Community Planning
About Community Planning
The Community Planning Unit (CPU), formed in 2019, supports local emergency planning with an emphasis on the whole community. The unit partners with Cal OES Administrative Regions, Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Councils (MARACs), Operational Areas (OAs), and local communities. Additionally, CPU enrolls experts in alert and warning, emergency support functions planning, and access and functional needs. Working together, we enhance emergency planning for the whole community.
The current CPU focus is on emergency planning at the county (or operational area) level. The unit coordinates reviews of emergency operations plans to ensure that the plans incorporate best practices, protect and accommodate vulnerable populations, and establish procedures for alerting, evacuating, and sheltering individuals during an emergency. Extra attention is given to the plan’s enrollment and inclusion of culturally diverse populations and individuals with access and functional needs.
In the future, the unit hopes to partner more closely with individual community preparedness programs and provide more guidance on both emergency planning and whole community concepts.
News
2024 EOP Reviews
In accordance with Government Code 8593.2, subdivision (c) and Government Code 8610, subdivision (c), Cal OES has begun reviewing County Emergency Operations Plans (EOPS).
The 10 counties selected for review in 2024 have been notified. Those counties will complete the submission form and send their EOP and a completed EOP Crosswalk to their Cal OES Regional Branch.
As required by Government Code 8593.2, subdivision (a), any county that updates its EOP must also submit its EOP to Cal OES. To allow time for review, possible access and functional needs consultation, and incorporation of feedback, counties should submit their updated EOP to Cal OES 90 days prior to planned approval and adoption. Counties with EOP updates should complete the submission form and send their EOP and a completed EOP crosswalk to their Cal OES Regional Branch.
For more information, please reference the County Emergency Fact Sheet Cal OES County EOP Review Process.
Fact Sheet: Updates to County Emergency Plan Legislation
Between 2016 and 2022, there have been seven bills amending or adding to Government Code regulating county emergency plans. These bills introduce new requirements regarding county emergency plans (1) submission, (2) content and planning process, and (3) review. The Updates to County Emergency Plan Legislation Fact Sheet lists the bills and summarizes the new requirements.
County Emergency Plan Submission Deadline March 1, 2022
Per AB 580, a county shall send a copy of its emergency plan to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) on or before March 1, 2022, and upon any update to the plan after that date. For the purposes of this requirement and subsequent review, counties will submit their Operational Area (OA) plans if the OA plan serves as the county plan. This submission meets the requirements of GC § 8593.3.2 (AB 580). Plans will be submitted to the Cal OES Regional Branch.
Draft Best Practices for County Emergency Plans
Draft State of California Planning Best Practices for County Emergency Plans – On September 29, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2968 – County Emergency Plans: Best Practices (Rodriguez) into law. This addition to the Government Code requires the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to “develop best practices for counties developing and updating a county emergency plan” by January 1, 2022. Accordingly, Cal OES offers this draft Planning Best Practices for County Emergency Plans.
This draft document is a compilation of methods and techniques successfully employed by a diverse group of public and private emergency management practitioners. The best practices in this draft document were selected from reviews of After Action Reports, Listos California community discussions, federal planning guidance such as Comprehensive Planning Guidance 101 (CPG 101), and Whole Community Planning Specialist Committee meetings. Planning Best Practices for County Emergency Plans is considered a living document and will continue to be updated to impart beneficial practices in emergency management in order to meet the needs of California’s county emergency planners and the diverse communities they serve.
Whole Community Planning Resources
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- State of California Best Practices for Allowing Pets on Public Transit (Public Utilities Code 99166)
- FEMA Comprehensive Planning Guide 101 V.3: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans
- FEMA Operational Planning Manual FEMA P-1017
- FEMA A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management: Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action
- FEMA Planning Considerations: Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place – Guidance for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Partners
Please open the link bellow to access the Cal OES Access and Functional Needs Library. This library provides community-based and local, state, and federal government resources on integrating access and functional needs into emergency planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs)
A: There is no California requirement regarding the update schedule of EOPs. CPG 101 Version 3 states that emergency “plans need periodic review and updates to address changes over time in risk and capabilities.”
Q: Are EOPs mandatory?
A: Government Code 8610 grants counties and cities the authorization to create a disaster council. If a disaster council is created, it must develop an emergency plan (EOP).
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Reviews
A: Cal OES will review at least 10 EOPs each year. The review schedule for 2023 will be announced in late 2022. Plan updates should be submitted for review even if not selected in the schedule. (I.e. Cal OES will review at least 10 plans per year and will add and prioritize any plan updates.)
Q: How long do EOP reviews take?
A: We are anticipating 30-45 business days per review. Plan updates should be submitted to OES 90 days prior to planned approval/adoption so that there is time for both the review process and incorporation of recommendations.
Q: What if my plan is an OA plan, not a county plan?
A: The guiding legislation uses the term “county,” not “OA.” For purposes of the OES review, we will use the OA plan if it serves as the county plan.
Q: Does the county have to incorporate OES recommendations?
A: AB 580 states: ”The county shall develop and revise its emergency plan to address the issues that the office identified in its review.” Counties are encouraged to consult with their legal counsel on the interpretation and application of this law (Government Code 8593.3.2.)
Q: Will Cal OES approve the county EOP?
A: No, Cal OES will not be approving the EOP. The review completion letter that accompanies the recommendations will not contain language to “approve” or “accept” the plan.
Q: What is an Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Consultation?
A: When an AFN Consultation is requested, the Cal OES Office of Access and Functional Needs (OAFN) will meet with the jurisdiction to provide additional technical assistance, support, and expertise before finalizing the EOP review and issuing recommendations. To request an AFN Consultation, email OAFN@caloes.ca.gov, with a copy to communityplanning@caloes.ca.gov.
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Review Crosswalk
Q: How has the EOP Review Crosswalk changed from the 2020 version?
A: The revised crosswalk has updated elements (56 – 73) that reflect recent changes to legislation. Please refer to the Updates to County Emergency Plan Legislation Fact Sheet for a summary of the new legislation (eight bills).
Q: Who uses the EOP Review Crosswalk?
A: The EOP Review Crosswalk is intended for use by counties or Operational Areas. Other jurisdictions, such as cities, school districts, or utility districts, may also use the crosswalk, but those plans are not reviewed by Cal OES.
Best Practices
Q: When will the Best Practices document be finalized?
A: Along with EOP reviews, CPU will prioritize the Best Practices document in 2024
