Tsunami Local Guidance

Local Planning Guidance on

Tsunami Response
SECOND EDITION
A Supplement to the Emergency Planning Guidance
for Local Governments

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor
State of California

Henry R. Renteria
Director
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

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State of California
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

Preface
The research, the committee deliberations, and the writing of this document were supported by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Tsunami Hazard
Mitigation Program, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES)
Earthquake Program.

The opinions and recommendations do not necessarily represent those of NOAA or FEMA. The
contents do not guarantee the safety of any individual, structure, or facility in an earthquake or
tsunami. Neither the Unites States nor the State of California, assumes liability for any injury, death,
or property damage that results from an earthquake or a tsunami.

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 Local Planning Guidance on Tsunami Response
A Supplement to the Emergency Planning Guidance for Local Government

California Tsunami Steering Committee Members

Susan Asturias, San Diego County Office of Disaster Preparedness
Chris Bach, City of San Diego Office of Disaster Preparedness
Joyce Harris, Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management
Mike Martinet, Los Angeles County Area G, Office of Emergency Planning
Ellen McNeill, Santa Monica Fire Department
Andy Rosenberger, Santa Barbara Fire Department
Mary Barron, Santa Barbara County Fire Department
Mike Mitchell, Santa Barbara Police Department
Lori Dengler, Department of Geology, Humboldt State University, Arcata
Tom Maruyama, San Mateo County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services
Stasha Wyskiel, San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Emergency Services
Rich Eisner, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Coastal Region
Deborah Steffen, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Southern Region
Lloyd Darrington, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Telecommunications Branch
Fritz Patterson, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Law Branch
Catherine Firpo, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Coastal Region
Cathie Currie, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Southern Region
Tom Mullins, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Information and Public Affairs
Jane Hindmarsh, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, PTAB

OES Project Staff

Richard Eisner, Coastal Region Administrator
Catherine Firpo
Brenna Carr
LaVange Guinn
Robert Foster
Kathleen Bailey

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CONTENTS
Preface...............................................................................................................................................2

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................10

Introduction .....................................................................................................................................11

Use of Model Inundation Maps ......................................................................................................12

Limitations and Use of Inundation Projections ..............................................................12

Development of Tsunami Plans ......................................................................................................14

Evacuation Plans ................................................................................................................15

Public Education Programs and Training .......................................................................15
Exercises ..............................................................................................................................16

Tsunami Warning System ...............................................................................................................17

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 - Acronyms and Terminology.....................................................................................19

Acronyms ............................................................................................................................19
Terminology ........................................................................................................................21

Appendix 2 - Tsunami Background Information ..........................................................................24

What is a Tsunami? What Causes It? ..............................................................................24

Tsunami Categories ...........................................................................................................25
Tsunamis in California ......................................................................................................25
The Tsunami Threat to Northern California ..................................................................26
The Tsunami Threat to Southern California ..................................................................26
Near-Source Tsunami Detection .......................................................................................27
Near-Source Tsunami Warnings ......................................................................................27
The Pacific-Wide Tsunami Warning System ..................................................................28
Local Government Evacuation Plans ...............................................................................28
North Coast Scenario .........................................................................................................29
Historic California Tsunamis ............................................................................................30

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Appendix 3 - Tsunami Planning ....................................................................................................36

Tsunami Sample Planning Template ...............................................................................36

Management .........................................................................................................................36
Organizational Structure ..........................................................................................36
Coordination of Disciplines .....................................................................................36
Non-Profits and Private Businesses .........................................................................37
Public Information....................................................................................................37
Safety and Security ..................................................................................................37
Information Dissemination ......................................................................................37
Operations ............................................................................................................................38
Fire Department .......................................................................................................38
Hazardous Materials ................................................................................................38
Law Enforcement .....................................................................................................39
Coroner ....................................................................................................................39
Medical and Health ..................................................................................................40
Care & Shelter ..........................................................................................................41
Public Works and Utilities .......................................................................................41
Planning and Intelligence .....................................................................................................43
Threat Analysis ........................................................................................................43
Identification of Planning Gaps ...............................................................................43
Logistics ...............................................................................................................................44
Support Requirements ..............................................................................................44
Resources Data Bases ..............................................................................................44
Finance and Administration .................................................................................................44
Continuity of Operations ..........................................................................................44
Cost Tracking ...........................................................................................................44
Training and Exercises .........................................................................................................45
Tsunami Response Training ....................................................................................45
Tsunami Awareness Programs .................................................................................45
First Responder Training .........................................................................................45
Exercises ..................................................................................................................45

Appendix 4 - Sample San Mateo County Plan..............................................................................46

Introduction ........................................................................................................................46
Background ........................................................................................................................46
Purpose ................................................................................................................................46
Activation ............................................................................................................................47
Concept of Operations .......................................................................................................47
Relationship to Other Plans ..............................................................................................48
Area Security ......................................................................................................................48
Area Re-entry .....................................................................................................................48

ENCLOSURE 1 ..................................................................................................................49
KEY PHONE LIST

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ENCLOSURE 2 ..................................................................................................................50
COASTSIDE TSUNAMI CHECKLIST

ENCLOSURE 3...................................................................................................................51
SAMPLE BRIEFING FORMAT

ENCLOSURE 4 ..................................................................................................................52
SAMPLE EVACUATION ORDER

ENCLOSURE 5 ..................................................................................................................53
ADVERTENCIA PARA EVACUACION

ENCLOSURE 6 ..................................................................................................................54
WESTAR CABLE WARNING MESSAGE

ENCLOSURE 7 ..................................................................................................................55
TRAFFIC CLOSURE POINTS

ENCLOSURE 8 ..................................................................................................................56
REFERENCES

TSUNAMI WATCH CHECKLIST .................................................................................58

TSUNAMI WARNING CHECKLIST.............................................................................61

TSUNAMI OCCURRENCE CHECKLIST ....................................................................65

TSUNAMI PROCEDURE ................................................................................................66

1.10.1 GENERAL ................................................................................................................66
1.10.2 ASSUMPTIONS .......................................................................................................66
1.10.3 ALERT SITUATIONS .............................................................................................67
DUMMY ..................................................................................................................67
WATCH ...................................................................................................................67
WARNING ..............................................................................................................67
CANCELLATION ...................................................................................................67
1.10.4 SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES .............................................................................68

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ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A .............................................................................................................69
PRE-WATCH/WATCH MESSAGE

ATTACHMENT B .............................................................................................................70
SAMPLE NEWS RELEASE (ENGLISH)
SAMPLE NEWS RELEASE (SPANISH)

ATTACHMENT C .............................................................................................................71
TSUNAMI WATCH MESSAGE
-TSUNAMI/SEISMIC SEA WAVE WATCH

ATTACHMENT D .............................................................................................................72
TSUNAMI WARNING MESSAGE
-TSUNAMI/SEISMIC SEA WAVE WARNING

ATTACHMENT E .............................................................................................................73
TSUNAMI CANCELLATION MESSAGE
-TSUNAMI SEISMIC SEA WAVE CANCELLATION

ATTACHMENT F .............................................................................................................74
AGENCIES CONCERNED WITH TSUNAMIS

ATTACHMENT G ............................................................................................................76
INCIDENT COMMAND RESPONSIBILITIES

ATTACHMENT H ............................................................................................................77
TSUNAMI TIME CURVES, CONVERSION TO/FROM GREENWICH MEAN TIME

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Appendix 5 - Sample Santa Luisa Del Mar City Plan...................................................................78
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................78
Concept of Operations .........................................................................................................78
Hazard Analysis for Tsunami ..............................................................................................78
Management .........................................................................................................................78
Organizational Structure ..........................................................................................78
Coordination of Disciplines .....................................................................................79
Inclusion of Non-profits and Businesses .................................................................79
Public Information ...................................................................................................79
Safety and Security ..................................................................................................79
Information Dissemination ......................................................................................80
Office of Emergency Services .................................................................................80
Police Department ....................................................................................................81
Fire Department .......................................................................................................81
Administration .........................................................................................................81
Finance .....................................................................................................................81
Operations ............................................................................................................................81
Fire Department .......................................................................................................81
Police Department ....................................................................................................82
Public Works ............................................................................................................82
Parks and Recreation ................................................................................................83
Medical/Health .........................................................................................................83
Planning and Intelligence .....................................................................................................84
Threat Analysis ........................................................................................................84
Office of Emergency Services .................................................................................84
Administration .........................................................................................................84
Community Development ........................................................................................84
Police Department ....................................................................................................84
Fire Department .......................................................................................................84
Public Works ............................................................................................................84
Logistics ...............................................................................................................................85
Support Requirements ..............................................................................................85
Data Bases ................................................................................................................85
Administration .........................................................................................................85
Community Development ........................................................................................85
Police Department ....................................................................................................85
Fire Department .......................................................................................................85
Public Works ............................................................................................................85
Finance and Administration .................................................................................................85
Continuity of Operations ..........................................................................................86
Cost Tracking ...........................................................................................................86
Responsibilities ........................................................................................................86
Training and Exercises .........................................................................................................86

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 LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRENCE AND SEVERITY .....................................................87
TSUNAMI SEMS FUNCTIONS ........................................................................................88
TSUNAMI COMPONENT .................................................................................................89
POTENTIAL TSUNAMI RESPONSE ...............................................................................90
TSUNAMI RESPONSE ACTIONS ....................................................................................91
CONSEQUENCES ..............................................................................................................92
NOTIFICATION AND THREAT ANALYSIS ..................................................................92
GENERAL NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES ...................................................................93

Appendix 6 - Explanation of the Tsunami Watch and Warning System ......................................94

THE TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM IN THE PACIFIC ..........................................94

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES ......................................................................................94
DEFINITIONS .....................................................................................................................95
COMMUNICATIONS REQUIREMENTS AND METHODS .....................................97
OBJECTIVE ........................................................................................................................97
COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AVAILABLE .............................................................97
DISSEMINATION OF TSUNAMI WATCHES AND WARNINGS ............................98
SELECTION OF AGENCY ................................................................................................98
FUNCTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DISSEMINATION AGENCY ...................98
ALL CLEAR PROCEDURE ...............................................................................................98
SUMMARY OF WC/ATWC OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES ......................................99
OPERATIONS ...................................................................................................................100
EARTHQUAKES IN THE ALASKA PENINSULA, GULF OF ALASKA, AND UNITED
STATES/CANADA WEST COAST (Unimak Pass to the California/Mexico Border) . .100
EARTHQUAKES IN ALASKA'S ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (Attu to Unimak Pass) .........100
EARTHQUAKES IN ALASKA'S BERING SEA ............................................................101
EARTHQUAKES IN THE PACIFIC BASIN OUTSIDE THE WEST COAST, BRITISH
COLUMBIA AND ALASKA ...........................................................................................101
TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETINS .....................................................................101

Appendix 7 - Bibliography ............................................................................................................102

Appendix 8 – Unified Command and SEMS ...............................................................................103

Appendix 9 – Legal Guidelines for Controlling Movement of People and Property .................110

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Executive Summary
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services convened a Tsunami Hazard Mitigation
Workshop in 1997. The workshop was comprised of local, state and federal agencies representing
coastal communities and programs. Even though participating local jurisdictions were aware of the
tsunami threat, most had done little tsunami specific evacuation, mitigation, preparedness, response
or recovery planning. The workshop participants identified a critical need for the development and
distribution of up-to-date inundation maps to the communities at risk, as well as the development of
guidance on how to use the maps for local government.

In October of 1997, representatives of coastal counties were brought together to identify and
prioritize the areas along the California coastline to be mapped during the initial phase of the
tsunami mitigation program. With funding from the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Professor Costas Synolakis of the
University of Southern California was selected to produce inundation projections for selected coastal
areas. The areas chosen were: 1) San Francisco County and San Mateo County (Golden Gate
through San Mateo), 2) Santa Barbara County, 3) San Diego County (Coronado to Encinitas), and 4)
Los Angeles County (Santa Monica to Palos Verdes). Projections of tsunami inundation in
Humboldt Bay and Crescent City will be provided by the NOAA Tsunami Inundation Mapping
Effort (TIME) Center in Newport, Oregon as part of a national assessment of alternative modeling
approaches (NOAA published initial inundation maps for Humboldt Bay and Crescent City in 1994).

There is agreement within the tsunami and emergency response communities that technology alone
cannot protect coast habitats in the immediate area of a near-source tsunami. When a large
subduction zone earthquake occurs nearby, the first tsunami waves may reach coastal communities
within a few minutes of the event. Local populations at risk must be able to recognize the signs of
impending tsunami hazards and seek higher ground immediately. Communities need to be aware of
what areas are likely to be flooded. Local decision-makers need to understand the risk and be
provided with mitigation tools in order to make informed planning decisions. Planners, emergency
responders, and residents need to understand the multi-hazard ramifications of a very large local
earthquake and its disruption to the community.

This planning guidance is intended to assist local governments in the initial development of a
tsunami response plan and the procedures necessary to deal with a tsunami’s impact on their
communities. This guidance covers three main areas:
• Use of Model Inundation Maps
• Development of tsunami specific plans including evacuation procedures
• Explanation of tsunami warning procedures.

While this planning guidance is designed for use by local governments, as defined in the
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), it may also be used for planning purposes
by Operational Areas (OAs). State or federal agencies that support local governments through field
offices will also find this a useful planning document.

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Introduction
A tsunami (seismic sea wave, tidal wave) is a series of waves most commonly caused by an
earthquake beneath the sea floor or by a large undersea landslide. In the open ocean, tsunami waves
travel at speeds of up to 600 miles per hour but are too small to be observed. As the waves enter
shallow water, they slow down and may rise to several feet or, in rare cases, tens of feet. Tsunamis
can cause great loss of life and property damage where they come ashore. The first wave is almost
never the largest; successive waves may be spaced tens of minutes apart and continue arriving for
many hours. Since 1812, the California coast has had 14 tsunamis with wave heights higher than
three feet; six of these were destructive. The Channel Islands were hit by a damaging tsunami in the
early 1800s. The worst tsunami resulted from the 1964 Alaskan earthquake and caused 12 deaths and
at least $17 million in damage to northern California. The April 25, 1992 Cape Mendocino
earthquake produced a one-foot tsunami that reached Humboldt Bay in about 20 minutes after the
shaking. Although not damaging, this tsunami demonstrated that a wave could reach our coastline
quickly. Two general types of tsunamis could affect the coastal areas of California:

Local-source tsunami: If a large tsunami-genic earthquake occurs at or near the California coast, the
first waves may reach coastal communities within minutes after the ground shaking stops. There is
no time for authorities to issue a warning. Mitigation requires an understanding of areas at risk, areas
of safety, evacuation routes and a trained public that understands the need to immediately move
inland or to higher ground.

Though infrequent, California has experienced local tsunamis in the past, and paleotsunami evidence
shows major tsunami impact in the recent geologic past. Risk is considered high along the north
coast of California, from Crescent City to Cape Mendocino; moderate south of Cape Mendocino to
north of Monterey; high south of Monterey to Palos Verdes; and moderate south of Palos Verdes to
San Diego (see Historic California Tsunamis in Appendix 2.) Large local tsunamis may impact the
entire California coastline. Waves from an earthquake at the Cascadia Subduction Zone could reach
southern California in less than 2 hours.

Distant-source tsunami: Very large earthquakes in other areas of the Pacific Rim may also cause
tsunamis which could impact California’s coast. The first waves would reach our coastline many
hours after the earthquake occurred. Tsunami Warning Centers are responsible for alerting local
officials, who may order evacuation. Effective mitigation requires an understanding of the tsunami
warning system, local areas at risk, and evacuation planning.

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Use of Model Inundation Maps
California coastal communities need to know the areas where damage is possible from a tsunami in
order to prepare for and reduce losses. Local decision makers need to understand their risk in order
to make informed planning decisions. The major steps in using the model inundation maps to
develop a tsunami vulnerability analysis are:

• Transfer information from the model tsunami inundation maps to jurisdiction based maps.
• Analyze and confirm the inundation projections by field surveys and detailed topographic review.
• Develop map overlays for the following:
♦ Critical facilities (police, fire, city hall, public works facilities, airports, major supply
warehouses)
♦ Special needs facilities (schools, public assembly, hospitals, convalescent homes)
♦ Special needs populations (e.g. non-English speakers, physically disabled, elderly, children)
♦ Transportation lifelines
♦ Hazardous materials sites and facilities
♦ Population demographics
• Identify boundaries of Tsunami Evacuation Zone with well-known landmarks, such as streets,
railroad or freeway rights-of-way, parks, etc.
• Identify refuge areas within the Tsunami Evacuation Zone and their shelter capacity for evacuated
population.
• Survey proposed evacuation routes to determine post earthquake function of bridges, adjacent
buildings, and expected safety of adjacent land uses (avoid hazardous buildings and HazMat sites).
• Locate evacuation routes and alternates.

Limitations and Use of Inundation Projections

Ideally, tsunami response and evacuation planning should be based on reliable models of projected
inundation at a given location and estimates of the probability of occurrence of earthquakes and
tsunamis based on known as well as recurrence intervals. Unfortunately, both factors are limited by
our knowledge of the tsunami history of the Pacific coast of California.

Three factors affect the accuracy of inundation projections: the quality of the mathematical model of
tsunami wave propagation, the detail of data on topography and bathymetry (underwater
topography), and the assumptions made about the origins and mechanism of tsunami generation.

The mathematical models now being used by NOAA and the State of California for projecting
tsunami inundation are based on a consensus in the scientific community about the propagation of
waves from deep ocean to shallow coastal conditions. Furthermore, the models have been calibrated
against actual recent tsunamis in Japan. A more important factor in the accuracy of inundation
projections is the detail in the topographical and bathymetrical data. A lack of detail in mapping
offshore bathymetry, or even seasonal changes in beach conditions, can have a significant impact on
model output.

