistent with current best practices, the county should adopt ordinances establishing requirements for the frequency with which the county must update its emergency plans and should set that frequency at no greater than five years.

6-Month Agency Response

The County of Sonoma has fully implemented this recommendation by adopting an ordinance amendment that requires the Department of Emergency Services to update the County's emergency operations plan no less than once every five (5) years.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

Sonoma demonstrated that the county has adopted an ordinance requiring the Department of Emergency Services to update the county's emergency operations plan no less than every five years.

60-Day Agency Response

The County of Sonoma's County Counsel's Office, in conjunction with the Department of Emergency Management, is drafting an ordinance requiring that the County of Sonoma's emergency plans be updated at least every five years.

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

Recommendation #7 To: Ventura County

To ensure that the county maintains updated emergency plans that are consistent with current best practices, the county should adopt ordinances establishing requirements for the frequency with which the county must update its emergency plans and should set that frequency at no greater than five years.

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

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

Various stakeholders from the County of Ventura discussed this recommendation and determined that our current practice of updating our Emergency Operations Plan on a three-year cycle was adequate. Adopting an ordinance that monumentalizes current practice is not necessary and is not currently being considered.

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

1-Year Agency Response

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the County of Ventura has not taken action on this item. While Ventura County already is in compliance with the proposed requirements, the need to adopt an ordinance requiring such updates is still being explored. We are however committed to continuing to meeting the state and federal requirements to update our plan every 3 years as we have done so in the past.

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

Recommendation #8 To: Butte, County of

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

The State has provided legislation under AB 477 and AB 2311 that have legal requirements directing local jurisdictions to include representatives from the AFN community. Creating redundant local ordinance does not streamline the process and only encumbers the process. In addition, based on the best practices and standards listed in AB 2386, Butte County's EOP update team utilizes a rigorous review process and the State Crosswalk tool to ensure the correct AFN representatives are involved at the appropriate levels of EOP revision and update.

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

As we have noted previously, the laws that Butte County references do include requirements that local jurisdictions integrate into its emergency plans how they will serve people with access and functional needs in emergency communication, evacuation, and sheltering. They also require local jurisdictions to include representatives from the access and functional needs population when updating emergency plans. However, the laws do not require local jurisdictions to follow best practices for planning to address access and functional needs during emergencies. They also do not require the accountability mechanisms that we include in our recommendation - that local jurisdictions publicly report on how they are addressing those needs or provide opportunities for representatives of people with those needs to publicly report on the degree to which emergency plans adequately address them.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

The State has provided legislation under AB 477 and AB 2311 that have legal requirements directing local jurisdictions to include representatives from the AFN community. Creating redundant local ordinance does not streamline the process and only encumbers the process. In addition, based on the best practices and standards listed in AB 2386, Butte County's EOP update team utilizes a rigorous review process and the State Crosswalk tool to ensure the correct AFN representatives are involved at the appropriate levels of EOP revision and update.

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

State law does now require counties to include representatives of individuals with access and functional needs in the development of emergency plans. However, state law does not require counties to follow emergency planning best practices or incorporate the accountability mechanisms that we include in our recommendation. To provide better accountability regarding its integration of access and functional needs into its emergency planning, Butte County should implement our recommendation.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

The State has provided legislation under AB 477 and AB 2311 that have legal requirements directing local jurisdictions to include representatives from the AFN community. Creating redundant local ordinance does not streamline the process and only encumbers the process. In addition, based on the best practices and standards listed in AB 2386, Butte County's EOP update team utilizes a rigorous review process and the State Crosswalk tool to ensure the correct AFN representatives are involved at the appropriate levels of EOP revision and update.

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

Butte did not provide documentation to demonstrate that it had, in fact, complied with recent legislation and ensured that it involved representatives with access and functional needs into its emergency planning processes.

