Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/850954
E n s u r i n g a S t r o n g F u t u r e 32 | P a g e Major Emergencies • Power Outages • Water Main Breaks • Sewer Spills Natural Disasters • Earthquakes • Wildfires • Floods Man Made Disasters • Terrorist Attacks • Arson • Contamination Facilities and Emergency Preparedness The District operates critical infrastructure and must maintain the safety and reliability of the water supply and wastewater system for our customers. Facilities and Emergency Preparedness emphasizes protecting critical facilities against risks and vulnerabilities from major emergencies, natural disasters and man-made disasters. The ability to respond quickly to these events, any of which may affect large portions of our service area, helps ensure water supply availability and can minimize potential injury, property damage, and District downtime. The District uses our Emergency Response Plan (ERP) as the guiding document during emergencies. The ERP contains valuable information that explains when the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) should be activated and outlines the roles and responsibilities of each EOC section. The ERP is used in at least one EOC training session per year and is updated annually. Physical Security Continuous efforts are made to ensure all District facilities are protected from human encroachment through secure fencing and video monitoring. The video monitoring system is being expanded by staff, with an eventual goal to cover all District facilities. Physical security assessments are routinely conducted and improvement plans are developed for critical facilities to ensure continued water and sewer system protection against potential threats. Emergency Preparedness and Response Ongoing efforts are also made to improve and refine the District's competency in Emergency Preparedness and Response by: • Engaging in water-related security and emergency response issues at the local, regional and national levels; • Conducting annual EOC disaster simulation tabletop exercises with key staff to ensure effective emergency response in the event of an actual emergency; • Training staff in the National Incident Management System; • Participation in Shared Resources Programs with other agencies. Facilities and Emergency Preparedness