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Identifying the origin or mechanism of “tsunami genesis” poses additional problems for inundation
modeling. Tsunami waves generated from near-source or near-shore earthquakes, or underwater
landslides, may vary in impact from those generated by distant subduction zone earthquakes. In
order to avoid the conflict over tsunami origin, inundation projections are based on worst-case
scenarios. Since the inundation projections are intended for emergency and evacuation planning,
flooding is based on the highest projection of inundation regardless of the tsunami origin. As such,
projections are not an assessment of the probability of reaching the projected height (probabilistic
hazard assessment) but only a planning tool.

Inundation projections and resulting planning maps are to be used for emergency planning
purposes only. They are not based on a specific earthquake and tsunami. Areas actually inundated
by a specific tsunami can vary from those predicted. The inundation maps are not a prediction of the
performance, in an earthquake or tsunami, of any structure within or outside of the projected
inundation area.

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Development of Tsunami Plans
Information gathered during the transfer of the model inundation maps to local map overlays will be
the basis for identifying both high priority responses and the steps to reduce potential dangers. The
estimates can also be used to determine where damage is likely to occur, which areas and segments
of the population are at the greatest risk, and to develop an evacuation route with a traffic control
plan. A tsunami plan can identify what can be done to improve public safety and indicate where a
community may need resources after a tsunami.

The development of a Tsunami Plan requires a multi-disciplinary approach and should involve local
specialists (emergency responders, planners, engineers, utilities, and community based
organizations). The city or county administrative officer should appoint a Tsunami Plan Working
Group and designate a chairperson, usually the emergency services manager. The Tsunami Plan
Working Group should include representatives from the following agencies:

• Law Enforcement
• Emergency Management
• Public Works
• Land Use Planning
• Social Services
• Fire Suppression
• American Red Cross
• Transportation providers
• Non-governmental and Community Based Organizations
• Warning Coordination Meteorologist from the regional NWS office
• Education Community

The Work Group will determine the best way to accomplish the planning process, develop an overall
work program, and set a time schedule for completion (See Tsunami Plan Checklist and Sample San
Mateo County Plan in Appendix 3).

One of the most critical elements of a Tsunami Plan is the Evacuation and Traffic Control Plan.
Local governments are responsible for developing evacuation plans for possible implementation in
response to a near or distant-source event. A distant-source tsunami event may allow several hours to
evacuate. A near-source tsunami may require immediate self-evacuation through areas damaged by
the earthquake and at some risk of aftershocks. Each jurisdiction should analyze how much time an
evacuation would require and build that into the decision-making procedure. While developing its
plan, each jurisdiction should decide how best to handle the occurrence of both earthquakes and
tsunamis. Evacuation plans should also take into account the special needs of evacuees, including the
medically fragile, mobility impaired, deaf, blind, and those who speak no English or English as a
second language.

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 Evacuation Plans
Elements to consider in developing an evacuation plan are:
• Locate optimum evacuation routes. The primary objective is to move up and inland, away from
the coast.
• Develop an evacuation route traffic control plan. This should be tasked to the public safety
agencies. Public safety agencies should use their auxiliaries and volunteers to staff traffic control
points.
• Identify refuge areas with the capacity to shelter the evacuated population. Select landmarks,
school facilities, or other well-known public facilities.
• Develop simplified maps depicting tsunami evacuation zones, evacuation routes, and refuge areas.
• Develop notification and evacuation procedures with public safety agencies and distribute to field
personnel.
• Disseminate maps and procedures to public. Ensure maps and procedures are posted in assembly
facilities and areas, schools, special facilities, included in telephone books, etc.

After the plan has been completed, it is essential to develop education, training, and exercise
programs for city and county employees as well as for the residents in the community. (See sample
Evacuation Checklist in Appendix 3).

Public Education Programs and Training

A sustained public outreach program is needed to gain the long-term grassroots support of coastal
populations and to institutionalize tsunami preparedness and mitigation. Such a program should
encourage consistent information between local government and the community at risk. Innovative
approaches should be encouraged at many different levels. Training is a crucial component for a
successful tsunami response program. Local jurisdictions may want to develop a comprehensive
program, based upon a training needs assessment. One of the most important means of educating the
public is through tsunami education in the public schools. There are several areas that local
jurisdictions may want to consider when developing a “Tsunami Training and Awareness Program”:

• Existing employee orientation and training programs and staff briefings

• First Responder training and exercise programs
• Incorporating tsunami education into existing earthquake programs in the public schools.
• “Tsunami Awareness Programs” for the public, including the special needs populations.

Questions to consider when evaluating existing employee training programs:

• What training already exists?
• What additional areas of training will be needed?
• How can these elements best be incorporated into current training programs?

Questions to consider regarding tsunami awareness programs:

• What training is needed to reach the various population types (e.g. elderly, business,
transient, tourist, etc.)?
• How can training be delivered to best reach the community?

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 • How can tsunami education be incorporated into existing earthquake or all hazard
mitigation programs?
• Does the awareness training for personnel and volunteers include a quick orientation?

Questions to consider regarding First Responder training programs:

• What First Responder training already exists that can be used by the local jurisdiction?
• Where does the First Responder training fit with other training elements?
• Does the jurisdiction need to develop First Responder training?
• Does the jurisdiction need assistance in developing its training?

Questions to consider when looking at employee training:

• What training needs to be implemented for dispatch centers?
• What training is needed for fire and rescue?
• What training is needed for EMS? HazMat?
• What training is needed for law enforcement?

Exercises
Communities can benefit by developing and implementing an exercise program to test the training
received on the tsunami response plan. Important considerations are:

• How can development of a separate exercise program for tsunami improve the
communities’ ability to respond to a tsunami?
• Who should develop, conduct, and maintain the new tsunami response exercise program?
• Does the jurisdiction have the resources to conduct such exercises?
• In what creative ways can funding be found for an exercise program?

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Tsunami Warning System
The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska (WC/ATWC) and the Pacific
Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii monitor potential tsunamis. A regional Tsunami
Warning or Watch is issued based on earthquake location and magnitude. When an earthquake of 7.5
or larger occurs within the Pacific basin, the warning centers issue warnings and watches. Areas
within a 3-hour tsunami travel time of the epicenter will be placed in a Tsunami Warning status, and
areas within a 3-6 hour tsunami travel time will be placed in a Tsunami Watch status. Tsunami
estimated time of arrival will be disseminated for the tide stations within the Tsunami Warning and
Watch areas. Additional bulletins are issued by the warning centers at hourly intervals until the
advisories are either canceled or the existence of a damaging tsunami is confirmed. The information
is transmitted to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Warning Control Center and local
emergency managers (See Appendix 4 for explanation of Tsunami Warning and Watch and sample
messages).

When the California State Warning Center (CSWC) receives the information from WC/ATWC via
NAWAS and/or California Law Enforcement Teletype System (CLETS), the WC/ATWC will
announce what areas the message is for, whether it is an Information Bulletin, a Tsunami Watch, or a
Tsunami Warning. The Warning Center does not undertake any threat analysis. All information
received is passed directly to the Operational Areas via CLETS, California Alert and Warning
System (CALWAS) and Emergency Alert System (EAS). Once the information has been sent out
the following actions are taken:

• Verification is made with the printed copy received via National Weather Service (NWS) satellite.
The information is re-transmitted via CLETS to all sheriff’s offices (SO) of coastal counties and
most local police departments (PD). Turn-around time from NWS to CLETS and out is a matter of a
few seconds.

NOTE: If the bulletin is only informational and a tsunami has not been generated, or is not
expected, then no further action is taken by the CSWC.

• The CSWC immediately polls all SOs of the 19 coastal counties and the CHP dispatch to verify
that they received the bulletin via CALWAS. If not, then it is repeated to those counties that need the
information. All 19 coastal counties’ SOs are advised to check CLETS for the hard copy and to
advise if not received.

• Verbal notification is then made to the OES Executive & Regional Duty Officers (EDO,RDO) and
the following agencies:

♦ California Division of Mines and Geology

♦ Utilities such as Pacific Bell, San Onofre and Diablo Canyon nuclear plants and the
California Utilities Emergency Association (CUEA).
♦ Department of Water Resources
♦ FEMA Region IX
♦ California National Guard

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 ♦ Department of Fish and Game, Oil Spill PR
♦ Department of Parks and Recreation.
♦ State Lands Commission
♦ American Red Cross
♦ Department of Health Services Duty Officer
♦ Department of Toxic Substances Control Duty Officer
♦ US Fish and Wildlife Service
♦ Emergency Medical Services Authority
♦ Federal Aviation Administration
♦ Any other notifications as requested by OES Duty Officers

“All Clears” are issued two hours after the last damaging wave. However, if there is no confirmation
of a wave within two hours, the “all clear” is the responsibility of the local government regardless of
whether a tsunami has been generated. This requires that the local government is able to observe the
waves from a safe distance/height.

A word of caution: Tidal gauges are not a reliable source of information if a damaging
tsunami has occurred.

As part of their tsunami plans, Operational Areas should develop procedures for disseminating the
information to local jurisdictions and special districts. Local governments should work with the
appropriate Operational Area or region to develop the elements of their notification system.

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Appendices
Appendix 1
Acronyms and Terminology
Acronyms
ARB Air Resources Board
CALTRANS California Department of Transportation (DOT in State Agency Tables)
CALOSHA California Occupational Safety and Health Administration
CALWAS California Alert and Warning System
CCC California Conservation Corps
CDC California Department of Corrections
CDF California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
CDFA California Department of Food and Agriculture
CHP California Highway Patrol
CLETS California Law Enforcement Teletype System
CNG California National Guard
CSWC California State Warning Center
CYA California Youth Authority
DFG California Department of Fish and Game
DHS California Department of Health Services
DIR California Department of Industrial Relations
DMAT Disaster Medical Assistance Team
DOD United States Department of Defense
DOE United States Department of Energy
DOE United States Department of Education
DOJ California Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
DOT United States Department of Transportation
DPR California Department of Pesticide Regulation
DTSC California Department of Toxic Substances Control
DWR California Department of Water Resources
EAS Emergency Alert System
EMSA California Emergency Medical Services Authority
EOC Emergency Operations Center
EOPT Emergency Operations Planning & Training (an OES Division)
ETA Estimated time of arrival
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FOSC Federal On Scene Coordinator
FRERP Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan
FRP Federal Response Plan
FTB California Franchise Tax Board
HHS United States Department of Health and Human Services
HMICP Hazardous Materials Incident Contingency Plan
ICG/ITSU The International Coordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System in

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 the Pacific
ITIC International Tsunami Information Center
LFA Lead Federal Agency
MLLW Mean Lower Low Water
NAWAS National Alert and Warning System
NCP National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
NEHRP National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program
NEST Nuclear Emergency Support Team
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NRT National Response Team
NTHMG National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
NWS National Weather Service
OA Operational Area
OEHHA California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
OES California Office of Emergency Services
PTWC Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
REOC Regional Emergency Operations Center (OES)
SEMS Standardized Emergency Management System
SEP State Emergency Plan
SSWWS Seismic Sea Wave Warning System
SOC State Operations Center
SWRCB California State Water Resources Control Board
THRUST Tsunami Hazard Reduction Using System Technology
TIME Tsunami Inundation Mapping Effort
TWC Tsunami Warning Center
USNSN United States National Seismic Network
UTC Universal Coordinated Time
WC/ATWC West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
WCM Warning Coordination Meteorologist
WMD/NBC Weapons of Mass Destruction/Nuclear, Biological, Chemical
USCG United States Coast Guard
US EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency

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 Terminology

Amplitude: The rise above or drop below the ambient water level as read on a tide gauge.

Arrival Time: Time of arrival, usually of the first wave of the tsunami, at a particular location.

Bathymetry: The measurement of the depths of oceans, seas, etc.

Bore: Traveling wave with an abrupt vertical front or wall of water. Under certain conditions, the
leading edge of a tsunami wave may form a bore as it approaches and runs onshore. A bore may also
be formed when a tsunami wave enters a river channel, and may travel upstream penetrating to a
greater distance inland than the general inundation.

CREST: Consolidated Reporting of Earthquakes and Tsunamis. A project funded through the
Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Federal/State Working Group to upgrade regional seismic networks in
Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii and to provide real-time seismic information
from these networks and the United States National Seismic Network to the tsunami warning
centers.

ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival. Computed arrival time of the first tsunami wave at coastal
communities after a specific earthquake has occurred.

First Motion: Initial motion of the first wave. A rise in the water level is denoted by R, a fall by F.

Free Field Offshore Profile: A profile of the wave measured far enough offshore so that it is
unaffected by interference from harbor and shoreline effects.

Harbor Resonance: The continued reflection and interference of waves from the edge of a harbor or
narrow bay. This interference can cause amplification of the wave heights and extend the duration of
wave activity from a tsunami.

Horizontal Inundation Distance: The distance that a tsunami wave penetrates onto the shore.
Measured horizontally from the mean sea level position of the water's edge, it is usually measured as
the maximum distance for a particular segment of the coast.

Inundation: The depth, relative to a stated reference level, to which a particular location is covered
by water.

Inundation area: An area that is flooded with water.

Inundation Line (limit): The inland limit of wetting, measured horizontally from the edge of the
coast, defined by mean sea level.

Leading-Depression Wave: Initial tsunami wave is a trough, causing a draw down of water level.

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Leading-Positive Wave: Initial tsunami wave is a crest, causing a rise in water level. Also called a
leading-elevation wave.

Local/Regional Tsunami: Source of the tsunami is within 1000 km of the area of interest. Local or
near-field tsunami has a very short travel time (30 minutes or less), mid-field or regional tsunami
waves have travel times on the order of 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Note: "Local" tsunami is sometimes used to refer to a tsunami of landslide origin.

Maremoto: Spanish term for tsunami

Marigram: Tide gauge recording showing wave height as a function of time.

Marigraph: The instrument which records wave height.

MLLW: Mean Lower Low Water. The average low tide water elevation often used as a reference to
measure run-up.

Ms: Surface Wave Magnitude. Magnitude of an earthquake as measured from the amplitude of
seismic surface waves. Often referred to by the media as "Richter" magnitude.

Mw: Moment Magnitude. Magnitude based on the size and characteristics of the fault rupture, and
determined from long-period seismic waves. It is a better measure of earthquake size than surface
wave magnitude, especially for very large earthquakes. Calibrated to agree on average with surface
wave magnitudes for earthquakes less than magnitude 7.5.

Normal Earthquake: An earthquake caused by slip along a sloping fault where the rock above the
fault moves downward relative to the rock below.

Period: The length of time between two successive peaks or troughs. May vary due to complex
interference of waves. Tsunami periods generally range from 5 to 60 minutes.

Run-up: Maximum height of the water onshore observed above a reference sea level. Usually
measured at the horizontal inundation limit.

Seiche: An oscillating wave (also referred to as a seismic seawave) in a partially or fully enclosed
body of water. May be initiated by long period seismic waves, wind and water waves, or a tsunami.

Strike-Slip Earthquake: An earthquake caused by horizontal slip along a fault.

Teletsunami: Source of the tsunami is more than 1000 km away from area of interest. Also called a
distant-source or far-field tsunami. Travel time is greater than 2 hours.

Thrust Earthquake: Earthquake caused by slip along a gently sloping fault where the rock above
the fault is pushed upward relative to the rock below. The most common type of earthquake source
of damaging tsunamis.

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Tidal Wave: Common term for tsunami used in older literature, historical descriptions, and popular
accounts. Tides, caused by the gravitational attractions of the sun and moon, may increase or
decrease the impact of a tsunami, but have nothing to do with their generation or propagation.
However, most tsunamis (initially) give the appearance of a fast-rising or fast-ebbing tide as they
approach shore, and only rarely appear as a near-vertical wall of water.

Travel Time: Time (usually measured in hours and tenths of hours) that it took the tsunami to travel
from the source to a particular location.

Tsunami: A Japanese term derived from the characters "tsu" meaning harbor and "nami"
meaning wave. Now generally accepted by the international scientific community to
describe a series of traveling waves in water produced by the displacement of the sea floor
associated with submarine earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides.

Tsunami Earthquake: A tsunamigenic earthquake which produces a much larger tsunami than
expected for its magnitude.

Tsunamigenic Earthquake: Any earthquake which produces a measurable tsunami.

Tsunami Magnitude: A number that characterizes the strength of a tsunami based on the tsunami
wave amplitudes. Several different tsunami magnitude determination methods have been proposed.

