OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
OES MISSION STATEMENT
“Through leadership and guidance, strengthen countywide
emergency management capabilities to ensure the protection of
life and property before, during and after disasters.”
By Michael A. Ramirez
Emergency Services Officer
A Deluge of Activity
Tuning into the evening news this fall
and winter, you’ll be sure to see at least
one story on the impending “El Niño.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), El Niño is “a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the
Tropical Pacific having important consequences for weather and climate
around the globe.” One of those consequences is the more-than-likely
scenario that San Bernardino County will see a wetter than normal
rainy season. In preparation, the San Bernardino County Fire, Office of
Emergency Services (OES) has taken the lead in the county to encourage
all jurisdictions in the operational area to take appropriate steps to
mitigate against the possible effects of El Niño.
In December County OES completed a countywide survey of El Niño
response resources. County OES also coordinated an El Niño cost recovery
workshop attended by over 100 emergency and fiscal managers from
throughout the county. This workshop was delivered by a recognized expert
in the field and provided essential information to assist in optimizing the
recovery of possible El Niño-related costs. Additionally, County OES brought
together representatives from the Office of the Fire Marshall and Land Use
Services to coordinate the use of best practices and technological tools for
the speedy and efficient assessment of possible storm related damages.
During late September through early November County OES conducted
a series of cooperators and public awareness meetings, strategically
located throughout the county in the communities of Lake Arrowhead,
Rancho Cucamonga, San Antonio Heights (public awareness only), Yucca
Valley, Yucaipa (cooperators meeting only) and Victorville. The cooperators
meetings brought together agencies that would be responsible to respond
to and recover from an El Niño-caused incident. These cooperators were
given the opportunity to hear the latest from the National Weather Service,
Department of Public Works and others. It also afforded attendees the
opportunity to discuss plans and concerns they may have about their
respective areas of responsibility. The cooperators meetings were followed
by an El Niño public awareness meeting which was opened to the public
and allowed residents to also receive important information from many of
the same speakers who presented during the cooperators meeting. A total
of approximately 350 cooperators and over 1,000 members of the public
attended these important meetings.
Future activity includes County OES’ assistance to county fire stations
located in flood-prone areas in distributing information to area residents.
County OES volunteers from the Community Emergency Response Team
(CERT) program will be pressed into service to make these door-to-door
notifications in all five divisions. Additionally, in January County OES will
coordinate a second Emergency Flood Fight Methods class for CERT
volunteers. This course will be taught by instructors from the California
Department of Water Resources and will be hosted by the San Manuel
Band of Mission Indians. The same course was hosted in early December
by the City of Hesperia and included a special presentation on County
Fire’s swiftwater rescue capabilities by Captain Mark Murphy.
OES EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHT MICHAEL A. RAMIREZ,
Standing on the west steps of the California State
Capitol were Emergency Services Officer (ESO) Michael
A. Ramirez and Emergency Services Manager Michael
Antonucci, both representing San Bernardino County
Fire, Office of Emergency Services (OES). There to
accept an award recognizing the county’s Community
Emergency Response Team (CERT) program as the
outstanding California disaster volunteer program for
2015, it was an opportunity to reflect on the progression
of the CERT program and the person responsible for its
success—Michael Ramirez.
Michael started with OES in June 2010 specifically to
coordinate and administer the CERT program. He came
to OES from Orange County Animal Control Services,
where he worked for five years. Prior to that he earned
his Master of Divinity from The Master’s Seminary in Sun
Valley, and traveled the world teaching English and/or theology. His travels took him to the Czech
Republic; Yekaterinburg, Russia; and Lome, Togo, in West Africa. These experiences made Michael
the perfect choice to lead wha \