1-Year Agency Response

Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Butte County will convene a committee and invite representatives of the populations described in the recommendation and hold periodic meetings for input on emergency plans once there are financial and staff resources available for planning purposes. Staff will provide written updates to the Board of Supervisors during the planning process and post the updates to the County's Office of Emergency Management website for the public. Butte County will consider the best tool for the participants to provide feedback on the plan to the Board of Supervisors

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

6-Month Agency Response

Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Butte County will convene a committee and invite representatives of the populations described in the recommendation and hold periodic meetings for input on emergency plans once there are financial and staff resources available for planning purposes. Staff will provide written updates to the Board of Supervisors during the planning process and post the updates to the County's Office of Emergency Management website for the public. Butte County will consider the best tool for the participants to provide feedback on the plan to the Board of Supervisors.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Butte County will convene a committee and invite representatives of the populations described in the recommendation and hold periodic meetings for input on emergency plans once there are financial and staff resources available for planning purposes. Staff will provide written updates to the Board of Supervisors during the planning process and post the updates to the County's Office of Emergency Management website for the public. Butte County will consider the best tool for the participants to provide feedback on the plan to the Board of Supervisors.

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

Recommendation #9 To: Sonoma 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

The County of Sonoma has adopted a policy that the Director of Emergency Management report publicly to the Board of Supervisors during emergency planning about the steps taken to address access and functional needs. The County of Sonoma has implemented a policy that the County consult periodically with a committee of community groups that represent people with a variety of access and functional needs and to request that representatives of the community groups committee present to the Board of Supervisors their review of the adequacy of the emergency plans. The County of Sonoma does not agree with the recommended process for implementing the recommendations. Best practices, by definition, are reliant upon the specific facts and circumstances of a situation and formalizing these steps into local law does not create the type of flexibility needed in responding or planning for a disaster response. In May 2020, the Board of Supervisors adopted policies that implement the above which provide a better mechanism to improve and expand upon them as state standards and best practices change, rather than more formalized and time intensive amendments to local ordinances.

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

There has been no change since Sonoma County's previous update. As we have stated previously, we continue to believe that an ordinance would be a stronger commitment to planning to protect people with access and functional needs.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

The County of Sonoma has adopted a policy that the Director of Emergency Management report publicly to the Board of Supervisors during emergency planning about the steps taken to address access and functional needs.

The County of Sonoma has implemented a policy that the County consult periodically with a committee of community groups that represent people with a variety of access and functional needs and to request that representatives of the community groups committee present to the Board of Supervisors their review of the adequacy of the emergency plans.

The County of Sonoma does not agree with the recommended process for implementing the recommendations. Best practices, by definition, are reliant upon the specific facts and circumstances of a situation and formalizing these steps into local law does not create the type of flexibility needed in responding or planning for a disaster response. In May 2020, the Board of Supervisors adopted policies that implement the above which provide a better mechanism to improve and expand upon them as state standards and best practices change, rather than more formalized and time intensive amendments to local ordinances.

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

As we note under Recommendation 3, Sonoma has completed its update to its emergency plans, which is positive progress. Nonetheless and as we have stated previously, we continue to believe that an ordinance would be a stronger commitment to planning to protect people with access and functional needs.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

The County of Sonoma's successful responses to the 2019 Russian River Flood, the 2019 Kincade Fire, the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire, and the 2020 Glass Fire demonstrate that much of the substance of this recommendation has already been implemented. The County has refined its policies and emergency plans to include adoption of applicable guidance and FEMA, Cal OES and other relevant best practices. The County looks forward to incorporating statewide standards into its updated emergency plans and working with the State as a partner in developing these important guidelines.

The County of Sonoma has adopted a policy that the Director of Emergency Management report publicly to the Board of Supervisors during emergency planning about the steps taken to address access and functional needs.

The County of Sonoma has implemented a policy that the County consult periodically with a committee of community groups that represent people with a variety of access and functional needs and to request that representatives of the community groups committee present to the Board of Supervisors their review of the adequacy of the emergency plans.

The County of Sonoma does not agree with the recommended process for implementing the recommendations. Best practices, by definition, are reliant upon the specific facts and circumstances of a situation and formalizing these steps into local law does not create the type of flexibility needed in responding or planning for a disaster response. In May 2020, the Board of Supervisors adopted policies that implement the above which provide a better mechanism to improve and expand upon them as state standards and best practices change, rather than more formalized and time intensive amendments to local ordinances.

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

As we have stated previously, an ordinance would be a stronger commitment to planning to protect people with access and functional needs during emergencies. Sonoma provided its formalized policy, which requires that it incorporate best practices into its planning, involve community groups representing people with access and functional needs, and report publicly on steps taken to address those needs. Sonoma's policy could be effective if Sonoma fully implements it; however, Sonoma has not completed updating its emergency plans, rendering us unable to fully assess Sonoma's implementation. When Sonoma finishes updating its emergency plans, which it stated it will do by January 2022, we will reevaluate Sonoma's implementation of this recommendation.

