County of Santa Barbara is Seeking Public Input on Five-Year Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

The County of Santa Barbara is seeking the public’s input for its Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP). The purpose of the MJHMP Update is to improve disaster preparedness and reduce or eliminate risks to community, life, and property. The MJHMP Update will identify local hazards and mitigation measures available to reduce associated risks. “Mitigation measures” include actions or policies implemented to reduce or minimize the potential for an adverse impact, such as creating fire safety setbacks to reduce the potential for a fire to spread.Anyone can help identify risks in their community by taking this brief survey This survey can be taken anonymously and includes questions regarding your experiences with local hazards, threats, potential mitigation measures, and feedback on the most effective ways to alert the public during an emergency.The public is encouraged to learn more about the project, ways to stay involved and sign up to receive updates at the project website. Public workshops will be announced at key points in the process through 2021 and early 2022 to discuss community hazards and mitigation measures. The MJHMP was last published in 2017, with updates required every five years. After more than 12 months of public input, the next update will be published in 2022. The MJHMP Update is in coordination with the county’s eight incorporated cities, unincorporated communities, Cachuma Operations and Maintenance Board, Carpinteria Valley Water District, Montecito Fire Protection District, Montecito Water District, and County public safety departments, as well as support and review from the State of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).County residents are encouraged to check the project website for updates.For questions, contact the County Office of Emergency Management at 
(805) 681-5526.