SAN DIEGO–Greg Cox, Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors and San Diego Mayor Bob Filner on Monday announced a slate of joint City and County initiatives to keep San Diegans safe before, during and after regional disasters.
“We know from experience that wildfires and earthquakes don’t stop at jurisdictional boundaries,” said Chairman Cox. “That’s why Mayor Filner and I are committing today to working together in a disaster to serve all the residents of San Diego County.” To get the repairs properly done, you must work with an experienced contractor such as Valley Disaster and Restoration.
These key initiatives were announced Monday at the County’s Emergency Operations Center in Kearny Mesa:
Joint City/County Recovery Center—After a regional disaster, the City and the County will operate a joint recovery center focused on getting the region back on its feet. From the recovery center, County and City departments will oversee protection of life, property and the environment, address victims’ immediate and long term needs, direct restoration of essential services, and oversee long term rebuilding and recovery efforts. The center will streamline recovery for residents, no matter where they live, and reduce duplication of efforts by the region’s two largest local governments.
· Accessible AlertSanDiego—Residents of San Diego County, whether they are in the City of San Diego or somewhere else, can get emergency notifications tailored to their needs. Accessible AlertSanDiego carries emergency messages in American Sign Language, audio or text to computers, smartphones and Braille devices. People can register to receive accessible format or standard format emergency alerts at www.readysandiego.org.
· San Diego County Mobile app, version 2.0—In a significant update, the free SD Emergency app for Android and Apple devices has added emergency updates or information from San Diego and the region’s 17 other cities. The app also has an improved map interface that will show users critical emergency information, such as the boundaries of a disaster area, evacuation areas, earthquake details and road closures.
Since it launched in the fall, the app has alerted and informed users about several emergencies, including the Shockey Fire in East County, which destroyed 20 homes. Smartphone and tablet users will get critical emergency information wherever they are when a disaster strikes. Before an emergency, the app helps residents prepare with handy, interactive checklists to build an emergency kit or make a family disaster plan. Download it in the Google Play or Apple App store or visitwww.sdcountyemergency.com.
· 2-1-1 San Diego—The County is creating a partnership with 2-1-1 San Diego to permit 2-1-1 to take calls during a disaster from people who want to volunteer. 2-1-1 will be equipped to match residents with organizations seeking volunteers during a regional crisis. This partnership will help facilitate the community’s response and recovery efforts and allow San Diegans to pitch in during disasters and help their neighbors. Chairman Cox also reminded the public to call 2-1-1 for information on how to respond during an emergency and leave 9-1-1 clear for reporting emergencies.