1-Year Agency Response

The County has fully implemented this recommendation by adopting a policy that requires the Director of the Department of Emergency Management to take the following actions in the development of emergency plans:

Incorporate within the County of Sonoma's emergency plans applicable best practices and guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the California Office of Emergency Services, and other relevant authorities; and

Report publicly to the Board of Supervisors during emergency planning about the steps taken to address persons with access and functional needs; and

Consult periodically with a committee of community groups that represent people with a variety of access and functional needs, and request that the representatives of the community groups committee consulted in the development of emergency plans present to the Board of Supervisors their review of the adequacy of the emergency plans.

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

As we stated after Sonoma's six month update, an ordinance would be a stronger and more appropriate commitment to planning to protect people with access and functional needs during emergencies. We will not consider this recommendation to be fully implemented until Sonoma enacts the ordinances we describe in the recommendation.

6-Month Agency Response

The County has fully implemented this recommendation by adopting a policy that requires the Director of the Department of Emergency Management to take the following actions in the development of emergency plans:

Incorporate within the County of Sonoma's emergency plans applicable best practices and guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the California Office of Emergency Services, and other relevant authorities; and

Report publicly to the Board of Supervisors during emergency planning about the steps taken to address persons with access and functional needs; and

Consult periodically with a committee of community groups that represent people with a variety of access and functional needs, and request that the representatives of the community groups committee consulted in the development of emergency plans present to the Board of Supervisors their review of the adequacy of the emergency plans.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

We recommended that Sonoma incorporate these requirements into an ordinance to give those requirements the effect of law. However, Sonoma did not do so. Instead, Sonoma's board of supervisors formally adopted a policy incorporating the elements of our recommendation. Because of the importance of these best practices, an ordinance would be a stronger and more appropriate commitment to planning to protect people with access and functional needs during emergencies. We will not consider this recommendation to be fully implemented until Sonoma enacts the ordinances we describe in the recommendation.

60-Day Agency Response

The County of Sonoma's County Counsel's Office, in conjunction with the Department of Emergency Management, is currently drafting policies that (1) require adoption of applicable guidance from FEMA, Cal OES and other relevant best practices; and (2) that the Director of Emergency Management report publicly to the Board of Supervisors about steps taken to address access and functional needs during emergency planning.

The County of Sonoma will continue implementing its policy to consult periodically with a committee of community groups that represent people with a variety of access and functional needs, and to request that representatives of the community groups present to the Board of Supervisors their review of the adequacy of the emergency plans.

The County of Sonoma does not agree with the recommended process for implementing this recommendation, and will adopt the recommended actions as policies rather than ordinances.

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

Sonoma states in its response that it will adopt policies rather than county ordinances. We recommended that the county adopt ordinances requiring that the county follow emergency planning best practices because of the importance of those best practices. An ordinance would be a stronger and more appropriate commitment to the best possible emergency planning because an ordinance would make that commitment a legal requirement. We will not consider this recommendation to be fully implemented until Sonoma enacts the ordinances we describe in the recommendation.

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

Recommendation for Legislative Action

To ensure that, as the leader of emergency response efforts in California, Cal OES meets its responsibility to provide local jurisdictions with critical support in planning to meet access and functional needs of the population during natural disasters, the Legislature should require Cal OES to do the following: involve representatives of individuals with the full range of access and functional needs in the development of the state plan, the state emergency management system, and the guidance and training it provides to local jurisdictions; assess local jurisdictions' emergency response and recovery efforts during natural disasters, review their after-action reports to identify lessons learned, and annually disseminate guidance summarizing those lessons.

Description of Legislative Action

AB 580 (Chapter 744, Statutes of 2021) requires the director of Cal OES to appoint representatives of the access and functional needs population to serve on pertinent committees related to the emergency management system and to ensure the needs of that population are met within that system. Specifically, this provision requires that at least a majority of appointees to the evacuation, sheltering, communication, recovery, and other pertinent Standardized Emergency Management System committees be representatives of the access and functional needs population and include representatives with specified disabilities. Cal OES is required, on or before July 1, 2022, in consultation with the access and functional needs community, including people with specified disabilities, to develop guidelines for alerting and warning the public of an emergency and, within six months of making the guidelines available, and at least annually, through its California Specialized Training Institute, and with involvement of representatives from the access and functional needs community, to develop an alert and warning training.

