2014/2015 Annual Report | Page 24

Moving Forward (Continued) (CERT), Emergency Communications Service (ECS) and California Disaster Corps programs for their outstanding service. Following the ceremony, leaders from all three programs were escorted onto the field for a special recognition and the presentation of the OES Eagle Award. Ed and Bonnie Ross of Wrightwood CERT were awarded OES’ highest award which is given to volunteers who go above and beyond in their service to their respective programs and the County as a whole. Before volunteers enjoyed the baseball game and each other’s company the SBCoFire Honor Guard accompanied by the Pipes and Drums, presented the colors. Office of Emergency Services Wins Gold for Second Year What is CUPA Certified Unified Program Agencies, or CUPAs, are local agencies that are certified by the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) to implement the Cal/EPA Unified Program elements in the CUPAs jurisdiction. The first CUPA, along with San Bernardino County, was certified in 1996. San Bernardino County CUPA Program is solely supported through permit fees. CUPAs have the statutory authority to require permits, inspect facilities, issue violations, and perform enforcement actions. This division consists of 26 field inspectors, 8 clerical support, 2 supervisors, 1 Deputy Fire Marshal, and 1 Fire Marshal positions. Within the CUPA program, there is an Emergency Response Unit. The Emergency Response Unit conducts inspections during the day, and is also assigned after-hours rotation to respond countywide, as requested, for emergency response purposes. San Bernardino County CUPA regulates approximately 6,600 facilities throughout the County. Approximately 780 of these facilities have underground storage tank systems, like those you find at gas stations. Over 5,400 inspections are conducted on an annual basis. In 2015, the Victorville City CUPA will be absorbed into the County. OES Volunteers Hit It Out of the Park! The Office of Emergency Services (OES) shows its pride in volunteers. On April 18, over 170 OES volunteers, staff and guests spent a night out at the ballgame. The inaugural event was organized by OES as a way to say “thank you” to its volunteers and took place at the LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga. During an Award Ceremony conducted prior to the baseball game OES staff awarded volunteers from the County’s Community Emergency Response Team 20 For the second year in a row, the Office of Emergency Services (OES) accepted the Gold Award from the California Emergency Services Association (CESA) at their annual conference. On September 10, OES received the association’s highest honor for its creation of the “ROPE FOG” (Responders Organized for Pass Emergencies - Field Operations Guide). Last year’s award was received for the development of the innovative Shelter Operations Compound, or SHOC, plan. Recognizing the nationwide significance of the Cajon Pass/I-15 corridor, lessons learned from the 1996 train derailment that caused a 59 hour I-15 full freeway closure; and taking into account the possibility of a 7.8 catastrophic earthquake, County Fire OES took the lead in assembling critical stakeholders to address vulnerabilities and challenges faced in a catastrophic incident affecting the Cajon Pass. Stabilizing and restoring critical utilities is of the utmost importance to sustaining life, restoring the economy, and overall recovery. OES steered the two-year effort and established a planning team, comprised of all the Cajon Pass stakeholders, to help create the ROPE FOG. Evaluating the progress of the FOG development involved a combination of training events, exercises, and real-world experience to determine whether the needs of the end user were addressed by the FOG. The end result was the creation of a user-friendly hands-on tool that provides critical incident communications planning guidance, locates possible sites for essential operational locations and pinpoints critical infrastructure. Receipt of the CESA Gold Award by County OES demonstrates the commitment of the County to be prepared for all hazards and serves as a reminder to all residents to take steps to be prepared themselves. Visit: www.sbcounty.gov/ Uploads/SBCFire/content/oes/pdf/FamilyDisasterPlan.pdf to download your own copy of “Your Family Disaster Plan” and learn how you can take steps now to become better prepare