Report 2019-103 Recommendation 2 Responses

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

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.

All Recommendations in 2019-103

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.