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

Description of Legislative Action

AB 3267 (Chapter 260, Statutes of 2020) requires Cal OES to coordinate with representatives of the access and functional needs population when it updates the state plan. Cal OES is also required to complete an after-action report within 180 days after each declared disaster instead of 120 days after a declared disaster.

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

Description of Legislative Action

AB 2064 (Patterson) would require Cal OES to review the emergency plans of all local governments to determine if they are consistent with the proposed best practices provisions and, upon request by a local government, provide necessary technical assistance to that local government. This bill would require Cal OES to develop and update annually, in coordination with organizations representing the access and functional needs population, a guidance document for local governments based, in part, on a review of recent emergency and natural disaster incidents and what did or did not go well in the response efforts. The bill would require Cal OES to post the guidance document, and its annual update, on its website.

AB 2428 (Fong) would require Cal OES to work with representatives from the access and functional needs population when updating the State Emergency Plan. The bill would also require Cal OES to develop and post, on or before July 1, 2021, on its website a guidance document regarding best practices for, and the lessons learned regarding, emergency and natural preparedness, for use by local governments. The bill would require Cal OES to update and post this guidance document by July 1 of each year, commencing with the year 2022.

AB 3267 (Smith) would require Cal OES to coordinate with representatives of the access and functional needs population when it updates the State Emergency Plan. The bill would increase the time Cal OES is required to complete an after-action report after each declared disaster from 120 days to 180 days.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Legislation Introduced

Description of Legislative Action

AB 2064 (Patterson/Lackey) would require Cal OES to develop, in coordination with organizations representing individuals with a variety of access and functional needs, a guidance document for local governments regarding the lessons learned about emergency and natural disaster preparedness. The bill would also require Cal OES, on or before July 31, 2021, to post the guidance document on its website, and update and post it annually, by July 31 of each year, commencing in 2022.

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

Recommendation #12 To: Emergency Services, Office of

To ensure that it fulfills its responsibilities under state law, Cal OES should, by no later than June 2020, issue the guidance that state law requires it to produce related to access and functional needs, including guidance related to establishing disaster registries and guidance on evacuating people with access and functional needs.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

Cal OES has completed the guidance documents outlined in Recommendation #12. Specifically, Cal OES addressed the access and functional needs-related considerations in Recommendation #12 by creating the following information products:

- Voluntary Disaster Registry Guidance (released July 2020);

- Integrated Evacuation Planning for Jurisdictions and Individuals with Access and Functional Needs (released August 2023); and

- Integrating AFN within the Emergency Process: Best Practices for Stakeholder Inclusion (released June 2020).

All three resources have been distributed to emergency managers and community stakeholders throughout the state. Each of the resources are also available online via the Cal OES AFN library.

Further, the Integrated Evacuation Planning for Jurisdictions and Individuals with Access and Functional Needs (released August 2023) and the Integrating AFN within the Emergency Process: Best Practices for Stakeholder Inclusion (released June 2020) are referenced in the State of California Emergency Plan (SEP) and Cal OES's public website. Another product, Best Practices for County Emergency Plans, is also available on Cal OES's public website.

Cal OES's Planning, Preparedness, and Prevention Directorate anticipates the SEP to be finalized and posted by the end of first quarter in 2024. The SEP is currently out for public comment. Once the SEP becomes an official document, Cal OES will provide a copy to CSA.

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

CalOES provided the guidance that it describes in its response, including two guidance documents that in our report we noted that CalOES had not yet developed as required by state law. One of those documents was its voluntary disaster registry guidance, which we found addresses all of the elements required by law. Another was its integrated evacuation planning for jurisdictions and individuals with access and functional needs, which appears to address the requirement in state law that it produce guidance for evacuating individuals with access and functional needs. We will review the state emergency plan when CalOES completes it and submits it for our review.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

Cal OES continues to fulfill its responsibilities under state law related to access and functional needs.

Cal OES continues to amplify its guidance related to access and functional needs, including its disaster registries and guidance on evacuations, by reflecting this in the State of California Emergency Plan (SEP), which is updated on a five-year cycle and revisions are completed in coordination with State agencies, local governments, and relevant stakeholders as needed. Currently, Cal OES is still working on revising the SEP and anticipates its completion in the first quarter of 2023.