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Appendix 2
Tsunami Background Information
What is a Tsunami? What Causes It?
A tsunami is a system of gravity waves formed in the sea by a large-scale disturbance of sea level
over a short duration of time. A tsunami can be generated by submarine volcanic eruptions,
displacement of submarine sediments, coastal landslides into a bay or harbor, meteor impact, or by
vertical displacement of the earth's crust along a subduction zone/fault. The latter is by far the most
frequent cause of tsunamis and, for all practical purposes, the primary cause of tsunamis capable of
propagation across an ocean basin. The rupture of the earth's crust also generates a major earthquake,
which can be detected and measured by seismic instrumentation throughout the world. However,
because not all major coastal or near-coastal earthquakes produce tsunamis, there is no operational
method to determine whether a tsunami has been generated by an earthquake except to note the
epicenter of the earthquake and then detect the arrival of the characteristic waves at a network of tide
stations.
In the deep and open ocean, tsunamis travel at speeds of 500 to 1,000 kilometers per hour (300 to
600 miles per hour). The distance between successive crests can be as much as 500 to 650 kilometers
(300 to 400 miles). However, the successive tsunami waves in the deep sea have such great length
and so little height they are not visually recognizable from a surface vessel. In the open ocean, the
height of the waves may be no more than 30 to 60 centimeters (1 or 2 feet), and the passing waves
produce only a gentle rise and fall of the sea surface. During the April 1946 tsunami impact in
Hawaii, ships standing off the coast observed tremendous waves breaking on shore but did not detect
any change in sea level at their offshore locations.
Upon reaching shallower water, the speed of the advancing wave diminishes, its wavelength
decreases, and its height may increase greatly, owing to the piling up of water. The configuration of
the coastline, shape of the ocean floor, and character of the advancing waves all play important roles
in the destruction wrought by tsunamis along any coast, whether near the generating area or
thousands of kilometers from it. Consequently, detection of a relatively small tsunami at any locality
warrants immediate reporting to spread the alarm to all coastal localities of approaching potentially
dangerous waves.
The force and destructive effects of tsunamis should not be underestimated. At some places, the
advancing turbulent front is the most destructive part of the wave. However, where the rise is quiet,
the outflow of water to the sea between crests may be rapid and destructive, sweeping all before it
and undermining roads, buildings, and other infrastructure with its swift currents. During
withdrawals of the sea, ships can be thrown against breakwaters, wharves, and other craft, or washed
ashore and left grounded.
In the shallow waters of bays and harbors, tsunamis can initiate a seiche, a seismic seawave in an
enclosed body of water. If the tsunami period is influenced by the close proximity of a bay or harbor,
the seiche is amplified with each succeeding wave. Under these circumstances, maximum wave
activity is often observed much later than the arrival of the first wave.
A tsunami is not one wave, but a series of waves. The elapsed time between successive wave crests
at a given point is usually 10 to 45 minutes. Oscillations of destructive proportions may continue for

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several hours, and several days may pass before the sea returns to its normal state. Frequently, the
second or third wave is the most destructive. In the 1964 Cresent City tsunami, most of the deaths
were caused by the debris-carrying second wave.

Tsunami Categories
A tsunami can be categorized as local, regional, or Pacific-wide. Those terms describe the potential
destruction relative to the tsunami source area.
Local (near-source) tsunamis occur soon after the generating event and allow little time for warning
and evacuations. Their impact may be large, but in a limited area. For example, in 1958, waves from
a local tsunami in Lituya, Alaska ran up 485 meters, but destruction was focused on a small area.
Regional (intermediate) tsunamis are by far the most common. Destruction may be limited because
the energy released was not sufficient to generate a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami, or because the
source area limited the destructive potential of the tsunami. These events can occur within 15
minutes to 2 hours after the generating event. Areas affected by the tsunamis may not have felt the
generating event.
Pacific-wide (distant source) tsunamis are much less frequent, but have a far greater destructive
potential. The waves are not only larger initially, but they subject distant coastal areas to their
destructive impact as they cross the Pacific basin. For example, the Chilean tsunami of May 22,
1960, spread death and destruction across the Pacific from Chile to Hawaii, Japan, and the
Philippines. These events may have long lead times (up to 6 hours), but the breadth of the
destruction is wide.

Tsunamis in California
Since 1812, 14 tsunamis with wave heights higher than three feet have struck the California coast.
Six of these waves were destructive. The Santa Barbara Channel Islands were hit by a tsunami in the
early 1800’s. The worst tsunami in recent history resulted from a 1964 Alaskan earthquake and that
caused 12 deaths and at least $17 million in damage in northern California. The 1992 Cape
Mendocino earthquake produced a 0.5 meter tsunami that reached Humboldt Bay about 15 minutes
after the shaking. Although not damaging, this tsunami demonstrated that locally generated tsunamis
can reach our coastline quickly.

The 1992 Cape Mendocino tsunami triggered more comprehensive analysis of historic tsunami
events in California. Research findings now support the belief that the risk from locally generated
(nearshore) tsunamis is 1) high along the coast from Crescent City to Cape Mendocino, 2) moderate
south of Cape Mendocino to north of Monterey, 3) high south of Monterey to Palos Verdes, and 4)
moderate south of Palos Verdes to San Diego.

Paleoseismic evidence suggests that large earthquakes capable of producing local tsunamis recur
every two or three hundred years along the Cascadia Subduction Zone (see Figure # 1). Large
earthquake-generated tsunami events in Southern California are believed to have similar return
periods. In the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a locally generated tsunami may reach the shore in
minutes or tens of minutes.

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 The Tsunami Threat to Northern California
The tsunami hazard on the north coast of California affects a predominantly rural area, with
populations concentrated in low-lying coastal communities near the estuaries of large rivers. About
20,000 people live or work in areas of potential inundation, and an even greater number of tourists
and visitors travel through potential inundation areas each year. The economy is resource and
tourist-based. The area suffers from chronically higher unemployment than other parts of the state.
The largest industrial centers are located along low-lying coastal sand pits and near harbors. These
areas are particularly vulnerable to both tsunami flooding and strong shaking damage. Populated
areas are isolated from each other and from regional urban centers. Roads, communication links, and
critical lifelines connecting populated areas are extremely vulnerable to disruption from strong
shaking, tsunami inundation, and other likely effects of a large Cascadia earthquake.

The Cape Mendocino region and the coastal and offshore areas of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties
are among the most seismically active areas in the United States. Since 1980, there have been five
earthquakes close to magnitude 7, and an additional six of magnitude 6 or larger. This contrasts
significantly with the rest of the Pacific Northwest, where large or damaging earthquakes have been
relatively infrequent in recent historical times.

The April 25, 1992 earthquake, with a moment magnitude of 7.1, was located onshore from the town
of Petrolia at a depth of about 11km. The location and orientation of rupture strongly suggested a
Cascadia Subduction Zone origin. This earthquake also produced many of the effects expected from
a larger Cascadia Subduction Zone event: coastal uplift, strong ground shaking, and a locally
generated tsunami that was detected at coastal tide gauges within 15 minutes of the earthquake. The
tsunami, although not damaging, raised the concerns of agencies responsible for disaster planning
and response.

The Tsunami Threat to Southern California

There is concern that a Cascadia event may have significant impacts on Southern California, similar
to those experienced in Crescent City after the 1964 Alaskan earthquake, since the distance between
Cascadia and Southern California is about the same as the distance from Alaska to Eureka. Indeed,
tide gauges in Santa Barbara detected the tsunami generated by the April 25, 1992 Cape Mendocino
earthquake. While not damaging, this event indicates that the southern California coastline is
vulnerable to Cascadia events. Several poorly documented local tsunamis caused some damage to
southern California communities in the 1800s. Historic records suggest that three tsunamis produced
flooding in the Santa Barbara area during this period.

In addition, the Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities of the Southern California
Earthquake Center (SCEC) has identified the Palos Verdes, Santa Cruz Island, and Santa Rosa Island
faults as active and potentially tsunamigenic. The displacement between the North American and
Pacific plate is accommodated in part by the movements along strike-slip faults, some of which are
in the offshore borderland. Strike-slip faults were not believed capable of generating damaging
tsunamis before the 1994 Mindoro, Philippines event when a strike-slip onshore fault generated a
tsunami large enough to move a 6,000-ton barge one mile inland. There is also suggestive evidence
of episodes of vertical displacement capable of conventional tsunami generation associated with the
offshore extension in the Palos Verdes fault.

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The impacts of an earthquake on the Palos Verdes fault, and the resulting tsunami, may affect the
Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, like the 1964 Alaska quake affected Anchorage. The
resulting damage would be far larger than the $17 million in damage seen in 1964 in Crescent City.
Recent field surveys and modeling (1992-1996) by Professor Costas Synolakis have projected a 4
meter (13 ft.) tsunami that would cause extensive damage and flooding along flat coastlines such as
those in Santa Monica Bay or in Orange and San Diego Counties. Communities that are sandwiched
between the ocean and other bodies of water -- such as wetlands, river inlets, or salinas -- are at very
high risk due to the possible overland flow and simultaneous tsunami attacks from multiple
directions.

The densification of land use in Southern California and the continued development in areas exposed
to coastal and riverine inundations have increased the risk of property damage and loss of life from
future tsunamis. Even in locales where the tsunami hazard may be small, the land use development
in areas subject to inundation and ground subsidence increases the overall risk. The rapid arrival of
waves from a local event and the long duration of tsunami wave action intensify the risk from near-
shore events. Future tsunamis may cause economic losses in coastal communities dependent on
marine and harbor commerce. Losses to the tourist industry and harbor facilities in the Ports of Los
Angeles, Long Beach, and San Diego could be very high, even for small events. Additional risk is
posed by the potential release of toxic pollutants due to the failure of marine oil-transfer facilities
and terminals.

Near-Source Tsunami Detection

At present, detection of near-source tsunamis is possible only where the shore can be observed. The
first visible indication of an approaching tsunami is often a recession of water caused by the trough
preceding an advancing wave. Any withdrawal of the sea, therefore, should be considered a warning
of an approaching wave. On the other hand, a rise in water level may be the first event. Tide-gauge
records of the Chilean tsunami of May 22,1960, generally showed a rise in water level as the first
indication of this tsunami.

Near-Source Tsunami Warnings

There is agreement within the tsunami and emergency response communities that technology alone,
automated warnings that can take up to 15 to 20 minutes to issue, cannot protect coastal inhabitants
located in the immediate area of a near-source tsunami. When a large subduction zone earthquake
occurs nearby, the first tsunami waves may reach coastal communities within minutes of the event.
Local populations at risk should be able to recognize the signs of impending tsunami hazards, such
as strong, prolonged ground shaking, and seek higher ground immediately. Communities should be
informed, or determine themselves, which areas are likely to be flooded. Development, publication
and distribution of inundation maps that define the inundation area, and designation of evacuation
routes that indicate safe regions in which to assemble evacuees, can accomplish this. An effort to
project potential inundation areas for selected communities in the state is underway.

Planners, emergency responders, and residents should try to assess and project the impacts of a very
large local earthquake. At-risk regions need near-real-time determination of earthquake source
information to assess the nature of the hazard in order to optimize emergency response. Local
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decision makers need to understand their risk and be provided with mitigation tools in order to make
informed planning decisions.

The Pacific-Wide Tsunami Warning System

The West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC) in Alaska, and the Pacific
Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii monitor potential tsunamis. A Regional Tsunami
Warning/Watch is issued based on earthquake location and magnitude, generally exceeding M7.5
(M7.0 for the Aleutians). Areas within a 3-hour tsunami travel-time zone of the epicenter will be
placed in a Tsunami Warning status. Areas within a 3-6 hour travel-time zone will be placed in a
Tsunami Watch status. Tsunami ETAs will be disseminated for the tide stations within the Tsunami
Warning and Watch areas. Agencies contacted then evaluate the probability of a tsunami reaching
their area and decide on appropriate action.

Local Government Evacuation Plans

Local governments are responsible for developing evacuation plans for possible implementation in
response to near or distant-source events. A distant-source tsunami event may allow several hours to
evacuate. Each jurisdiction should analyze how much time a thorough evacuation would require and
build that into its decision-making procedures. For instance, if it would take three hours to evacuate
a densely populated area, an evacuation decision must be made when the first probable tsunami
wave arrival time is a little more than three hours away.

A near-source tsunami may require immediate self-evacuation through areas damaged by the
earthquake and at high risk of aftershocks. Evacuation plans should take into account potential
earthquake damage when planning routes to use for evacuation. When developing a plan, each
jurisdiction should decide how best to handle the occurrence of both an earthquake and a tsunami.
Evacuation plans should take into consideration the special needs of the evacuees. Some of the
special needs groups include the injured, the medically fragile, the aged, infants and young children,
the handicapped, and non-English speakers or those who speak English as a second language. Care,
shelter, communication, and transportation should be available at evacuee staging areas.

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 North Coast Scenario

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 Historic California Tsunamis
Tsunamis Of California
This is a list of tsunamis that have affected coastal California since the early 1800’s
(Taken from Tsunamis Affecting the West Coast of the United States, 1806-1992,
Lander, J.F., Lockridge, P.A. and Kozuch, M.J. 1993)
Year Origination of Validity* Cause Location of Run-up (m) Comments
Month/day tsunami Effects
1806 Southern CA 2 E? Santa Barbara Observed Boats beached.
3/24
1812 Southern CA 4 L El Refugio 3.5 Ship at anchor drifted to shore
12/21 and up canyon.
Santa Barbara 2.0 Estimated run-up.
Ventura 2.0 Estimated run-up.
1851 CA 1 E Salinas Observed Mild shocks Mar, Ap, May 15,
5/15 San Francisco Observed 17, & 28. marine flooding, ships,
wharf rocked.
1851 N. California 1 E San Francisco Bay Observed Unusual water movement felt on
11/13 ship. Possible seiche.
1852 N. California 1 E San Francisco Observed Lake Merced drained.
11/25
1853 Kuril Is., Russia 0 E San Diego Observed? Marigrams not found.
11
1854 Southern CA 3 L Santa Barbara Observed Sea agitated. Heavy swell came
5/31 in. Not recorded.
1854 Southern CA 2 ? San Diego <0.1 Current set up in a calm harbor.
7/24
1854 Northern CA 3 ? San Francisco <0.1 Waves recorded for 24 hours.
10/4
1854 N. California 2-3 E San Francisco Observed Probably correct date for 10/26.
10/22 Vessels swayed.
1854 Enshunada, Japan 4 E San Diego <0.1
12/23 San Francisco
1854 Nankaido, Japan 4 E San Diego 0.1
12/24 San Francisco
1855 Northern CA 2 E Humboldt Bay Observed Water in bay agitated for an
3/19 hour.
1855 S. California 3 L San Juan Observed Two large waves surged on
7/11 Capistrano shore.
1856 N. California 3 L San Francisco 0.6 Water rose and stayed high for 5
2/15 minutes.
1856 SE Hokkaido 4 E California Coast Observed. 3.6 Exaggerated report and/or
8/23 Island, Japan San Diego erroneous date.
1859 2 A Half Moon Bay 4.6 Schooner damage. Minus tide at
9/24 3 am, small earthquake at 5:50
am.
1861 N. California 0 A San Francisco Observed Tide dropped 30-45 cm below
5/4 lowest low tide during the week.

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Year Origination of Validity* Cause Location of Run-up (m) Comments
Month/day tsunami Effects
1862 S. California 4 L San Diego 1.2 0.9 to 1.2 m run-up. Possibly
5/27 inundation rather than run-up.
1865 N. California 3 L Santa Cruz Observed High flood tide and strong ebb
10/8 San Francisco tide following collapse of cliffs
into bay.
1868 Hawaii 4 E San Diego 0.1
4/3 San Francisco <0.1
1868 N. Chile 4 E San Diego 0.3 45.7 cm bore. Wharf submerged.
8/13 San Francisco 0.3
San Pedro 1.8
1868 N. California 1132 L Government Island Observed Registered on tide gauge.
10/21 Sacramento
San Francisco Bay Observed 0.61 m wave observed.
Santa Cruz 4.5 6.0 M surge on shore at Cliff
House.
Observed Water rushed up river.
1869 N. California 1 M Fort Point Observed Earthquake recorded on tide
2/10 gauge?
1869 N. California 3 Fort Point Observed Earthquake waves recorded on
6/1 tide gauge.
1872 S. California 0 E San Pedro Observed Ship damaged.
3/26
1872 Fox Islands, 3 E San Diego <0.1 First instrumental location for a
8/23 Aleutian Is. San Francisco <0.1 tsunamigenic earthquake.
1875 N. California 0 M Davenport Observed Wharf destroyed, waves on 12th,
10/12-14 earthquake on 14th.
1877 N. Chile 4 E Anaheim 0.9
5/10 Gaviota 1.8
San Francisco 0.2
San Pedro 1.0
Santa Cruz Observed
Sausalito 0.2
Wilmington 1.7
1878 S. California 3 L Avila Observed
11/22 Cayucos Observed
Sal Cape Observed
1879 S. California 2 L Santa Monica Observed
8/10
1883 S. Java Sea 2 V Sausalito 0.1
8/27 Krakatau
1987 (?) N. California 2 L? Sausalito Observed
7/8
1895 S. California 2 L San Miguel Is. Observed
3/9 and 30
1896 Sanriku, Japan 4 E Mendocino 1.0
6/15 San Francisco 0.2
Santa Cruz 1.5

Sausalito 0.1
1901 N. California 3 L Monterey Observed

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3/3

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Year Origin of Validity* Cause** Location of run-up (m) Comments
Month/day Tsunami Effects
1906 Columbia- 4 E San Diego <0.1 Currents observed, boats
1/31 Ecuador San Francisco Observed turned.
1906 N. California 3 E Navarro River Observed Flooding of low-lying
4/18 San Francisco 0.1 areas.
Slight drop in water level.
1906 Central Chile 4 E San Diego <0.1
8/17 San Francisco <0.1
1917 Kermadec Is., 4 E La Jolla Observed
5/1 South Pacific San Francisco <0.1
San Diego <0.1
1917 Samoa Is. 4 E Presidio <0.1
6/26 San Diego <0.1
1918 Kuril Is., Russia 4 E San Francisco <0.1
9/7
1918 Kuril Is., Russia 2 A San Diego <0.1 Recorded.
11/8 Presidio <0.1
1918 Chile 4 E Presidio Observed Emergent.
12/4
1919 Tonga Is. 4 E San Diego 0.1
4/30 San Francisco Observed
1922 N. Central 4 E San Diego 0.2
Chile San Francisco 0.2
Santa Cruz Observed?
Los Angeles Observed?
1923 N. California 2 E Cape Mendocino <0.1 Recorded on tide gauge.
1/22
1923 Kamchatka 4 E San Diego 0.2
2/3 Peninsula, San Francisco 0.1
Russia Santa Cruz Observed?
Los Angeles Observed?
1923 Kamchatka 4 E San Diego <0.1 Vessels set adrift in
9 Peninsula, San Francisco Observed harbor.
Russia Los Angeles 0.1
1927 N. to S. 4 E La Jolla <0.1 Recorded on tide gauge.
11/4 California Pismo Beach Observed
Port San Luis 0.8
San Diego Observed Recorded on tide gauge.
San Francisco <0.1 Recorded on tide gauge.
Surf 1.8
1928 S. Mexico 4 E La Jolla <0.1
6/17 San Francisco <0.1
Los Angeles <0.1
1929 Fox Is., 4 E Presidio <0.1 Recorded.
3/7 Aleutian Is.

