There’s no such thing as being too prepared, and county officials have taken that sentiment to heart recently. Officials launched a mutual aid agreement between county public works departments, while at the same time treating land scorched by the Gap Fire to prevent flooding and mudslides. The two projects are happening simultaneously, and both are designed to stop an emergency from crippling the county.
The mutual aid agreement is similar to a system already in place for fire departments throughout the county. That setup allows the departments to share resources during a wild fire and ask for help from other fire departments throughout the county, the state, and even the nation. It’s worked so well for county fire, public works decided to get in on the action.
“It provides us with tremendous flexibility during a natural disaster,” said Scott McGolpin, Santa Barbara County director of public works.
McGolpin explained that equipment is what will most likely be shared between departments in the event of an emergency. Specifically, the equipment will be used to clear roads, dig out mudslides, pick up debris, and handle anything else it can. Since they’ll be able to count on other departments for help, emergency responders will be quicker, McGolpin said. For example, if a mudslide occurs on county land near Santa Maria, the county can call on the Santa Maria Public Works Department to help, instead of sending equipment in from Santa Barbara.
“This agreement is a significant achievement for the entire county that will benefit all residents, businesses, and visitors,” County Executive Officer Michael Brown said in a release. “The County’s Office of Emergency Services and the Public Works Department have significantly improved our emergency preparedness efforts by establishing this cooperative agreement with our cities.”
Santa Barbara County is the first county in the state to reach a mutual aid agreement between all municipal Public Works Departments and all incorporated areas, according to Loni Eazell, senior disaster services analyst for the Los Angeles County Public Works Department. Eazell is in charge of overseeing mutual aid agreements throughout the state.
There are 17 other counties with agreements, but Santa Barbara is the first to include incorporated areas. The cities of Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Solvang have all signed the agreement, as has the county. McGolpin said that representatives from various departments had been working on the agreement for about six months before signing—not that long at all, he noted, considering the depth of the agreement.
“I think we have good relationships between the county and city public works departments,” he said.
While the mutual aid agreement has yet to be tested, McGolpin is working on another project designed to prevent disaster. The county has taken over an aerial hydromulching operation from the United States Forest Service.
Hydromulch is an organic substance that helps native seeds take root by providing protection for the soil during rainy seasons. Six small airplanes and one helicopter are applying the mulch to the areas that burned in the Gap Fire. The mulch, dyed a bright green for better visibility, should help those areas recover more quickly and lessen the risk of floods, though the county is still recommending that anyone who lives below or near the Gap Fire area buy flood insurance now.
The hydromulching will cost $3.2 million. Seventy-five percent of that cost is being covered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The balance is being funded by contributions from the cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara and the state. The county will pay the balance—all in the spirit of cooperation and preparation.
“We’re doing everything in our power to be prepared for a natural disaster,” McGolpin said.
Contact Sports Editor Sarah E. Thien at sthien@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 16-23, 2008.