The SEP incorporates by reference the latest AFN guidelines and best practices at the bottom of the SEP webpage, https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/planning-preparedness/state-of-california-emergency-plan-emergency-support-functions for supporting documents and included a link to the Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Library, https://www.caloes.ca.gov/office-of-the-director/policy-administration/access-functional-needs/afn-library/ where the AFN Evacuation and Transportation Planning Guidelines are located. Additionally, the Office of Access and Functional Needs created a Best Practices document that was added to the AFN library and is linked under the Community Planning page, https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/AFN/Documents/AFN-Library/Cal-OES-Best-Practices-for-Stakeholder-Inclusion-June-2020.pdf. Further, the Community Planning Unit created the following best practices document, https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Preparedness/Documents/Planning-Best-Practices-for-County-Emergency-Plans-draft.pdf. The reference to the AFN library is on page 14.

Lastly, Planning, Preparedness, and Prevention (PPP) will incorporate references to the AFN library, Integrating Access and Functional Needs within the Emergency Planning Process: Best Practices for Stakeholder Inclusion, and Planning Best Practices for County Emergency Plans into the updated SEP.

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

We look forward to reviewing Cal OES's new guidance documents when they are completed, and we will consider this recommendation to be fully implemented if the guidance includes all of the elements required by law.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

Cal OES has taken, and will take, steps to incorporate best practices for evacuating individuals with access and functional needs into the State of California Emergency Plan (SEP). The SEP is updated on a five-year cycle, and the next update is expected to be completed in October 2022.

1. October 2021: Cal OES added a section at the bottom of the SEP webpage, https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/planning-preparedness/state-of-california-emergency-plan-emergency-support-functions, for supporting documents and included a link to the AFN Library where the AFN Evacuation and Transportation Planning Guidelines are located.

2. January 2022: Cal OES's Office of Access and Functional Needs will create a Best Practices document to also post in their library, https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/access-functional-needs/afn-library, and it will be incorporated by reference into the Best Practices for Local Emergency Operations Plans document currently under development and expected to be completed by January 2022.

3. October 2022: Cal OES will incorporate both resources by reference into the 2022 SEP.

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

Cal OES developed the disaster registry guidance as state law requires. We look forward to reviewing Cal OES's incorporation of its evacuation best practice guidance into its next version of the State Emergency Plan.

1-Year Agency Response

Office of Access and Functional Needs completed and distributed Cal OES Voluntary Disaster Registry Planning Guidance to local emergency managers statewide on 7/27/2020. We also request Finding #12 to be closed.

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

Cal OES developed the disaster registry guidance as state law requires. However, Cal OES continues to state that it will not comply with state law by including in the state emergency plan guidance on evacuating people with access and functional needs. We will not consider this recommendation to be fully implemented until Cal OES fulfills its statutory obligation to assist counties by providing that guidance.

6-Month Agency Response

Cal OES continues to develop guidance regarding disaster registries. The guidance will meet all statutory requirements outlined in state law while outlining the agency's determination that disaster registries themselves are not a best practice.

As indicated in its response to CSA's report,

Cal OES will not change its approach to the SEP, but will continue to reflect AFN considerations throughout all of its planning documents.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

Cal OES continues to state that it will not comply with state law by including in the state emergency plan guidance on evacuating people with access and functional needs. Given the importance of planning to protect people with access and functional needs during evacuations, Cal OES should assist counties in that planning by issuing that guidance in compliance with the law. Further, Cal OES does not have the authority to chose not to comply with state law.

60-Day Agency Response

Cal OES will develop guidance regarding disaster registries. The guidance will meet all statutory requirements outlined in state law while outlining the agency's determination that disaster registries themselves are not a best practice.

As indicated in its response to CSA's report, Cal OES will not change its approach to the SEP, but will continue to reflect AFN considerations throughout all of its planning documents.

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

Cal OES states that it will not comply with state law by including in the state emergency plan guidance on evacuating people with access and functional needs. As we state in our report, Cal OES does not have the authority to chose not to comply with state law. It is critically important for local jurisdictions to include strategies for evacuating people with access and functional needs during natural disasters because people with those needs are more likely to need additional assistance. A lack of adequate guidance in this area is a critical deficiency in Cal OES's leadership. This recommendation will not be fully implemented until Cal OES issues the guidance that state law requires it to produce related to providing guidance on evacuating people with access and functional needs.