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Year Origin of Validity* Cause** Location of run-up (m) Comments
Month/day Tsunami Effects
1930 S. California 3 L? Santa Monica 6.1 16 rescued, boat/pier damage.
8/31
Redondo Beach 6.1 1 death, many rescued.
High waves.
Venice Beach
1932 Jalisco, Mexico 4 E Long Beach 0.1 1932
6/3 Los Gatos trace 6/3
San Diego <0.1
San Francisco trace
Santa Barbara <0.1
1933 Sanriku, Japan 4 E La Jolla <0.1 1933
3/2 Long Beach <0.1 3/2
San Diego <0.1
San Francisco <0.1
Santa Monica 0.1
1938 Alaska 4 E Crescent City 0.2 1938
11/10 Peninsula San Diego <0.1 11/10
Santa Monica 0.1
1943 N. Central 4 E Crescent City trace 1943
4/6 Chile San Francisco <0.1 4/6
San Diego 0.1
Terminal Is. 0.1
Los Angeles
1944 Ryukyu Trench, 4 E La Jolla trace 1944
12/7 Japan Port Hueneme 0.1 12/7
San Francisco <0.1
San Diego <0.1
SantaTerminal(? <0.1
Los Angeles <0.1
1946 E. Aleutian Is. 4 E Experienced Observed, Arena Cove, wave height
4/1 along the entire trace to 2.6 4.3 m above MLLW.
coast. Bolinas, a small island
was submerged and boats
sunk.
Catalina, a small pier was
washed away. Noyo, 100
fishing boats thrown 1.8m
up bank.
Port Hueneme, sand
deposited on railroad
tracks.
Santa Cruz, man drowned;
cars pushed against
houses. 8m boat washed
300m off beach into
lagoon. Fisherman
terrified.
1946 Nankaido, 4 E Avila 0.1
12/20 Japan Crescent City 0.2
San Francisco <0.1
Terminal Is. 0.1

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Year Origin of Validity* Cause** Location of Effects run-up (m) Comments
Month/day Tsunami
1952 SE Hokkaido, 4 E Experienced from 0.2 - <0.1
3/4 Japan Crescent City south to
San Diego
1952 Kamchatka 4 E Crescent City to San Max. runup = Crescent City, 4 boats
11/4 Peninsula, Diego 0.7m overturned, concrete buoys
Russia moved.
Santa Cruz, one boat
damaged; sand washed
away.
1956 S. Kuril Is., 4 E Port Hueneme 0.1
11/6 Russia San Francisco 0.2
Avila 0.1
1957 Central 4 E Crescent City 0.7 Minor damage
3/9 Aleutian Is. La Jolla 0.3 2 people swept off rocks
Monterey 0.6 Damage at $5,000. Wall of
San Diego 0.2 water 1 m high reported at
Shelter Is.
1960 S. Central Chile 4 E All of the West Coast 2.2 $500,000 - $1,000,000
5/22 damage, 2 killed.
1963 Kuril Is., Russia 4 E Avila 0.3 Fishing boat broke mooring.
10/13 Crescent City 0.5
Los Angeles <0.1
La Jolla 0.1
San Francisco <0.1
1964 Gulf of Alaska 4 E All of West Coast 4.8 16 deaths, $20 million
3/28 - Alaska Crescent City total damage along west
Peninsula Observed coast.
Trinidad 2.0 10 dead, 35 injured, 52
Noyo 1.1 homes and 172 businesses
San Francisco 0.6 damaged or destroyed.
San Diego 5.4m above MLLW.
100 fishing boats
damaged, 10 sunk.

Floating restaurant
mooring broke.
1965 W Aleutian Is. 4 E Crescent City 0.1 Recorded.
2/4 Los Angeles <0.1 Recorded.
San Francisco <0.1 Recorded.
San Diego <0.1 Recorded.
Santa Cruz <0.1 Observed.
Santa (?) <0.1 Recorded.
1966 Peru 4 E Crescent City 0.1
10/17 San Francisco <0.1
San Diego <0.1
1968 Honshu, Japan 4 E Crescent City 0.6
5/16 San Francisco <0.1
Santa (?) 0.2
San Diego <0.1

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Year Origin of Validity* Cause** Location of Effects run-up (m) Comments
Month/day Tsunami
1971 New Ireland 4 E Crescent City <0.1
7/26 Long Beach <0.1
Los Angeles <0.1
1974 Peru 4 E Crescent City <0.1
10/3
1975 Hawaii 4 E Port San Luis 0.4 $1,000 damage to two docks.
11/29 Santa Catalina Island 1.4
Santa Surge observed.
Observed
1977 Tonga Trench 4 E Long Beach 0.1
6/22 Los Angeles <0.1
Port San Luis 0.1
San Diego <0.1
1986 W. Aleutian Is. 4 E Crescent City 0.1
5/7
1987 Gulf of Alaska 4 E Presidio, San Francisco <0.1
1/30
1988 Gulf of Alaska 2 E San Francisco? <0.1 Report not confirmed.
3/6
1989 N. California 4 E Santa Cruz Observed Wave rushing out of harbor.
10/18 Monterey 0.4 Recorded.
Moss Landing 1.0 Water drained from Salinas
River
1992 N. California 4 E N. Spit Humboldt Bay 0.3 Waves arrived at Humboldt
4/25 Clam Beach Observed Bay about 20 minutes after
Crescent City 0.6 ground shaking.
Trinidad 0.9 Water level changed several
feet.
Oscillations in harbor, fourth
wave was the highest.
Cars stuck on beach.

* The validity has been devised (Soloviev and Go, 1974; and Cox and Morgan, 1977) to rate how
valid a tsunami report may be. In a five step scale:

0 = Not a valid report

1 = Probably not a valid report
2 = Possibly a valid report
3 = Probably a valid report
4 = Certainly a valid report

** The key to the cause of the event is as follows:

L = Landslide
M = Meteorological
A = Astronomical
E = Earthquake

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 V = Volcano
Appendix 3 Tsunami Sample Planning Template

Tsunami Planning
Tsunami Sample Planning Template
Management
Management may want to focus on several areas during the planning process, including organizational structure;
coordination of various disciplines; inclusion of non-profit organizations or private businesses in the possible
response organization; public information concerns; safety and security; and information sharing among the key
players. In addition, management may also want to be involved in threat analysis plans and procedures development.

Organizational Structure
Local government should consider the organizational structure required for a tsunami threat or actual event.
In developing the organization, agencies may want to address the following questions:

• How should organizational and planning issues be addressed? Through multi-agency tsunami planning
committee (TPCs)? Through regional as well as local efforts? Much of the success of future tsunami
response efforts will depend upon establishing close working relationships among the key players at various
government levels.
• What organization is already in place to deal with tsunamis?
• How will they interface with their state and federal counterparts?
• What levels of government need to be represented?
• What are the procedures for liaison to OES? Others?
• What organizational elements need to be represented? For example, the unified command?
• How will the transition from tsunami watch/warning to tsunami response be accomplished—if
necessary?

Coordination of Disciplines
A tsunami event will require multi-agency, multi-discipline coordination at all levels, including first
responders. Questions to consider:

• How do local jurisdictions plan to coordinate medical, health, fire and rescue, public works, law and
coroner?
• What are the issues associated with discipline coordination? In the EOC environment? In the field?
• What communication systems and protocols need to be in place?
• How will vulnerable population issues be addressed?
• How will education and childcare facilities be addressed?
• How will animal care issues be addressed?

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Non-Profits and Private Businesses
Non-profit organizations and businesses may become involved in a tsunami threat or event, either as
potential victims or as possible support organizations.

• What non-profit organizations need to be involved in tsunami response planning?

• How do local jurisdictions include them in tsunami response?
• Are there businesses that need to be involved in tsunami response planning? Would they be potential
victims? Could they provide support to emergency operations?

Public Information
All Public Information personnel should review current plans and/or protocols to ensure the area(s) listed
below are addressed.

As we have seen in California during our natural disasters, public information plays a crucial role in
managing an event. Some questions to consider are:

• What system(s) are available to alert the public?

• What protocols need to be established by local government?
• How does local government ensure support and cooperation with the media on a potentially sensitive
subject?
• What protective actions need to occur for government response personnel to the public?
• How do local governments and the media address bilingual and multicultural concerns?
• What public information organizations need to be established? Media centers?

Safety and Security

All Safety and Security personnel should review current plans and/or protocols to ensure the area(s) listed
below are addressed. Staff safety and operational security will be key concerns during a tsunami threat or
actual event. Questions to consider:

• What actions do local governments need to take to protect their staff?

• What actions need to be taken to ensure operational security?
• What agencies have responsibility for perimeter security?

Information Dissemination
Information dissemination and sharing will be crucial during a tsunami threat or actual event. How an event
unfolds will be determined to a great extent by “information” and how it is processed. Questions to
consider:

• What protocols need to be established about sharing threat information? How will various disciplines
share information across discipline lines (e.g.: law enforcement to medical).
• What components of the local response organization need to have information?
• What information elements need to be shared? And with what agencies, organizations, businesses,
volunteer organizations, the media, and so on?
• Do agencies need to have “alert levels” or “readiness conditions” – even those that do not normally use
these terms?

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Operations
This section addresses concerns that may surface during tsunami response planning for branches normally associated
with Operations.

Fire Department
All Fire and Rescue personnel should review current plans and/or protocols to ensure the areas listed below
are addressed. Tsunami inundations are not a single wave event; several waves may inundate the coast over
several hours. The first wave may be followed by larger, more destructive waves that go farther inland and
carry debris.

• Are fire and rescue response personnel staged outside of the potential tsunami run up area until an all
clear is given?
• Do existing procedures need to be modified to accommodate a tsunami scenario?
• Do first responder personnel need to receive any special instructions in the face of a potential tsunami
threat?
• What time-critical refresher training needs to occur in anticipation of an event? (For example, refresher
training on chemical agent identification.)
• What additional technical support teams will be required for a tsunami situation?
• Which fire and rescue functions need to be co-located with other disciplines for coordination purposes?
• Will the Fire and Rescue Branch need to request mutual aid to deal with the consequences of a tsunami
event?
• Will Fire and Rescue Branch require extensive logistical support for their operations?
• How will fire and rescue personnel deal with the potential that they may become secondary tsunami
casualties upon response to an event?
• How will fire and rescue personnel expand their operations beyond the normal day-to-day emergency
response? What will be required to do this?
• How will the environmental needs be addressed?
• Have fire and rescue personnel prepared for an incident?
• Are decontamination procedures in place for fire and rescue personnel?

Hazardous Materials
All Hazardous Materials/Radiological personnel should review current plans and/or protocols to ensure the
areas listed below are addressed. Tsunamis often involve many waves; several waves may inundate the
coast over several hours. The first wave may be followed by larger, more destructive waves that go farther
inland and carry debris.

• Are hazardous materials response personnel staged outside of the potential tsunami run up area until an
all clear is given?
• Do existing procedures need to be modified to accommodate a tsunami scenario?
• Do first responder personnel need to receive any special instructions in the face of a potential tsunami
threat?
• What time-critical refresher training needs to occur in anticipation of an event? (For example, refresher
training on chemical agent identification.)
• What additional technical support teams will be required for a tsunami situation?
• Which hazardous materials or radiological functions need to be co-located with other disciplines for
coordination purposes?
• Will the HazMat or Radiological Branch need to request mutual aid to deal with the consequences of a
tsunami event?
• Will HazMat or Radiological Branch require extensive logistical support for their operations?
• How will HazMat or Radiological team personnel deal with the potential that they may become

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secondary tsunami casualties upon response to an event?
• How will HazMat expand their operations beyond the normal day-to-day emergency response? What will
be required to do this?
• How will the environmental needs be addressed?
• Have radiological personnel prepared for an incident?
• Are decontamination procedures in place for radiological personnel?

Law Enforcement
All law enforcement personnel should review current plans and/or protocols to ensure the areas listed below
are addressed. Several tsunami waves may inundate the coast over a number of hours. The first wave may
be followed by larger, more destructive waves that go farther inland and carry debris.

• Are law enforcement personnel staged outside of the potential tsunami run up area until an all clear is
given?
• Do existing procedures need to be modified to accommodate a tsunami scenario?
• Do first responder personnel need to receive any special instructions in the face of a potential tsunami
threat?
• What time-critical refresher training needs to occur in anticipation of an event? (For example, refresher
training on evacuations.)
• What additional technical support teams will be required for a tsunami situation?
• Which law enforcement functions need to be co-located with other disciplines for coordination purposes?
• Will the law enforcement branch need to request mutual aid to deal with the consequences of a tsunami
event?
• What additional logistical support will law enforcement require for operations?
• How will law enforcement expand their operations beyond the normal day-to-day emergency response?
What will be required to do this?
• Are law enforcement personnel prepared to perform/direct mass evacuations and spontaneous
evacuations?

Coroner
Generally, all of the standard mass fatality concerns would apply for coroner operations during a tsunami
response. Tsunami inundations are not a single wave event; several waves may inundate the coast over
several hours. The first wave may be followed by larger, more destructive waves that go farther inland and
carry debris.

• Are coroner personnel staged outside of the potential inundation area?

• Do existing procedures need to be modified to accommodate a tsunami scenario?
• Do existing procedures address and deal with decontamination in the presence of hazardous materials?
One area to be addressed is decontamination of the deceased prior to leaving the scene to prevent
contamination of facilities. This requires setting up a specific decontamination procedure prior to
transportation to the incident morgue or central morgue facility. It may also be necessary to establish a
temporary morgue for any work with contaminated deceased.
• Are there provisions in place for securing of personal effects? They may be needed to assist in
identification or at least in the “believed to “be (BTB) identification. They must be secured for release to
the family if appropriate.
• Are there provisions for the recovery and identification of the deceased? This is usually the highest
priority of the family. It may, however, conflict with the other issues of a tsunami response. Recovery of
bodies may be delayed, for instance, due to continued tsunami risks. Coroner staff should not enter the
inundation zone until the “all clear” is issued.
• Do procedures address the issues of identification of large numbers of tsunami casualties, when there

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may be decontamination and dismemberment issues?
• Do procedures include the establishment of a Family Assistance Center? Mass fatalities management
usually includes such centers. The centers facilitate information flow. Family members may need to be
available for interviews, identification notifications, and remains disposition.
• Do coroner personnel need to receive any special instructions in the face of a potential tsunami threat?
• What time-critical refresher training needs to occur in anticipation of an event?
• What additional technical support teams will be required for a tsunami situation?
• Which coroner functions need to be co-located with other disciplines for coordination purposes?
• Will the Law Enforcement Branch need to request mutual aid to deal with the consequences of a tsunami
event?
• What additional logistical support will be required for coroner operations?
• How will operations be expanded beyond the normal day-to-day emergency response? What will be
required to do this?

Medical and Health

All medical and health personnel should review current plans and/or protocols to ensure the areas listed
below are addressed. Tsunami waves may inundate the coast over several hours. The first wave may be
followed by larger, more destructive waves that go farther inland and carry debris.

• Are medical personnel staged outside of the potential tsunami run-up area until an all clear is given.
• Do existing procedures need to be modified to accommodate a tsunami scenario?
• Do first responder personnel need to receive any special instructions in the face of a potential tsunami
threat?
• What time-critical refresher training needs to occur in anticipation of an event (refresher training on
chemical agent identification, biological hazards, or decontamination procedures, for example)?
• What additional technical support teams will be required for a tsunami situation?
• Which medical or health functions need to be co-located with other disciplines for coordination
purposes? For example, there are instances in which medical and hazardous material personnel may need to
conduct joint activities.
• Will the medical and health branches need to request mutual aid to deal with the consequences of a
tsunami event? What will be the source of this aid?
• Will the medical and health branches need to establish significant logistical support for operations?
• How will medical and health personnel deal with the possibility that they may become secondary tsunami
victims upon response to an event?
• How will medical and health expand their operations beyond the normal day-to-day emergency response?
What will be required to do this?
• Should medical and health personnel establish contacts in the private sector prior to an incident for
quicker access to supplies and personnel?
• Are decontamination procedures in place for medical personnel?
• If the event is a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI), how will medical personnel address the need for the
possible massive amounts of mutual aid required?

Mental Health.
“Medical” also includes mental health support, which will focus on support to victims of a tsunami and
support to response personnel, including EOC staff. Mental health planners should consider the same sort
of questions that other elements of the medical and health community address. In addition, plans should
incorporate the following areas:

Staff Background and Training

• Does your mental health staff have the requisite training in disasters, tsunamis, and dealing with trauma?
• Do they have an understanding of governmental response roles?

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• Are they able to function as part of a multi-disciplinary team?

