A recent audit revealed significant shortcomings in the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) regarding its support for local emergency planning, particularly for vulnerable populations. The findings, presented during a joint legislative hearing, highlighted that Cal OES has failed to adequately address the needs of the Access and Functional Needs (AFN) community in its state emergency plans, despite a legal requirement to do so since 2013.

The audit pointed out that Cal OES's guidance has not evolved to include best practices for evacuating individuals with disabilities and other access needs. Instead of updating the state plan, Cal OES opted to post resources on a separate, user-unfriendly website, which contains over 250 links with vague titles, making it difficult for local jurisdictions to find relevant information.

Moreover, the audit criticized Cal OES for not developing effective guidelines for disaster registries, which are essential for ensuring that first responders can contact individuals with access needs during emergencies. While some counties, like Butte, have successfully utilized disaster registries, they lacked the necessary guidance from Cal OES.

The report also noted that Cal OES's library of emergency alert messages in foreign languages was inadequate, lacking English translations and adaptability for various emergencies. Additionally, the agency has struggled to complete after-action reports in a timely manner, with 57 out of 65 required reports not finalized between January 2014 and December 2018.

In response to these findings, the audit recommended that the legislature direct Cal OES to conduct annual reviews of local emergency plans, involve AFN representatives in state planning, and improve the dissemination of lessons learned from past disasters. Legislative actions have already begun to address these issues, with new bills requiring Cal OES to coordinate with AFN populations and review county emergency plans regularly.

As California continues to face natural disasters, the effectiveness of emergency management for all citizens, especially those with access needs, remains a critical concern. The ongoing legislative efforts aim to ensure that future emergency responses are more inclusive and effective.