Recommendation #13 To: Emergency Services, Office of

To ensure that it adequately equips local jurisdictions to send alert and warning messages in languages that their residents will easily understand, Cal OES should do the following: provide clear direction to individuals who speak English so that they know which of the translated messages they should use in what specific circumstances; revise the messages it has provided so that local jurisdictions can more easily adapt them for use in a variety of disaster situations; expand its style guide to include terminology that emergency managers are likely to need to effectively modify their local messages and also to include translations for the other commonly spoken languages in the State.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

Cal OES Alert and Warning (A&W) Program has created message templates that can be used by local A&W authorities as situation dictates. The templates include clear directions and instructions to individuals who speak English, so that they know which of the translated messages they should use in a specific circumstance. The message templates have been expanded to include the top five (5) most prevalent threats (Fire, Flood, Earthquake, Hazardous Materials Spills, and Debris Flows) in California. All message templates will be translated to the top 18 most commonly spoken languages based on the 2020 California Census: Arabic, Armenia, Farsi, Spanish, Mandarin (Simplified Chinese), Cantonese (Traditional Chinese), Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

In addition, A&W has expanded its Style Guide and Glossary to include hazard specific terminology for top prevalent hazards in California. The Style Guide and Glossary will also be translated to the top 18 most commonly spoken languages in California.

Cal OES anticipates the completion date of the translation templates and the Style Guide to be at or near the end of October of 2023. Cal OES will provide copies of the translation templates and the Style Guide to CSA, once they are completed.

A&W also updated its Guidelines, which are currently under review by the Cal OES Executive Office. Once approved by the Executive Office, the Guidelines will be shared with the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) Technical and Advisory Committee and will provide final approval prior to publishing on the CalAlerts.org website. These guidelines will enable the development of robust, accessible, and effective alert and warning programs throughout California by providing a comprehensive articulation of best practices, protocols, and procedures used by jurisdictions to serve all Californians.

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

We will evaluate the updated alert and warning templates, style guide, and instructions when Cal OES completes them and submits them for our review.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

Cal OES continues to meet the requirement and improve on adequately equipping local jurisdictions to send alert and warning messages in languages that their residents will easily understand.

Cal OES Alert and Warning (A&W) Program has established a resource library of foreign language message templates by local Alert & Warning authorities with both FEMA-administered Alert and Warning systems, as well as mass notification systems and social media platforms, which provide greater capability for multilingual messaging. These templates can be used by local A&W authorities as situation dictates based on community demographics. The templates include clear direction to individuals who speak English, so that they know which of the translated messages they should use in what specific circumstance; furthermore, A&W is working on updating the message template format to be easily adaptable. The message templates will include the English sample message along with its translations. Message templates will also be expanded to include the top 5 most prevalent threats (Fire, Flood, Earthquake, Hazardous Materials Spills and Debris Flows) in California. All message templates will be translated to the top 10 most commonly spoken languages based on the 2020 California Census.

In addition, A&W will also expand its Style Guide and Glossary to include hazard specific terminology for top prevalent hazards in California that emergency managers are likely to need to effectively modify their local messages. The Style Guide and Glossary will be translated to the top 10 most commonly spoken languages based on the 2020 California Census.

Lastly, A&W is working on finalizing its State of California Alert and Warning Guidelines, which will enable the development of robust, accessible, and effective alert and warning programs throughout California by providing a comprehensive articulation of best practices, protocols, and procedures used by jurisdictions to serve all Californians.

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

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

Cal OES Alert and Warning (A&W) program has established a library of foreign language message templates with the local Alert & Warning authorities. These templates can be used by local A&W authorities as situation dictates based on community demographics. All local A&W authorities have been introduced to the library and many are already using it. Additional templates are to be created and added to the library as deemed necessary based on individual A&W needs. Cal OES A&W program continues to progressively work with local A&W authorities to further enhance this capability and encourage local A&W participations statewide.

Cal OES respectfully requests to close Finding #13 as the efforts underway will be focused on continuous improvement based on new, future Alert and Warning guidelines, technologies and implemented best practices.

