The San Benito County Office of Emergency Services (OES) mission is to lead the San Benito County Operational Areas collective efforts to protect life, property, the environment by developing, coordinating, and managing programs that prevent, protect, respond to, recover from, and mitigate natural and man-made disasters and emergencies.

DEPARTMENT/DIVISION OVERVIEW

The Office of Emergency Services (OES) provides emergency management services for the County Operational Area including its two principal cities and all special districts and political subdivisions. OES coordinates emergency operations activities among all the various local jurisdictions and develops written guidelines for emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation to natural or man-made disasters.

OES is charged with providing the necessary planning, coordination, response support and communications with all agencies affected by large scale emergencies or disasters. OES works in a cooperative effort with other governmental jurisdictions within the county; disciplines such as law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services, state and federal agencies, utilities, private industry, and volunteer groups in order to provide a coordinated response to disasters.

The Emergency Services Manager is responsible to manage the County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). In any disaster the EOC becomes the single focal point for centralized management and coordination of emergency response and recovery operations during a disaster or emergency affecting the San Benito County Operational Area. The EOC will be activated when an emergency situation occurs that exceeds local and/or in-field capabilities to adequately respond to and mitigate the incident.

The San Benito County Office of Emergency Services (OES) is also responsible for the administration of the several county emergency management programs on a day-to-day basis.

The San Benito County Office of Emergency Services is mandated by the California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7, Division 1, Title 2 of Government Code to serve as the liaison between the State and all the local government political subdivisions comprising San Benito County.

STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREAS

• Provide online training to all Count employees/DSW and all EOC designated personnel
• Grant Management and Administration
• Community Preparedness - offer CERT to employees

Detailed information can be found here: Strategic Plan Overview

• EOC Activation and management of Winter Storms, Clean Green Recycling Fire, Moss landing Fire
• Participated in South Bay (Tri-County) Active Attacker Training
• Drafted Active Attacker policy for operational area

• Emergency Operations Center Training for personnel; and
• Retaining staff.

• Emergency Plan Management (all plans will need updating);
• Community Preparedness and Trainings;
• Grant Management; and
• Inventory of Grant Purchases.