Crisis Management
• Public information: What role should mental health practitioners play as part of public information?
What effect does public information have upon the mental health of the victims and responders?
• Support services: How can the mental health community provide crisis counseling, screening, diagnosis,
and treatment for those in need of such services?
• Stress Management: How can mental health personnel support stress management programs within the
EOC and other locations?
• Follow-up: What mental health follow-up programs need to be developed as a result of a threat or event?
• Integration and support: How do mental health activities integrate with and support other medical/health
activities?
• Resources: What mental health resources are available within the community? Will additional mental
health resources be required? How can non-medical support personnel, such as religious staff or social
services personnel, be integrated into the process?
• Psychological aspects: How can mental health professionals address the psychological aspects of
response activities such as: body recovery, identification, family notification, and transportation of the
injured?

Care & Shelter

All care and shelter personnel should review current plans and/or protocols to ensure the areas listed below
are addressed.

• Do existing procedures need to be modified to accommodate a tsunami scenario?

• What special instructions do care and shelter personnel need to receive regarding a potential tsunami
threat?
• What time-critical refresher training needs to occur in anticipation of an event (for example, refresher
training on facility security procedures or mental health concerns during a tsunami event)?
• What level of facility security will be required for care and shelter operations during a tsunami situation?
• At what levels of the emergency response organization should there be care and shelter representation?
Field level incident command post? City EOC? OA EOC?
• Will the care and shelter branch need to request mutual aid to deal with the consequences of a tsunami
event? If so, what will be the source of this aid?
• Will the care and shelter branch need to establish significant logistical support for its operations? How
will this connect to other logistical support, such as medical?
• How will care and shelter personnel handle mass evacuations and spontaneous evacuations? How will
local law enforcement and fire personnel address this situation?

Public Works and Utilities

All Public Works personnel should review current plans and/or protocols to ensure the areas listed below
are addressed. This branch may include public works, local state agency representation, and private
concerns. It may include representatives from professional organizations. Tsunami inundations are not a
single wave event; several waves may inundate the coast over several hours. The first wave may be
followed by larger, more destructive waves that go farther inland and carry debris.

• Are public works and private and public agency personnel staged outside of the potential tsunami run up
area until an all clear is given?
• How will building inspectors and other professionals be included in the process?
• All Utilities personnel should review current plans and/or protocols to ensure the areas listed below are

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addressed.
• The Utilities branch may be composed of both public and private utilities organizations in the areas of
potable water, wastewater and sewage treatment, gas, and electricity. The branch may, of necessity,
coordinate extensively with the construction and engineering branch.
• What are the vulnerabilities for utilities?
• Do existing utilities procedures need to be modified to accommodate a tsunami scenario? If so, how
should they be modified?
• Do utilities field personnel need to receive any special instructions in the face of a potential tsunami
threat?
• What time-critical refresher training needs to occur in anticipation of an event?
• At what levels of the emergency response organization should there be utilities representation? Field
level incident command post? City EOC? OA EOC?
• What additional utility technical support teams will be required for a tsunami situation?
• Which utilities components need to be co-located with other disciplines for coordination purposes? There
are, For example, instances when utilities personnel may need to conduct joint activities with fire and
rescue personnel.
• Will the utilities branch need to request mutual aid to deal with the consequences of a tsunami event? If
so, what will be the source of this aid?
• Will the utilities branch need to establish significant logistical support for operations?
• How will utilities expand their operations to accommodate the emergency response?

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Planning and Intelligence
There are at least two main areas to consider:

1) Threat analysis
2) Identification of gaps and shortfalls in plans and procedures.

Threat Analysis
Threat analysis can include human factors (deaths, injuries, sheltering needs, etc.), lifelines and
infrastructure (utilities, roads, bridges, etc.), and critical facilities (police and fire stations, schools,
hospitals, etc.).

Other possible areas to examine would be facilities such as transportation hubs and industrial facilities with
hazardous materials that are in the tsunami run-up zone. The Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA),
for example, will be registering the facilities that are exposed to the tsunami threat.

Identification of Planning Gaps

After reviewing the items contained in this Planning Template section, answer the following questions:

• What needs to be done?

• What are the action items?
• Who needs to do them?
• What are the timelines?
• Does the local jurisdiction need an entirely new plan to address tsunami issues or can existing plans and
procedures be modified?

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Logistics
As part of the planning process for the tsunami response, local government will probably identify support
requirements (supplies, services, equipment, facilities, etc.). Resources databases will also need to be identified,
developed, and maintained. Logistics planners will probably want to identify critical support operations, such as
computer operations, that must remain intact and functional during an event.

Support Requirements
The following questions should be considered when identifying support requirements:

• What assets do local jurisdictions have to deal with the tsunami threat?
• What do they think they might need to overcome shortfalls?
• Do local jurisdictions know how to access/request resources from other sources?

Resources Data Bases

Development and use of the appropriate databases will be essential to the response effort. Some questions
to consider:

• What resource databases exist? How does the local government access them?
• What inundation maps exist?
• What resources do they need to manage and how?
• Does the jurisdiction need to develop a tsunami specific resources database? What should be in this
database? Should its accessibility be restricted in some way?

Finance and Administration

Issues, which may need to be addressed, include continuity of operations, such as payroll processing, and tracking
the costs of an event.

Continuity of Operations
• What systems do local jurisdictions have for personnel tracking and payroll operations?
• What are the staff recall procedures?
• Will there need to be a set of recall procedures specific to tsunami response?

Cost Tracking
Like any other emergency response, local jurisdictions will want to track costs associated with a tsunami
response. Is there anything unique to tsunami response that will impact cost tracking procedures?

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Training and Exercises
Training and exercises are a crucial component for a successful tsunami response program. There are several areas
which local jurisdictions may want to consider:

• Development of a “Tsunami Response Training Program”

• Existing training programs
• Tsunami Awareness Programs
• First Responder Training Exercise Program

Tsunami Response Training

The local jurisdiction may want to develop a comprehensive program, based upon its training needs
assessment. The program would include maintenance of training records.

Key questions to consider:

• What are our training needs?
• Can we identify our training needs?
• What do we need to do to meet our training needs?

Tsunami Awareness Programs

Questions to consider regarding tsunami awareness programs:
• Does the local jurisdiction need to develop and conduct a tsunami awareness program?
• Who should get the awareness training?
• Does the awareness training include a quick orientation module that personnel can take in anticipation of
a potential threat?

First Responder Training

Questions to consider:
• What First Responder Training already exists that can be used by the local jurisdiction?
• Where does the first responder training fit with other training elements?
• Does the jurisdiction need to develop first responder training?
• Does the jurisdiction need assistance in developing its training?
• What training needs to be implemented for dispatch centers? For fire and rescue? For EMS? For
HazMat? For law enforcement?

Exercises
What is the current exercise program? Can it be modified to accommodate tsunami concerns?

• Does the jurisdiction need to develop a separate exercise program for tsunami?
• Who should develop, conduct, and maintain the new tsunami response exercise program?
• Does the jurisdiction have the resources to conduct such exercises?
• What about funding for the program?

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Appendix 4 Sample San Mateo County Plan
Sample San Mateo County Plan
Introduction The phenomenon called "Tsunami" is a series of ocean waves of
extremely long length generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
or massive undersea landslides.

As a tsunami crosses the deep ocean its length from crest to crest
may be a hundred miles and its height from trough to crest only a
few feet. Tsunamis may reach speeds of 600 miles per hour in deep
water.

When the tsunami enters shallow coastal waters, its speed decreases
and the wave height increases. This creates the large wave that
becomes a threat to life and property. Following the arrival of the
first wave, subsequent waves may increase in height and arrive
minutes to hours later.
Background Although there are no known recorded deaths from tsunami action
in San Mateo County, it is probable that wave impact occurred in
1946, 1960, and 1964. In 1946 an earthquake in the Aleutian Islands
generated a tsunami that caused one death in Santa Clara County.
The resultant tsunami from the Alaskan earthquake of 1964 caused
eleven deaths in Crescent City just south of the Oregon border.

The USGS has produced a tsunami inundation area map based on a

20-foot run-up along coastal areas and the Golden Gate. Such a run-
up is estimated to occur an average of once every 200 years.
The areas of the county that would be most heavily damaged by a
tsunami are those along the Northern San Mateo Pacific Coast;
Sharp Park State Beach, Rockaway Beach, and the Linda Mar area.
The degree of damage experienced by these areas would depend on
the local sea bottom and coastal topography as well as the incoming
direction of the tsunami.
Purpose The overall purpose of this plan is to protect life and property of the
citizens of San Mateo County. Specific purposes of the plan are:
• To establish a county-wide understanding of the special
operational concepts, organization, tasks, and coordinated
emergency actions of public agencies, utility districts, and other
organizations and institutions which would be involved in a tsunami
warning response.
• To provide for mobilization and direction of county and various
city emergency organizations in support of evacuation and security
operations.

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 • To provide for the rapid deployment of mutual aid.
Activation This plan becomes effective upon notification of a Tsunami Watch
or Warning issued by the National Weather Service, or on order of
the Area Coordinator of Emergency Services or County Director of
Emergency Services (County Manager). Any city may activate this
plan for areas under its incident command authority.

This plan establishes procedures for the evacuation and control

of the following areas at risk from tsunami (seismic sea wave)
action:

RISK AREA INCIDENT COMMAND

Gray Whale Cove State Beach Sheriff’s Office

Montara State Beach Sheriff’s Office

Pillar Point Harbor (Maritime Area) Pillar Point Harbor District

Pillar Point Community Sheriff’s Office

Half Moon Bay Beaches Half Moon Bay PD

Concept of Operations In the event of a Tsunami Warning, population in the designated
risk areas will be warned and advised to move to temporary mass
care facilities. After general warning to the public, the highest
priority is alerting and moving institutional populations such as
schools, hospitals, and convalescent care facilities.

The public will be warned using the following methods:

• Emergency service units using PA systems
• Providing Leaflets door-to-door (Enclosures 4 and 5)
• Announcements on TCI Cable Company system (Enclosure 6)
• Announcements on Travelers Information Service and Emergency
Alert System
• Sounding of sirens (steady blast indicates peacetime emergency)

Each agency assigned Incident Command responsibilities will

control operations within its area of responsibility.

SEE COASTSIDE Tsunami CHECKLIST (ENCLOSURE 2) FOR

SPECIFIC ACTIONS REQUIRED IN THE EVENT OF A
WATCH, WARNING, OR OCCURANCE.

Traffic Control Points to restrict sightseer traffic to the coast will be

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 put into place as required (Enclosure 7).

This plan is consistent with the San Mateo Operational Area Multi-
Relationship to Hazard Functional Plan. It contains information about authority,
Other Plans organization, and responsibilities of emergency services.

This plan outlines a broad response concept with attachments

showing more detailed information for each risk area.
Agencies and organizations with assigned response tasks should
develop specific response procedures and checklists to support this
plan.

After an area has been evacuated, police security set up roadblocks,

barricades, and/or a system of patrols.
Area Security
Evacuated areas must remain closed to the public until after the
threat of a Tsunami no longer exists. The decision to allow re-entry
Area
will be made by the risk area incident commander in consultation
Re-entry
with the appropriate EOC. Residents should enter through control
points to ensure that safety and sanitary precautions are provided.

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 ENCLOSURE 1
KEY PHONE LIST
Federal Agencies
Hawaii Tsunami Warning Center
National Weather Service, Redwood City

State Agencies
California State Warning Center
California OES Coastal Region
State Parks and Beaches Day Time Phone No
State Parks and Beaches 24 Hr Dispatch
California Highway Patrol, Redwood City Office
--Responsible for Highway Marker 3.700 (south of Devil’s Slide to Monterey County Line)
California Highway Patrol San Francisco Office
--Responsible for Highway Marker 3.700 (south of Devil’s Slide through Pacifica)
California Highway Patrol Area Dispatch Center
--Dispatches all area Highway Patrol vehicles
California Department of Parks and Recreation (24HR Dispatch)

County Agencies
Sheriff

San Mateo Area Office of Emergency Services

Office
Room B-1 EOC
Command Section
Operations Section
Logistics Section
(Message Center)

Pillar Point Harbor

Emergency Medical Services

Environmental Health

San Mateo Parks and Recreation

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

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OES Local Planning Guidance on Tsunami Response
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 ENCLOSURE 2
COASTSIDE TSUNAMI CHECKLIST
Prepare Tsunami Information Statement to pass to public (Enclosure 6). Cable Television and
Emergency Alert Stations will pass information.
Contact Westar Cable System Emergency Coordinator (name) to initiate Tsunami Warning
Video and messages on Channels 6, 17 and 28.
Prepare written warnings for the general public (Enclosure 4 and 5).
Prepare plans for evacuation of equipment away from inundation areas.

SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY EACH AGENCY UPON NOTIFICATION OF A

TSUNAMI WARNING, INDICATING THAT A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN DETECTED, AND
THAT WARNING AND EVACUATION OF THREATENED AREAS SHOULD BE
INITIATED.
Complete all items on Tsunami Watch Checklist above.
Initiate warning and evacuation of threatened areas.
Confirm Tsunami Warning with American Red Cross. Confirm opening of shelters.
Move equipment away from threatened areas.
Maintain contact with the San Mateo Area OES to provide situation updates and coordinate
evacuation and road closures.
Secure evacuated areas. Cordon off evacuated areas. Mark evacuated areas with placards.
Maintain evacuation for a minimum period of two hours after arrival of last wave or
upon ALL CLEAR transmitted by San Mateo Area OES.

SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY EACH AGENCY IF TSUNAMI OCCURS AND

DAMAGE RESULTS
Maintain full evacuation until minimum of two hours after arrival of last wave or upon ALL
CLEAR from San Mateo Area OES. Additional waves may occur.
After a two-hour safety period, secure damaged areas from re-entry by non-residents and
property owners, emergency responders, and the press.
Initiate windshield damage assessment. Compile Coastside Damage Assessment Report for
dissemination to San Mateo Area OES.
Request San Mateo County Public & Environmental Health Departments inspect damaged areas
to ensure areas are safe for residents.
Upon approval by County Health that areas are safe for resident re-entry, allow residents,
property owners, responders, the press, and other authorized individuals to enter area.
Based on damage, consider Declaration of Emergency or Disaster.
Establish response priorities and mutual aid requirements. Keep San Mateo Area OES up-to-date
on events in damaged areas.

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 ENCLOSURE 3
SAMPLE BRIEFING FORMAT
We have been warned by the National Weather Service that a Tsunami, or seismic sea wave, (may
have) (has been) generated in the Pacific and may strike our coast. If a wave was generated, it will
arrive here at approximately ___________.

Tsunamis have done great damage on the California coast. The most recent one in 1964 killed 12
people in Crescent City. They were not evacuated in time or were allowed to return to the evacuated
area too soon. This tsunami also did damage in our area. A 1960 tsunami killed 61 in Hawaii and
damaged our coast.

Our responsibility is to warn everyone within the inundation area shown on the map on the back of
this briefing sheet, and to insure that special facilities in the risk area are evacuated. Temporary
staging areas are being established at the Farallone View Elementary School, LeConte and Kanoff in
Montara and Half Moon Bay High School on Lewis Foster Drive in Half Moon Bay. Information
will be given to you at these locations as to when or if American Red Cross Shelters will be opened
at these locations.

A tsunami is not a single wave, but a series of waves. Keep people out of the risk area until you are
advised that re-entry may begin. Waves may be as far apart as one hour and may be as high as
twenty feet on this section of coast.

Traffic Control Points may be set up at strategic locations to reduce traffic flow toward the coast. If
you are on a Traffic Control Point, you may allow the following people through after warning them
of the danger and expected time of arrival:
• residents who have a local address on their driver’s license
• boat owners who can give you either a berth or CF number
• commercial trucks enroute to non-affected areas
• emergency services personnel including Red Cross Volunteers enroute to support operations

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 ENCLOSURE 4
SAMPLE EVACUATION ORDER
We have been warned by the National weather Service that a tsunami, or seismic sea wave (may
have been) (has been) generated in the Pacific and may strike our coast. If a wave was generated, it
will arrive here at approximately ____________.

Under provisions of the Emergency Services Ordinance of the City of Half Moon Bay, I am ordering
all persons in the risk area to evacuate to either Farallone View Elementary School or Half Moon
Bay High School. Personnel evacuating from Point Montara, Princeton by the Sea, or El Granada
should evacuate to Farallone View Elementary School located at LeConte and Kanoff in Montara.
Personnel evacuating from Miramar, Highland Park, and Half Moon Bay should evacuate to Half
Moon Bay High School on Lewis Foster Drive. You should be able to return to your homes within
six hours. Security patrols will prevent anyone from entering the evacuated areas.

Tsunamis have done great damage on the California coast. The most recent one in 1964 killed 12
people in Crescent City. They were not evacuated in time or returned to the evacuated area before
the all-clear signal was given. This tsunami also did damage in our area. A 1960 tsunami killed 61 in
Hawaii six hours after a warning had been issued. Only those who ignored the warning were killed.

A tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves. Stay out of the risk area until you are advised
that reentry may begin. Waves may be as far apart as one hour and up to twenty feet high on this part
of the coast.

There is no way to determine in advance the size of tsunamis in specific locations. A small tsunami
at one beach can be a giant wave a few miles away. Don't let the modest size of one make you lose
respect for all.

All tsunamis - like hurricanes - are potentially dangerous even though they may not strike each
coastline or do damage when they do strike.

Never go down to the beach to watch for a tsunami. The wave moves much faster than you can run.

Sooner or later, tsunamis visit every coastline in the Pacific. This means that Tsunami Warnings
apply to you if you live in any Pacific coastal area.

