REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 4, 2025
FROM
CRISANTA GONZALEZ, Director of Emergency Management, Office of Emergency Services
SUBJECT
Title
San Bernardino County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan Update
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Adopt Resolution approving revisions to the San Bernardino County Emergency Operations Plan, dated January 2019, for the County’s Operational Area.
2. Authorize a copy of the approved San Bernardino County Emergency Operations Plan to be forwarded to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
3. Authorize the San Bernardino County Director of Emergency Management to implement future non-substantive revisions to the San Bernardino County Emergency Operations Plan.
(Presenter: Crisanta Gonzalez, Director of Emergency Management, 356-3988)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as this item is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Approval of this item will permit revisions made to the January 2019 San Bernardino County (County) Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) for the County’s Operational Area (OA) and will authorize the Office of Emergency Services to integrate Emergency Support Function (ESF) plans and models that address identified gaps in emergency planning and coordination.
The Board of Supervisors previously adopted the EOP on February 26, 2013 (Item No. 27). Non-substantive changes were made to the EOP between 2017 and January 2019. These amendments did not impact the plan’s strategic framework or operational effectiveness. The revisions were limited to administrative modifications, including updates to personnel assignments, adjustments to communication platform protocols, and verification of mutual aid contact information.
Following a comprehensive review of the EOP in 2019, it was determined that substantive revisions were necessary to ensure the document remains aligned with current best practices. On December 19, 2024, following a competitive procurement process conducted through Request for Proposal No. OES125-OESAD-5587, the Office of Emergency Services awarded a contract not to exceed $191,800 to Jacob Green and Associates under the County’s Purchasing Authority. The purpose of this engagement was to conduct a gap analysis and deliver an updated County EOP.
The contractor completed this analysis and made recommendations. The updated EOP being brought forth for adoption in Recommendation No. 1 incorporates these recommendations.
Although these changes are not mandated, they will better align the EOP with industry standards and align formatting with current state and federal standards. Twenty-one ESF plans have been developed that help identify steps to coordinate disaster response, readiness, and function-based disaster response priorities and tasks. These functions are crosscutting to all-hazards and all-risk emergencies and will enable purposeful and relevant department-level preparedness.
The incorporation of ESF annexes into the updated EOP introduces components that expand the operational capacity of the County’s OA. This model enhances the County’s emergency response and recovery capabilities across multiple functional areas. The proposed modifications align the County’s organizational structure to more effectively manage all hazards/emergencies, promote clear communication, minimize resource duplication, and facilitate the efficient exchange of information among County departments and partnering jurisdictions.
The National Incident Management System and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services require that a jurisdiction maintain a current and comprehensive EOP. To promote consistency, OES has adopted a five year review and update cycle - mirroring the precedent established for the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. This EOP update outlines the plan’s overarching purpose, development, and maintenance, as well as the legal authorities and reference frameworks that guide its implementation.
The EOP is a high-level living document flexible enough to utilize in all emergencies. It includes, but is not limited to, the following: situation and assumptions; four phases of emergency management; concept of operations; communications; organization and assignment of responsibilities according to the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the Incident Command System. The updated EOP addresses critical functions pertaining to continuity of government and lines of succession, as well as general roles and responsibilities of County Departments during emergencies. The EOP is a guidance document for the County’s response to emergency operations and coordination-it is not intended to provide detailed response level instruction, which is instead addressed in EOP annexes and individual department standard operation procedures.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Miles Kowalski, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 24, 2025; Purchasing (Jessica Barajas, Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on October 9, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Carl Lofton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5404) on October 14, 2025.