Supervisors call for advanced post-disaster recovery planning

The major fires in San Diego County during 2003 and 2007 exposed vulnerabilities in the county’s disaster recovery system, and the March 11 earthquake in Japan also illustrated the need for post-disaster planning. The County of San Diego will likely be putting together a program to accelerate recovery after any future catastrophic events.

A 5-0 San Diego County Board of Supervisors vote April 12 directed the county’s Chief Administrative Officer to report back to the Board of Supervisors within 60 days on an “Advanced Post-Disaster Recovery Initiative” which would encompass any efforts already under way along with any new initiatives which would be necessary to provide a comprehensive program the county could adopt prior to a disaster to enhance recovery following that disaster.

“Our goal is to be the best prepared we can be,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob. “Our region has learned valuable lessons regarding disaster preparedness, disaster recovery.”

The county has implemented programs for disaster response in the past and has taken some steps to improve disaster recovery such as helping to create and fund the Red Guide to Disaster Recovery. The “Advanced Post-Disaster Recovery Initiative” will cover four key components of recovery: helping individual citizens recover, restoring community lifelines, rebuilding community fabric, and readying a trained workforce to conduct recovery activities in a community. “By acting now to prepare for the worst, we’ll be ready to get our citizens and communities back on their feet,” said Supervisor Bill Horn. “When it comes to disasters we think in terms of when and not if.”

Key elements of the “Advanced Post-Disaster Recovery Initiative” include establishing contracts in advance for post-disaster activities, establishing programs for rapid restoration of lifeline infrastructure such as water, communication, power, and transportation, planning for quick economic recovery, and a focus on having mechanisms in place to assist individual victims

quickly.

“As we’re seeing in Japan, the anatomy of a disaster is never simple,” Horn said. “Japan is seeing first-hand that disaster recovery is just as important as preparedness and response.”

The steps in the initiative include pre-qualifying vendors who would be needed for post-disaster cleanup, developing detailed plans for post-disaster local assistance centers, working with banks to establish mobile automated teller machines in areas left without electrical power, and training staff to perform post-disaster activities.

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