During this emergency, local police, fire, and emergency services officials are trying to save your
life. Give them your fullest cooperation.

______________________________

Chief of Police

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 ENCLOSURE 5
ADVERTENCIA PARA EVACUACION
Nos han advertido que un aguaje (maremoto) ha sido generado en el Oceano Pacifico y amenaza a
nuestra costa maritima, segun el servicio federal metereologico. Las olas llegeran aqui
aproximadamente a las [TIME OF ARRIVAL].

Se encuentra usted en una area de riesgo de aguaje o inunclacion? Esto significa que el fuerte oleaje
podria alcanzar o inundar esta area y se le advierte que para su seguridad abandone immediatamente
esta area y proceda a un lugar mas seguro hasta que las autoridades le informen que ha pasado el
peligro.

Se avisa a todos los residentes afectados alejarse del area y proceder a: Farallone View
Elementary School on LeConte y Kanoff en Montara or Half Moon Bay High on Lewis Drive en
Half Moon Bay. Por favor permanezcan en el lugar indicado hasta que las autoridades les informen
que pueden volver a sus hogares.

Maremotos han hecho muchos daños a la costa de California. En el mas reciente en 1964 perecieron
12 personas en Crescent que no se han evacuado a tiempo o que han vuelto al area evacuada antes
que las autoridades han dado la señal. Este maremoto tambien ha hecho daños en nuestra area. En
otro maremoto en 1961, 61 personas perecieron en Hawaii 6 horas despues de la advertencia.
Solamente perecieron los que han desconocido la advertencia.

Un aguaje no es una sola ola sino una serie de olas con fuerza mayor que ias las comunes. Esten
fuera del area de peligro hasta que las autoridades dicen que pueden volver. Las olas a veces se
separan hasta una hora, y pueden alcanzar hasta una altura de 20 pies (6 metros).

No se puede prevenir la altura de un maremoto en avance. Un pequeño maremoto en una playa

puede ser gigante en pocos kilometros de distancia. No pierden responcto por los maremotos cuando
uno es pequeno!

Todos los maremotos pueden ser peligrosos, aun cuando no tocan todas las areas de peligro y no
dañan todas las areas que tocan. Nunca se baja hasta la playa para observar un maremoto. Las olas
corren mucho mas rapido que nosotros.

Antes o despues, maremotos tocan todas las costas pacificas. Eso quiere decir que las advertencias
pueden occurir en todas las areas de la costa.

Durante estas emergencia, las autoridades de seguridad publica intentan protegerle. Por favor den su
cooperacion completa.

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 ENCLOSURE 6
WESTAR CABLE WARNING MESSAGE
Westar Cable Company will place Tsunami Warning Messages on Channels 17 and 28 to warn
people in the danger zones to evacuate. Additionally, an OES Tsunami Warning Video may be
shown on Channel 6. Coordination for a tsunami message will be made through Mr./Ms ________ at
Westar Cable. After normal work hours, Mr./Ms__________ can be paged

at__________. Mr. Fischer will confirm the validity of the request for the tsunami tape by contacting
County Communications at ________, or the Office of Emergency Services at _____________.

The Following tape message will be played on Westar Cable Television Channels 17 and 28.

"A tsunami, or seismic sea wave, has been generated in the Pacific and may strike our coast. If the
wave was generated, it will arrive here at approximately ___________. All persons in risk areas (low
areas adjacent to the ocean) are ordered to evacuate to safe areas. Staging areas have been
established at the Farallone View Elementary School on LeConte and Kanoff in Montara or Half
Moon Bay High School on Lewis Drive in Half Moon Bay. You should be able to return to your
homes within six hours. Security patrols will prevent anyone from entering the evacuated areas.
Additional information is available on the Emergency Alert System. A tsunami information film is
being played on Channel 6 and will provide some useful information."

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 ENCLOSURE 7
TRAFFIC CLOSURE POINTS
Traffic Control Point Location Responsible Agency

1 Palmetto at Westline-DC Line Daly City PD

2. Highway 1 and Highway 35 SF CHP

3. Hickey Blvd./Highway 35 Daly City PD

4. Glencourt Way/Highway 35 South San Francisco PD

5. Manor Drive/Highway 35 South San Francisco PD

6. Sharp Park Rd/No Entry Rd San Bruno PD

7. San Pedro and Devils Slide Pacifica PD or CalTrans

8. Highway 92/Highway 35 RWC CHP

9. Tunitas Creek Rd/Highway 35 Hillsborough PD

10. Highway 84/Highway 35 San Carlos PD

11. Old LaHonda Rd/Highway 35 Menlo Park PD

12. Alpine Road/Highway 35 Sheriff’s Honor Camp

13. Highway 1 at Davenport CHP

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 ENCLOSURE 8

REFERENCES
Abe, K., Tsunami Propagation in Rivers of the Japanese Islands, Continental Shelf Research,
Volume 5, Number 6, February 1986.

Ayre, R.S. with D.S. Mileti, Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards in the United States: A Research
Assessment , Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 1975.

Cox, D.C. and G. Pararas-Carayannis, Catalog of Tsunamis in Alaska, Environmental Data Service,
Boulder, CO, March 1976.

Garcia, A.W. and J.R. Houston, Flood Insurance Study: Tsunami Predictions for Monterey and San
Francisco Bays and Sound, Technical Report H-74-3, US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment
Station, Vicksburg, MS, May 1974.

Houston, J.R. and A.W. Garcia, Flood Insurance Study: Tsunami Predictions for Pacific Coastal
Communities, Technical Report H-74-3. US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station,
Vicksburg, MS, May 1974.

Houston, J.R., R.W. Whalin, A.W. Garcia, and H.L. Butler, Effect of Source Orientation and
Location in the Aleutian Trench on Tsunami Amplitude Along the Pacific Coast of the Continental
United States, Technical Report H-75-4, US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station,
Vicksburg, MS, July 1975.

Lida, K., D.C. Cox, and G. Pararas-Carayannis Preliminary Catalog of Tsunamis Occurring in the
Pacific Ocean, HIG 67-10, Data Report Number 5, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, University of
Hawaii, Honolulu, August 1967.

Kowalik, Z., "Computation of Tsunami Amplitudes Resulting from a Predicted Major Earthquake in
the Shumagin Seismic Gap", Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 11, Number 12, December
1984.

McCulloch, D.S., "Evaluating Tsunami Potential", US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1360,
1985.

Murty, T.S., Seismic Sea Waves: Tsunamis, Bulletin 198, Department of Fisheries and the
Environment, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1977.

Pararas-Carayannis, G., Catalog of Tsunamis in Hawaii, Environmental Data Service, Boulder. CO.
March 1977.

OES Local Planning Guidance on Tsunami Response

58
San Mateo County Planning Department, San Mateo County Seismic Safety Element of the General
Plan and Hazard Synthesis Maps, 1976.

Sokolowski, T.J., "The Alaska Tsunami Warning Center's Responsibilities and Operations", Science
of Tsunami Hazard, Volume 3, Number 1, December 1985.

Soloviev, S.L., and Ch. N. Go, Catalogue of Tsunamis on the Western Shore of the Pacific Ocean,
(Canadian translation of Fisheries and Aquatic Science - Number 5077), Canada Institute for
Scientific and Technical Information, National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1984.

Soloviev, S.L., and Ch.N. Go, Catalogue of Tsunamis on the Eastern Shore of the Pacific Ocean,
(Canadian translation of Fisheries and Aquatic Science - Number 5078), Canada Institute for
Scientific and Technical Information, National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1984.

Steinbrugge, KV., Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis: An Anatomy of Hazards, Skandia

America Group, New York, NY, 1982.

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 TSUNAMI WATCH CHECKLIST
SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY EACH AGENCY UPON NOTIFICATION OF
TSUNAMI WATCH INDICATING THAT A TSUNAMI MAY OCCUR.

ALL PREPARATIONS FOR WARNING AND EVACUATION ARE PLACED ON HOLD

UNTIL A TSUNAMI WARNING IS RECEIVED.

Upon notification of a Tsunami Watch, initiate recall of OES personnel and activate the Area
OES office Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The OES office EOC will be used as the initial
EOC for short period responses. If time permits, and if directed by the Area Coordinator, or if a
tsunami occurs, the full scale EOC will be activated.
Establish and maintain a Tsunami Master Log of all key information, contacts, actions taken,
and related information. Information in log should include time of event and point of contact (with
phone number).
Assemble available information on Tsunami Watch. Sources of Information:
• California State Warning Center
• California Coastal Region OES
• National Weather Service, Redwood City
• Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
• Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
Senior OES representative determines recommended initial course of action for jurisdictions and
agencies.
Conduct briefings for key personnel at Area OES or city EOCs as appropriate.
Assign off-duty San Mateo Area OES personnel as follows:
Area Coordinator and Assistant Area Coordinator to Redwood City
Public Information Officer to Redwood City
District Administrators (one each) to Pacifica and Half Moon Bay
Confirm that coastal communities and key agencies have received Tsunami Watch information
and have established procedures for evacuation of endangered areas. Relay to the communities and
agencies the recommended initial course of action and Area OES Point of Contact/phone number.

NOTE: Public Safety Communications is responsible to provide an initial alert to all affected
jurisdictions and agencies.

Community Agency Phone Numbers

Pacifica City Manager
Pacifica Police Dept
After normal hours Pacifica Dispatch
Half Moon Bay/ City Manager
Coastside Police Department
After normal hours Police Department Through County Dispatch

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 TSUNAMI WATCH CHECKLIST contd.

Community Agency Phone Numbers

Pescadero CDF
CDF Felton
After normal hours 24 Hr Hot Line
Point Montara Fire Department
After normal hours Pt Montire FD Through County Dispatch
San Mateo Sheriff’s Office MCW 249
After normal hours On Call Coordinator Through County Dispatch
California Highway Patrol
24 Hr Hot Line
Pillar Point Harbor Master

Emergency Medical Services

After normal hours
Environmental Health
After normal hours
California State Beaches
24 Hour Dispatch
Seton Coastside Hospital

Seton Hospital

OES Coastal Region

Alert American Red Cross (phone number) for possible opening of staging areas/shelters. The
designated shelters are:
- Terra Nova High School for Sharp Park / Fairway Park, Rockaway Beach, and Linda Mar/ Shelter
Cove
- Farallone View Elementary for the El Granada, Princeton by the Sea, Moss Beach, and Montara
areas
- Half Moon Bay High School for the Miramar, Highland Park, Half Moon Bay, and Martin's Beach
areas
- Pescadero High School for the Pescadero Area, San Gregorio, Franklin Point, and Ano Nuevo
beach areas.

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 TSUNAMI WATCH CHECKLIST contd

Contact local press and provide brief on situation and area response:

Name Phone Numbers

Bay City News (RWC)
Bay City News (SF)
Press Room
San Mateo Times
San Francisco Chronicle

Establish public information center and refer calls to the center.

Monitor tide gauges via Weather Alert system.
Advise managers of actions taken or underway:

Name (County) Phone Numbers

Name (Half Moon Bay)
Name (Pacifica)

UPDATE JURISDICTIONS AT 30 MINUTE INTERVALS OR IMMEDIATELY UPON

RECEIPT OF TIME SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
Offer use of mobile command post.
On termination of incident, notify all agencies previously alerted.
In coordination with Coastside and Pacifica Directors of Emergency Services, prepare tsunami
information statement for public (ATTACHMENT B). Information will be passed by Cable
Television and Emergency Alert Stations.
If requested by Director of Emergency Services at the Coastside EOC, contact Westar Cable
System Emergency Coordinator (wk / hm) to prepare to initiate
Tsunami Warning Video and messages on Channel 17.
If requested by Director of Emergency Services at the Pacifica EOC, contact TCI Cable System
Emergency Coordinator (PH, or after normal working hours, HM) to initiate Tsunami Warning
Video and messages on Channel 08.

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 TSUNAMI WARNING CHECKLIST
SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY EACH AGENCY UPON NOTIFICATION OF
TSUNAMI WARNING INDICATING THAT A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN DETECTED AND
THAT WARNING AND EVACUATION OF THREATENED AREAS MAY BE INITIATED.

NOTE: INDIVIDUAL JURISDICTIONS RETAIN AUTHORITY TO EVACUATE THEIR

AREAS.
Upon notification of a Tsunami Warning, initiate recall of Area OES response personnel and
activate the Area OES Office Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The OES Office EOC will be
used as the initial EOC for short period responses. If time permits, and if directed by the Area
Coordinator, or if a tsunami occurs, the full scale San Mateo Area EOC will be activated.

OES Office All Personnel Phone Numbers

Room 308 Command

EOC Operations

Room B1 Command

EOC Message Center

Operations/Logistics

Planning

Establish and maintain a Tsunami Master Log of all key information, contacts, actions taken, and
related information. Information in log should include time of event and point of contact (with phone
number).

Assemble information on warning initial information. Sources of Information:

-California State Warning Center (916) 845-8911

-California Coastal Region OES (510) 286-0895
-National Weather Service, Redwood City (650) 364-4610
-West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (907) 745-4212
(907) 694-2698
-Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (808) 689-8207
(808) 689-6655

Senior Area OES representative determines recommended initial course of action to pass to
jurisdictions and agencies. Direct coordination with jurisdiction's Directors of Emergency Services
recommended for evacuations.

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 TSUNAMI WARNING CHECKLIST contd.

Conduct briefings upon arrival of key personnel at Area OES or city EOCs as appropriate.

Assign off-duty San Mateo Area OES personnel as follows:

Area Coordinator and Assistant Area Coordinator to Redwood City

Public Information Officer to Redwood City

District Administrators (one each) to Pacifica and Half Moon Bay

Confirm that coastal communities and key agencies have received Tsunami Warning information
and have established procedures for evacuation of endangered areas. Relay to the communities and
agencies the recommended initial course of action and Area OES Point of Contact/phone number.
NOTE: Public Safety Communications is responsible to provide an initial alert to all affected
jurisdictions and agencies.

Community Agency Phone Numbers

Pacifica City Manager
Pacifica Police Dept
After normal hours Pacifica Dispatch
Half Moon Bay/ City Manager
Coastside Police Department
After normal hours Police Department Through County Dispatch
Pescadero CDF
CDF Felton
After normal hours 24 Hr Hot Line
Point Montara Fire Department
After normal hours Pt Montire FD Through County Dispatch
San Mateo Sheriff’s Office MCW 249
After normal hours On Call Coordinator Through County Dispatch
California Highway Patrol
24 Hr Hot Line
Pillar Point Harbor Master

Emergency Medical Services

After normal hours
Environmental Health
After normal hours
California State Beaches
24 Hour Dispatch
Seton Coastside Hospital

Seton Hospital

OES Coastal Region

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 TSUNAMI WARNING CHECKLIST contd.

Alert American Red Cross (259-1750 or 202-0600) for opening of staging areas/shelters. The
designated shelters are:

- Terra Nova High School for Sharp Park / Fairway Park, Rockaway Beach, and Linda Mar/
Shelter Cove
- Farallone View Elementary for the El Granada, Princeton by the Sea, Moss Beach, and
Montara areas
- Half Moon Bay High School for the Miramar, Highland Park, Half Moon Bay, and Martin's
Beach areas
- Pescadero High School for the Pescadero Area, San Gregorio, Franklin Point, and Ano
Nuevo beach areas.

Contact local press and provide brief on situation and area response:

Name Phone Numbers

Bay City News (RWC)
Bay City News (SF)
Press Room
San Mateo Times
San Francisco Chronicle

Establish public information center and refer calls (SOP 2.9).

Monitor evacuations and provide assistance to jurisdictions as required. Advise jurisdictions and
agencies that evacuations should be maintained until a minimum of two hours after the last wave has
arrived.
Monitor tide gauges via Weather Alert system.
Advise managers of actions taken or underway:

Name (County) Phone Numbers

Name (Half Moon Bay)
Name (Pacifica)

UPDATE JURISDICTIONS AT 30 MINUTE INTERVALS OR IMMEDIATELY UPON

RECEIPT OF TIME SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
Offer use of mobile command post.
On termination of incident, notify all agencies previously alerted.
In coordination with Coastside and Pacifica Directors of Emergency Services prepare tsunami
information statement for the public. Cable Television and Emergency Broadcast Stations will pass
information.

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 TSUNAMI WARNING CHECKLIST contd

If requested by Director of Emergency Services at the Coastside EOC contact Westar Cable
System Emergency Coordinator (wk hm.) to prepare to initiate Tsunami Warning Video and
messages on Channel 17.
If requested by Director of Emergency Services at the Pacifica EOC contact TCI Cable System
Emergency Coordinator (PH, or after normal working hours, HM) to initiate Tsunami Warning
Video and messages on Channel 08.

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 TSUNAMI OCCURRENCE CHECKLIST

SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY EACH AGENCY IF A TSUNAMI

OCCURS AND DAMAGE RESULTS

Advise jurisdictions to maintain full evacuation until minimum of two hours after
arrival of last wave or upon ALL CLEAR. Additional waves may occur.

Request jurisdictions initiate windshield damage assessment. Compile area wide

Damage Assessment Report for dissemination to the Area Director of Emergency
Services, OES Coastal Region, and State.

Prepare for major PIO effort to disseminate information to public about event.

Request County Public & Environmental Health departments inspect damaged areas to
ensure they are safe for residents.

Based on damage, consider San Mateo County Declaration of Emergency or Disaster.

Establishresponse priorities and mutual aid requirements. Keep Coastal Region and
State OES up-to-date on events in damaged areas.

Activation,
documentation, communication, and requests for assistance shall be in
conformance with SEMS utilizing RIMS.