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

As we note in the report, the translated messages that Cal OES created will not be helpful to emergency managers who do not already speak these languages because Cal OES has not provided a crosswalk of the English and translated versions of the templates. As a result, the guidance provides no indication of what the messages state for someone who does not speak, for instance, Chinese or Armenian, which greatly increases the risk that local jurisdictions will not use the templates or will use the wrong message template in an emergency situation.

We will not consider this recommendation to be fully implemented until Cal OES provides alert and warning message assistance that fully addresses the deficiencies we identified in our audit.

1-Year Agency Response

Cal OES and its partner agencies continuously performed extensive in-language public education and outreach efforts to emphasis on ensuring websites, social media, and public services announcements are being conveyed in a linguistically appropriate format. The COVID19.ca.gov website is currently available in 8 languages and public services announcements have been produced in 13 languages to ensure that all those in our state can receive the "Stay home, Save lives" messaging in format that meets their needs. Once the pandemic subsides, the Cal OES Response Operations Directorate will re-start its engagement with the Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committees to determine with local officials the most operationally sound approach to enhancing the effectiveness of translated message templates. Cal OES's corrective action is ongoing and will require continual updates.

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

6-Month Agency Response

On March 4, 2020, the State of California declared a State of Emergency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the Cal OES Response Operations Directorate fully mobilized to support COVID-19 disaster response efforts and temporarily postponed other steady state planning efforts, including engagement with the Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committees, to ensure all available personnel were focused on supporting COVID-19. As part of the state's response to COVID-19, Cal OES and its partner agencies have performed extensive in-language public education and outreach efforts which an emphasis on ensuring websites, social media and public services announcements are being conveyed in a linguistically appropriate format. The COVID19.ca.gov website is currently available 8 languages and public services announcements have been produced in 13 languages to ensure that all those in our state can receive the "Stay home, Save lives" messaging in format that meets their needs. Once the pandemic subsides, the Cal OES Response Operations Directorate will re-start its engagement with the Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committees to determine with local officials the most operationally sound approach to enhancing the effectiveness of translated message templates. Cal OES's corrective action is ongoing and will require continual updates.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

Cal OES Response Operations Directorate is planning to use its Spring 2020 Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committee meetings (beginning March 11, 2020) to determine with local officials the most operationally sound approach to enhancing the effectiveness of translated message templates. Cal OES's corrective action is ongoing and will require continual updates.

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

Recommendation #14 To: Emergency Services, Office of

To improve local jurisdictions' ability to quickly retrieve guidance and resources related to planning to meet access and functional needs during natural disasters, Cal OES should make its emergency planning guidance and resources easily available through restructuring and improving its access and functional needs library webpage by April 2020.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

The Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Library has been revised and an announcement of the revised library was pushed out to Cal OES regions (and their corresponding local jurisdictions), community partners throughout the state, and the Cal OES AFN Advisory Committee. Copies of the announcement and correspondences were provided to CSA via encrypted email. Link to revised library: https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/access-functional-needs/afn-library.

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

Cal OES demonstrated that it has reorganized its AFN library and provided better information for local jurisdictions on the resources that it contains.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2021

The Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Library has been revised and an announcement of the revised library was pushed out to Cal OES regions (and their corresponding local jurisdictions), community partners throughout the state, and the Cal OES AFN Advisory Committee (see attached announcement and email). Link to revised library: https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/access-functional-needs/afn-library. Supporting documentation was provided to CSA.

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

1-Year Agency Response

Cal OES identified funds to restructure the AFN Library and is currently working to complete this project. Anticipated completion date, April 15, 2021.

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

6-Month Agency Response

Cal OES continues to identifying funds to restructure the AFN Library as a means to ensure the guidance, best practices, and informational products contained on the site are relevant, easy to find, and useful for emergency managers and the whole community.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

Cal OES is in the process of identifying funds to restructure the AFN Library as a means to ensure the guidance, best practices, and informational products contained on the site are relevant, easy to find, and useful for emergency managers and the whole community.

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

As we note in the report, until Cal OES improves the access and functional needs webpage, local jurisdictions attempting to use the webpage will face challenges in locating the information that would be most useful to them in planning to meet access and functional needs during natural disasters. For that reason, we recommended that Cal OES improve its webpage by April 2020. However, Cal OES indicates in its response that it will not restructure the webpage until December 2020. Until it does so in a way that makes the guidance and resources on the webpage easily available to those who need it, this recommendation will not be fully implemented.

All Recommendations in 2019-103

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.