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 TSUNAMI PROCEDURE

1.10.1 GENERAL
The coastal area and the baylands of San Mateo County are vulnerable to tsunami flooding
when earthquakes occur in or around the Pacific Basin. To provide early warning of such
waves, the National Warning System (NAWAS) has two major monitoring stations:

- The West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (Palmer, Alaska) is responsible for
reporting seismic movement along the North American Coast from the Aleutian Islands south
through Baja California.
- The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (Honolulu, Hawaii) is responsible for reporting
seismic movement within the rest of the Pacific Ocean and coastal regions.

This plan describes actions to be taken by coastside and county agencies upon notification of
a Tsunami Watch or Warning. Fourteen areas with potential flooding problems have been
included in this plan. The areas threatened extend from Sharp Park State Beach in the north
to Ano Nuevo Point in the south. They include portions of the communities of Pacifica,
Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton by the Sea, Miramar, Half Moon Bay, Pescadero, and state
beach areas.

1.10.2 ASSUMPTIONS
The plan is based on the following assumptions:

• The tsunami threat in San Mateo county may be caused by a seismic event far from
California. A locally generated tsunami is unlikely.
• At least three to four hours warning time will be available to warn the public, evacuate
sensitive facilities, establish temporary shelters, and secure the coast area.
• After the arrival of the first wave, waves may continue to arrive at intervals for several
hours. Risk areas can be reopened two hours after the last observed wave, or two hours after
the Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) has passed without a wave coming ashore.
• Maximum wave height expected in this area is approximately 20 feet. This can vary
considerably from one location to another.
• Withdrawal of the sea may be a precursor to arrival of the wave.
• Intervals between successive major waves may be similar. If the second wave arrives 20
minutes after first, it is likely that a third wave (if there is one) would arrive 20 minutes after
the second.
• The first wave may not be the largest. The largest wave usually occurs within the first ten
waves.
• Watch is an announcement by the National Weather Service that a seismic event has
occurred in the Pacific and may have caused a tsunami.

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 • Warning is an announcement that a tsunami has been detected. Warning will be given if a
wave is detected anywhere in the Pacific basin.

The coordination and response actions by involved agencies and jurisdictions shall be
organized under the structure of the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
and Incident Command System (ICS).

The inundation map for each tsunami-threatened area shows the maximum potential flood
from tsunami action based on the Seismic Safety Element Geotechnical Hazard Synthesis
maps of the County General Plan, or more current information.

Within the inundation area, special institutions such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes
are identified. Special procedures for warning, evacuation, and care of occupants should be
arranged by the local agency with incident command authority.

1.10.3 ALERT SITUATIONS

DUMMY
An unscheduled "test" message to determine time required for disseminating messages.

WATCH
A Tsunami Watch message is generated in one of two ways based on earthquake location:
• West Coast/Alaska Warning Center detects an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 or
greater generated along the North American Continent with a possible seismic sea wave with
an arrival time of greater than three hours
• Pacific Tsunami Warning Center detects an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 or greater in the
Pacific Basin with a possible seismic wave arrival time of greater than four hours

WARNING
A Tsunami Warning message is generated in one of two ways based on earthquake location:
• West Coast/Alaska Warning Station detects an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 or greater
along the North American Continent that may have generated a seismic sea wave with an
arrival time of less than three hours
• Pacific Tsunami Warning Center detects an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude or greater in the
Pacific Basin and a tsunami has been generated with an arrival time to be reported.

CANCELLATION
A cancellation message will be sent when all danger of seismic sea wave has passed.

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1.10.4 SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
Area Coordinator and Assistant Area Coordinator
- Collect and interpret tsunami messages (ATTACHMENT A)
- Coordinate and disseminate area-wide response with jurisdictions and agencies
- Ensure watch/warning information is provided to media and public ASAP
- Designate facility for emergency operations for concerned agencies
- Maintain liaison with State OES for rapid access to mutual aid
- Prepare final report or memorandum at cancellation or end of event
- Review supplemental information (ATTACHMENTS)

Public Information Officer

- Maintain liaison with media and prepare news releases (ATTACHMENT B)
- Prepare and send EAS message(s) as required
- Send watch/warning/cancellation messages to appropriate agencies (ATTACHMENTS C,
D, E)
- Establish OES public information phone-in line and provide periodic or as required updates
to recorded message
- Disseminate OES public information phone number to jurisdictions and news media
- Review supplemental information (ATTACHMENTS)

District Administrators
- Recommend city EOC activation and disaster declaration as required
- Coordinate city EOC operations as directed
- Record damage assessment information
- Review supplemental information (ATTACHMENTS)

HazMat Specialist
- Analyze affected cities for potential HazMat incidents
- Assist with any HazMat mitigation efforts before tsunami arrival
- Respond to HazMat incidents if required
- Assist in city/Area EOC with HazMat response as required
- Review supplemental information (ATTACHMENTS)

ATTACHMENTS
A. Pre-Watch/Watch Message
B. Sample News Release (English and Spanish)
C. Tsunami Watch Message
D. Tsunami Warning Message
E. Tsunami Cancellation Message
F. Agencies Concerned with Tsunamis
G. Incident Command Responsibilities
H. Tsunami Time Curves (and Time-Conversion Table)
I. Tsunami Warning Video Tape Distribution

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 ATTACHMENT A
PRE-WATCH/WATCH MESSAGE

Information regarding seismic movement and the possible generation of seismic sea waves is
collected from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Station at Honolulu, Hawaii (HO) and the West
Coast/Alaska Warning Station at Palmer, Alaska (AL). The reports contain the following elements:

SAMPLE MESSAGE

1. From Alaska Warning Station

2. To Office of Emergency Services
3. Pacific Coastal Earthquake 081527 GMT
4. Region - Prince William Sound, Alaska
5. 8.4
6. Johnson, Palmer Observatory

Lines 1 - 2 Self-explanatory

Line 3 Refers to the arrival time of ground-transmitted seismic waves (NOT tsunami or tidal waves)
in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT or "Zulu") at the Palmer Observatory. Convert to
local time using ATTACHMENT H.

In the Sample Message "08" is the hour; “15" stands for minutes after the hour; and
"27” stands for seconds.

Line 4 Indicates the general location of the earthquake. Sometimes only a general direction or
approximate mileage will be given.

Line 5 Gives the magnitude of the earthquake on the Richter Scale.

Line 6 Provides the name of employee sending the report.

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 ATTACHMENT B

SAMPLE NEWS RELEASE (ENGLISH)

According to the (West Coast/Alaska-Pacific) Tsunami Warning Center, a severe earthquake has
been generated at (location) at (time). The earthquake was measured at (Magnitude) on the Richter
Scale. It is (known/not known) at this time (that/if) a tsunami has been generated. If a tsunami has, in
fact, been generated, the wave heights cannot be accurately predicted; however, the tsunami waves
could cause great damage to coastal cities and communities.

Residents of affected areas are urged to keep tuned to your local Emergency Alert System station
(KNBR 680; KGO 810; KCBS 740) for further information. People should stay away from low lying
coastal areas until further notice. A tsunami is a series of waves and may be dangerous for several
hours after the initial wave arrives at any particular point.

SAMPLE NEWS RELEASE (SPANISH)

ADVERTENCIA

Un aguaje (maremoto) ha sido generado en el Oceano Pacifico y amenaza a nuestra costa maritima.
Se avisa a todos los residentes afectados alejarse del area y proceder a:
_________________________________________________________________________
(Enter name and address of mass care shelter)

Por favor permanezcan en el lugar indicado hasta que las autoridades les informen que pueden
volver a sus hogares.

Un aguaje no es una sola ola sino una serie de olas con fuerza mayor que las olas comunes. En 1964,
12 personas perecieron en un aguaje en Crescent City, California y otras 61 personas perecieron en
Hawaii durante el aguaje de 1961. En nuestra costa las olas de un aguaje pueden alcanzar hasta una
altura de 20 pies (6 metros).

Se encuentra usted en una area de riesgo de aguaje o inundacion? Esto significa que el fuerte oleaje
podria alcanzar o inundar esta area y se le advierte que para su seguridad abandone immediatamente
esta area y proceda a un lugar mas seguro hasta que los autoridades le informe que ha pasado el
peligro.

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 ATTACHMENT C

TSUNAMI WATCH MESSAGE

TSUNAMI/SEISMIC SEA WAVE WATCH

For information to all Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, California Highway Patrol, and Emergency Services
Directors of coastal cites:

A severe earthquake has occurred at_______________________________(location). It is not

known, repeat, not known at this time that a tsunami has been generated. You will be kept informed
as further information becomes available.

Additional Information

Earthquake Location:____________________________

Latitude:____________________ Longitude:______________________

Vicinity of:________________________________________

Time:________PST or PDT Date:_____________

Magnitude:_______________________

Tidal Gauge Stations at_____________and__________________have been queried.

ETA information (if wave is generated) is as follows:

San Mateo Coast_________________AM/ PM (TIME)

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 ATTACHMENT D

TSUNAMI WARNING MESSAGE

TSUNAMI/SEISMIC SEA WAVE WARNING

For information to all Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, California Highway Patrol, and Emergency Services
Directors of coastal cities:

A severe earthquake has occurred at_______________________________(location). A tsunami has

been generated which is spreading over the Pacific Ocean. Wave heights cannot be predicted. The
tsunami may cause great damage to coastal cities in the Pacific area.

Wave heights (these are not necessarily maximum) have been reported to (Alaska/ Hawaii) as
follows:

Place Height

__________ ____________

__________ ____________

__________ ____________

You will be kept informed as further information becomes available.

Additional Information

Earthquake Location:____________________________

Latitude:____________________ Longitude:______________________

Vicinity of:________________________________________

Time:________PST or PDT Date:_____________

Magnitude:_______________________

Tidal Gauge Stations at_____________and__________________have been queried.

ETA information (if wave is generated) is as follows:

San Mateo Coast_________________AM/ PM (TIME)

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 ATTACHMENT E
TSUNAMI CANCELLATION MESSAGE
TSUNAMI SEISMIC SEA WAVE CANCELLATION

For information to all Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, California Highway Patrol, and Emergency Services
Directors of coastal cities:

No tsunami reports have been received. No tsunami/seismic sea wave has been generated.
Warning/Watch status is canceled. All agencies assume all clear upon receipt of this message.

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 ATTACHMENT F
AGENCIES CONCERNED WITH TSUNAMIS
Federal Agencies Phone Numbers
West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
National Weather Service, Monterey

State Agencies Phone Numbers

California State Warning Center
California Coastal Region OES
State Parks and Beaches Day Time Phone No.
State Parks and Beaches, 24 Hr Dispatch
California Department of Forestry
Microwave 311
California Highway Patrol Redwood City Office (Responsible for Highway Marker 3.700 (south
California Highway Patrol San Francisco Office (Responsible for Highway Marker 3.700 (south of
Devil’s Slide) through Pacifica) Devil’s Slide) to Monterey County Line)
California Highway Patrol Area Dispatch Center (Dispatches all area Highway Patrol vehicles)
California Department of Parks and Recreation (24HR Dispatch)

County Agencies Phone Numbers

Sheriff

San Mateo Area Office of Emergency Services

Office
Room B-1 EOC
Command Section
Operations Section
Logistics Section

(Message Center)
Pillar Point Harbor Patrol
Emergency Medical Services
National Weather Service, Monterey
Environmental Health
San Mateo Parks and Recreation

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Cities and Coastal Communities Phone Numbers

Half Moon Bay

Manager
Police
Police (24 HR Dispatch)
Fire
Coastside Opportunity Ctr
Cabrillo School District
Half Moon Bay High School
Farallone View
Elementary School

Pacifica
Manager
Police
Fire
EOC

Pescadero
La Honda-Pescadero
Unified School District
Pescadero High School
CDF
CDF Felton

Point Montara Fire

Pillar Point Harbor

Harbor Master
Robert McMahon

Other Agencies Phone Numbers

American National Red Cross

Seton Coastside Hospital

Other Tsunami-Prone Areas Phone Number

Crescent City
Eureka
Santa Cruz

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 ATTACHMENT G
INCIDENT COMMAND RESPONSIBILITIES

Risk Area Incident Command

1 Sharp Park Pacifica PD

2. Rockaway Beach Pacifica PD

3. Linda Mar Pacifica PD

4. Gray Whale Cove State Beach Sheriff’s Office

5. Montara State Beach Sheriff’s Office

6. Princeton by the Sea Sheriff’s Office

7. Pillar Point Harbor (Maritime Area) Pillar Point Harbor Master

8. Half Moon Bay State Beaches California State Parks

9. Half Moon Bay residential areas Half Moon Bay Police Dept

10. Martins Beach Sheriff’s Office

11. San Gregorio Beach State Parks

12. Pescadero Sheriff’s Office

13. Franklin Point California State Parks

14. Ano Nuevo Point California State Parks

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 ATTACHMENT H
TSUNAMI TIME CURVES
CONVERSION TO/FROM GREENWICH MEAN TIME

Zone Place Time ________________________

R (Romeo) Washington EST 0100 0400 0700 1000 1300 1600 1900 2200

S (Sierra) Chicago CST 2400 0200 0500 0800 1100 1400 1800 2100

T (Tango) Denver MST 2300 0300 0600 0900 1200 1500 1700 2000

U (Uniform) San Francisco PST 2200 0100 0400 0700 1000 1300 1600 1900

V (Victor) Dawson 2100 2400 0300 0600 0900 1200 1500 1800

W (Whiskey) Anchorage 2000 2300 0200 0500 0800 1100 1400 1700
or Honolulu

Z (Zulu) England GMT 0600 0900 1200 1500 1800 2100 2400 0300

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Appendix 5 Sample Santa Luisa Del Mar City Plan

Sample Santa Luisa Del Mar City Plan

This sample plan uses the fictitious city of Santa Luisa Del Mar to highlight key planning concepts
for tsunami response. The organizational structure for Santa Luisa Del Mar is outlined in the
Emergency Planning Guidance for Local Government (January 1998). This sample plan reflects
that organizational structure.

Introduction In the wake of the 1992 Humboldt Earthquake and Tsunami,

tsunamis have become an increasing concern for emergency
management, emergency responders, and the public at large.

This plan augments the existing Santa Luisa Del Mar City Plan.
Concept of This plan or the applicable portions of this plan will be implemented
Operations as directed by the City Manager, Director of Office of Emergency
Services (OES), or Incident Commanders as appropriate.

The SEMS functions for a tsunami response are indicated in

Unified Command and SEMS.

Santa Luisa Del Mar has developed two working groups to address
tsunami response planning. One group is the Santa Luisa Del Mar
Tsunami Working Group (TWG) which addresses generic planning
concerns. The other group is the Tsunami Watch/Warning (TWWG)
Group, which deals with threat analysis, and notification issues and
which will also be activated during a threat/actual event.
Hazard Analysis According to the “Likelihood of Occurrence” Matrix from the Santa
for Tsunami Luisa Del Mar City Plan, tsunami is an infrequent hazard with
moderate severity for the city.
Management Management assignments are reflected in Unified Command and
SEMS.

Mental health support and psychological operations will be essential

elements of the tsunami response approach.

Organizational The Santa Luisa Del Mar EOC will activate the appropriate SEMS
Structure functions based upon the tsunami threat or actual event.
Note: Santa Luisa Sheriff’s Department personnel will be requested
through mutual aid channels to provide support to Santa Luisa Del
Mar PD.

Santa Luisa Del Mar will use multi-agency, multi-discipline

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Coordination of coordination in its response to a tsunami threat or event.
Disciplines A unified command will be established from the various agencies
with responsibility for the incident. The unified command will
facilitate coordination among agencies and disciplines.
Staffing in the Santa Luisa Del Mar Dispatch Center will be
augmented to expedite response activities. A Dispatch Coordinator
who has received tsunami response training will be assigned to
oversee dispatch operations.

Areas of special concern may be:

• Coordination with education and child care facilities.

• Animal care issues, including care, shelter, and possible public
health concerns.

Non profit organizations, such as the American Red Cross, and

private business concerns will be involved in tsunami response
Inclusion of Non-
planning in Santa Luisa Del Mar.
profits and Businesses
The Santa Luisa Del Mar EOC will contact the appropriate non-
profit organizations and private businesses in the event of a potential
threat or actual event.

Santa Luisa Del Mar is committed to a public information program

Public Information during a tsunami threat or actual event.

The Santa Luisa Del Mar Public Information Officer (PIO) has
developed some standardized tsunami response public information
messages that may be used during an event. The Santa Luisa Del
Mar PIO has also coordinated with media representatives regarding
tsunami awareness.

The PIO will also involve mental health professionals in public

information as needed.

The Santa Luisa Del Mar Public Information Officer will be brought
into response planning activities as soon as practical during a
tsunami threat or actual event.

During a potential threat or actual event, employee safety and

Safety and Security operational security will be key concerns for Santa Luisa Del Mar
staff. City staff will be trained on these plans and security
procedures.

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 During actual emergency operations, city staff will follow
heightened safety and security procedures in effect. Security and
safety procedures will also be implemented for all command posts
and other operational sites. The City PD will serve as lead for
security functions.

If the PD needs additional security assets, they will be requested

through mutual aid or obtained through other sources.

The threat of a tsunami or actual tsunami event raises significant

Information issues regarding information sharing and dissemination.
Dissemination
The notification of a potential tsunami threat and subsequent
updates will be made through CLETS, RIMS, CALWAS, EDIS,
EAS, NWS, and EMWIN and verbally confirmed. Emergency
response personnel will observe communication security
procedures.

The following systems will be used by Santa Luisa Del Mar to

disseminate information:

• CLETS (California Law Enforcement Telecommunications

System): for law enforcement information;
• RIMS (Response Information System): for information among the
SEMS levels of government;
• Santa Luisa Del Mar City Dispatch: for field operations;
• EDIS
• CALWAS
• The media
• NWS (National Weather Service) Weather Wire
• EMWIN
• EAS (for alerts and warnings only)

The Santa Luisa Del Mar EOC will have scheduled briefings for
EOC staff and other emergency response personnel.

The Santa Luisa Del Mar OES will be responsible for updates and
Office of Emergency maintenance of this plan.
Services
Santa Luisa Del Mar OES will be responsible for management of
EOC operations. The City OES will also provide staff for key
positions at other locations.

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 Within the EOC, the City PD will assume the security function. The
PD will also function as a conduit for emergency
Police Department management issues.

Potential areas which the PD may address are:

• Law enforcement mutual aid
• Evacuation concerns, including mass and spontaneous
evacuations
• Intelligence concerns
• Investigative Guidelines and statutory authority
• Use of force
• Facility and personnel protection
• Evacuation concerns, including mass and spontaneous
evacuations

Potential areas which the FD may address are:

Fire Department • Fire and rescue mutual aid
• Support to HazMat operations
• Coordination with EMS and hospitals
• Personnel protection issues
• Coordination with public works and utilities

The City Manager will oversee the administrative function in the

Administration EOC.

The City Budget Officer will oversee the finance operations within
Finance the EOC and will ensure that costs for a potential or an actual event
are tracked in a timely manner.
Operations See Unified Command and SEMS.

The operations chief will be either a Police Department or Fire

Department staff person, depending upon the situation and
availability of staff.

Fire Department The City Fire Department will be the lead for fire response,
hazardous materials events, and medical/rescue operations. The Fire
Department will provide support as necessary to the Police
Department. Existing procedures, such as the Santa Luisa Del Mar
HAZMAT procedures, will be modified and used where possible.

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 The City Fire Department will assist with:
• Perimeter and access control
• Evacuation operations
• Notifications
• Damage assessment
• Fatalities management
Potential areas of concern may include:
• Addressing environmental needs;
• Ensuring decontamination procedures

The Fire Department will request Fire and Rescue mutual

aid if needed to accomplish these functions.

Police Department The Police Department will be the lead for:

• Perimeter security
• Access control
• Traffic/crowd control
• Evacuations
• Notifications

The Department will also coordinate coroner issues and assist

with damage assessment and fatalities management.

The Police Department will request law enforcement mutual aid if

needed to accomplish these functions.

Public Works Public Works will serve as lead for damage assessment and will be
the representative for utilities concerns. Potential Public Works
activities:

• Reconnaissance of public infrastructure (roads, bridges, facilities,

and utilities)
• Alternate route identification
• Building access
• Utility access rerouting
• Temporary repairs

Public Works will assist with:

• Access
• Crowd control
• Fatalities management
• City facility security issues

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 Public Works will request public works mutual aid if needed.

Parks and Recreation will assist with fatalities management and care
Parks and Recreation and shelter issues. Potential care and shelter issues are:

• Refresher training on security or mental health concerns for staff

• Care and shelter facility security
• Care and shelter representation within the EOC and other
locations
• Potential mutual aid requirements
• Logistical requirements for care and shelter
• Care and shelter facilities for tsunami victims

Medical/Health City OES has worked with local hospitals, health care providers,
and the Santa Luisa County Health Department to develop a
separate medical plan for the tsunami response. This plan addresses
the following areas:

Medical/Health
• Modification of existing protocols to address tsunami response
issues
• Medical first responder guidelines
• Refresher training procedures
• Coordination with other disciplines, such as HazMat
• Technical support team requirements
• Mutual aid procedures
• Logistical support requirements
• First responder security and personal protection concerns
• Procedures to access privately owned and operated medical assets
• Decontamination procedures
• Mass casualty incident (MCI) concerns

Mental Health
• Staff training in disasters and tsunami and emergency
management
• Public information and mental health
• Mental health support services
• Mental health follow-up programs
• Integration of mental health with other programs
• Support to care and shelter and other operations
• Stress management programs for responders

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Planning and See Unified Command and SEMS
Intelligence
The Planning/Intelligence Chief position will be filled by a City
OES staff member. In addition to the standard situation,
documentation, demobilization, and resources units,
Planning/Intelligence may include units that address emergency
management and consequence management concerns. Planning and
Intelligence will include representation from the Threat Early
Warning (TEW) Group.
Planning/Intelligence will include mapping and geographic
information systems (GIS) products.

Threat Analysis Planning and Intelligence activities will address two

Threat Analysis
key areas:

• General threat analysis

• Law enforcement and emergency management activities

Information, which is developed during the threat analysis process,

will be shared with the appropriate agencies. Release of threat
analysis information to the public will be based upon coordination
with the PIO.

City OES will provide staff for the situation and demobilization
Office of Emergency
units.
Services

Administration will provide staff for the documentation unit and

Administration
will be responsible for that unit’s function.

Community Services will provide staff and be responsible for the

Community
resources unit.
Development

The City PD will assign staff to work in the Emergency

Police Department
Management Unit, if established.

The City Fire Department will assign technical specialists to assist

Fire Department
with fire and rescue, HazMat, and medical information.

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Public Works City Public Works will be responsible for maintaining and updating
the facilities and utilities information.

Logistics See Unified Command and SEMS

Support Requirements The unit will be responsible for identifying supplies, services,
equipment, and facilities that will be required for both the
evacuation and response phases.

During emergency operations, particular emphasis will be placed on

maintaining the operational capabilities of city computer systems
and telecommunications, including landline and radio.

Data Bases As part of its planning effort, City OES has developed a resources
database for tsunami events. This database also identifies potential
shortfalls and indicates potential sources to remedy the shortfalls.
The database is a restricted use database.

Administration City Administration will serve as lead for the logistics section.

Community Community Development will assist with any logistics requirements

Development for evacuations.

Police Department City PD will provide input on law enforcement logistical support
requirements.

Fire Department City Fire will provide input on fire and rescue, HazMat, and medical
logistical support requirements.

Public Works City Public Works will assist with logistics requirements for
evacuations.

Finance and Issues which may need to be addressed include:

Administration • Continuity of operations
• Ttracking the costs of an event

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 See Unified Command and SEMS

Continuity of
It will be necessary to ensure continuity of day-to-day operations
Operations
during a potential threat or actual event. This includes payroll
processing, contracts management, and personnel actions.

Cost Tracking It will be necessary to track costs associated with an event or

potential event. Within Finance/Administration there may be a
separate Cost Unit.

Administration will assist with EOC operations. Finance will be

Responsibilities responsible for the cost unit.
Training and Training and exercises will be in accordance with the Santa Luisa
Exercises Del Mar master training schedule. The schedule includes an annual
tsunami response exercise, tsunami awareness courses, first
responder training, and joint training with Santa Luisa County.

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 LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRENCE AND SEVERITY
Frequency Severity
Hazard Infrequent Sometimes Frequent Low Moderate High
Dam Failure X X
Earthquake M<5 X X
Earthquake M>5 X X
Wildland Fire X X
Floods X X X X
HazMat X X X
Landslides X X
Civil Disturbance X X
Extreme X X
Weather/Storm
Aircraft Crash X X
Train Accident X X X X
Major Vehicle X X
Accident
Terrorism X X X
Tsunami X X

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 TSUNAMI SEMS FUNCTIONS
Mgmt/ Planning/ Finance/
Activities Command Operations Intell.
LogisticsAdmin.
Incident PD OES
Command
Establish FD,PD
Perimeter
Control Access FD,PD,PW
Traffic/Crowd PD,PW
Control
EOC ADMIN,FD, PD,FD,PW, CD,ADMIN ADMIN, FIN
Operations PW, PD
FIN, OES, PD P&R ADMIN
Evacuation FD,PD OES CD,PW
Notifications PD,FD OES
Safeguard PD,FD
Evidence
Public PD,FD,OES OES
Information
Med/Rescue FD,P&R
Ops.
Damage PD,FD,PW
Assessment
Situation Status CD,PD,FD,PW
Documentation ADMIN,OES FIN
Fatalities Mgmt. PD,FD,PW,
P&R

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 TSUNAMI COMPONENT
1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter
Awareness Training First Responder Exercise Preparation Joint Exercise with
Santa Luisa County
Course consists of Training for First City EOC Exercise Activation of both
two components: Responders has three City and County EOCs
1) an orientation to components: Scenario: to be
tsunami 1) refresher on tsunami determined Scenario: To be
2) personal awareness issues determined
and protection 2) personal awareness Field component:
and protection Evacuation and Field component:
3) discipline specific Perimeter Security To be determined,
technical information depending upon
scenario
Audience: Audience: Participants: Staff Participants: Staff from
All Santa Luisa Del PD, FD, PW, selected assigned EOC duties both City and County
Mar Staff medical personnel assigned EOC duties

Staff for field

component:
To be determined

Note: This is a generic master training schedule. At the beginning of the training year, training
coordinators will meet to identify the training emphasis and objectives.

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 POTENTIAL TSUNAMI RESPONSE

Purpose: To outline various tsunami response organizations.

This table describes the potential tsunami response organizations at different levels of government. It
is broken into two time periods: 1) preparedness and 2) notification of potential/actual event.

Government Preparedness Notification of Role

Level Potential/Actual Event
Federal NOAA, NWS/WCM, WC/ATWC Access, Notify and
NTHMP, FEMA Verify
State State OES California State Warning Notify and Verify
State agencies Center (CSWC)
State Agencies Departmental
Operations Centers (DOCs)
Regional State OES Regional State OES/Regional Notify, Verify,
Offices Emergency Ops Centers Assist w/ Threat
State agency district or (REOCs) Assessment
other offices State agency district offices

Operational Area Operational Area Operational Area EOC Notify, Verify,

(OA) Government (May include activation of a Coordinate and
tsunami threat assessment Respond*
group)
City City Government City EOC(s) Notify, Verify,
(May include activation of Coordinate and
tsunami threat assessment Respond*
group)
Field Unified Command Respond as
First Responders (Law, Fire & Directed
Rescue, Medical, Public
Works)
Various special purpose teams,
such as the National Guard

*Implement Evacuation Plans, Care & Shelter, Perimeter Security, SAR, etc. May proclaim a local
emergency and request State assistance.

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 TSUNAMI RESPONSE ACTIONS
Emergency Management Action

• Threat notification and assessment within • Activation of EOCs (City and OA), REOCs,
law enforcement and emergency management and SOC as applicable.
community
• Activation of threat assessment • Identification of areas to be evacuated
organizations or agency. • Assessment of Consequences
• Implementation of Evacuation Plan
• First Responders deployed to evacuation
site(s).
• Activation of selected elements of the • Unified Command activated at evacuation
emergency response organization based upon site(s).
the situation and in accordance with SEMS.
May include partial activation of OA or city
EOCs, REOCs, or SOC.
• Alerting of key first responders at the local • Stage emergency equipment outside of
level, if warranted by situation. inundation area.
• Continued threat analysis.
• Refresher training, if applicable. • Review tsunami procedures
• Initiation of consequence management • Mutual Aid System activated as necessary
planning as applicable. (law, coroner, fire and rescue, HazMat,
medical/health, mental health, public works,
utilities).
• Issue public information bulletin. • Public information protocols and procedures
activated.

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 CONSEQUENCES
Pre-Event Consequence 1 Consequence 2
Distant Earthquake Watch/Warning
Evacuation
Access Control
Near Source Event Warning
15 min. - 2 hours Evacuation
Access Control
Near Source Event No Action Possible Situation Assessment Response
< 15 min.

NOTIFICATION AND THREAT ANALYSIS

Watch/Warning Issued
Law Enforcement Evolution of Law Enforcement Response to a Tsunami Incident:
Response
This information is included for illustration purposes only. Each situation
is unique, as are local conditions and protocols.
Receipt of Threat, Initial A threat is received at the state level and transmitted to the operational
Local Response area law enforcement agency. The threat information will be shared
between law enforcement agencies and emergency services at appropriate
operational and local levels.

This may range from waiting for further information to phased evacuation
to total evacuation, as dictated by the situation.
No Warning/Event If there is no warning and an tsunami occurs, most of the steps indicated
Occurs above occur in more rapid succession - or almost simultaneously. When
the tsunami occurs, response is largely dependent on the nature of the
damage and the dimensions of its impact. The critical distinction must be
made: the location of the event is a still dangerous, more and or larger
tsunami may occur, carrying debris. While lifesaving and life safety are
always the pre-eminent considerations, every effort must be made to
evacuate the area, limit access and preserve life safety of inhabitants and
responders.

Assuming the scene is eventually stabilized, law enforcement, local

government, or some combination thereof, will act to secure the perimeter
of the area. These activities may be supported by other entities ranging
from the fire service to public works. The overall emergency management
organization, using the tenets of SEMS, will continue to work to deal with
the consequences of the event.

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 GENERAL NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES
Potential Notification This chart outlines potential notification procedures. This sequence will
Procedures need to be modified any time there is a change in status, such as
verification of a credible threat, information updates, and notification of
an actual event. Additional agencies or organizations should be added as
appropriate.
When received at Notification Actions
CA State Warning • Notify potentially impacted jurisdictions through appropriate OAs
Center
OES Administrative • (Sacramento, Coastal, Inland, and Southern)
Regions • Verify receipt of information by OAs and Cities/Districts.
County/Operational • Notify city or cities that may be impacted
Area • Notify county departments: Sheriff, Fire, medical, and threat
assessment unit as appropriate. Include other county/OA staff as
necessary
• Notification of State Parks, special districts within the county
• Notification of other levels dependent upon nature of threat and
security considerations.
City/District • Notify city departments: Law enforcement, fire, medical, and threat
assessment unit as appropriate. Include other city/district staff as
necessary

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Appendix 6 Explanation of Tsunami Watch and Warning System

Explanation of the Tsunami Watch and

Warning System
THE TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM IN THE PACIFIC
Tsunami Warning Centers are responsible for gathering information on earthquakes which may
generate tsunamis, and alerting state and local officials who may order evacuation. The entire Coast
of California is at risk from distant-source tsunamis, such as the Crescent City tsunami of 1964 that
originated in Alaska. Planning for these disasters requires local governments to look at their
vulnerabilities. Where tsunami inundation projections are available, jurisdictions should develop
inundation maps based on topographical features and population density. Where there are no such
projections, governments can nonetheless develop evacuation plans.

The agency responsible for issuing information and warnings on possible tsunamis is the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the Tsunami Warning System. They
operate two Tsunami Warning Centers. California receives all information about a potential threat of
tsunamis from the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC) in Palmer, Alaska.
Information regarding Pacific-wide tsunamis is also collected by the Pacific Tsunami Warning
Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. The operational objective of the Tsunami Warning System (TWS) in
the Pacific is to detect and locate major earthquakes in the Pacific region, to determine whether they
have generated tsunamis, and to provide timely and effective tsunami information and warnings to
the population of the Pacific. Information and warnings are expected to minimize the hazards of
tsunamis, especially to human life and welfare. To achieve this objective, the TWS continuously
monitors the seismic activity and ocean surface level of the Pacific Basin.

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
Functioning of the system begins with the detection, by any participating seismic observatory, of an
earthquake of sufficient size to trigger an alarm attached to the seismograph at the individual station.
Personnel at the station immediately interpret their seismograms and send their readings to PTWC or
WC/ATWC. After the earthquake has been located and magnitude determined, a decision is made at
the Warning Center concerning further action. If the earthquake is within or near the Pacific Ocean
basin and its magnitude is 6.5 or greater, but less than or equal to 7.5 (less than or equal to 7.0 in the
Aleutian Islands), then a Tsunami Information Bulletin is issued to the Warning System participants.
Tsunami Warning/Watch Bulletins are issued to the dissemination agencies for earthquakes of
magnitude greater than 7.5 (greater than 7.0 in the Aleutian Island region), alerting them to the
possibility that a tsunami has been generated and providing data that can be relayed to the public so
that necessary preliminary precautions can be taken.

If the earthquake appears to be strong enough to cause a tsunami and is located in an area where
tsunami generation is possible, PTWC or WC/ATWC will check water level data from automatic

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tide stations located near the epicenter for evidence of a tsunami. If they show that a tsunami has
been generated that poses a threat to the population in part or all of the Pacific, the Tsunami
Warning/Watch Bulletin is extended until there is no longer the threat of a destructive tsunami or it
is upgraded to a Warning for the whole Pacific. The dissemination agencies then implement
predetermined plans to evacuate people from endangered areas. If the tide station data indicate that
either a negligible tsunami or no tsunami has been generated, PTWC or WC/ATWC issues a
cancellation of its previously disseminated Tsunami Warning/Watch.

DEFINITIONS
Regional Tsunami Warning: A bulletin, usually based only on seismic information, initially issued
as a means of providing the earliest possible alert to the population near the epicentral area of an
earthquake. It places a restricted area (2- to 3-hour tsunami travel time) in a condition that requires
all coastal areas in the region to be prepared for imminent flooding from a tsunami and is usually
based only on seismic information without tsunami confirmation. Subsequent warning bulletins,
which incrementally expand the warning area, shall be issued at least hourly, or when conditions
warrant, until upgraded to a Pacific-wide Warning or canceled.

Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning: A bulletin issued by the PTWC or the WC/ATWC after
confirmation has been received that a tsunami has been generated which has caused damage at
distances greater than 1000 kilometers from the epicenter and thus poses a threat to any populated
area within the Pacific Basin.

Regional Tsunami Watch: A bulletin issued initially using only seismic information to alert all
participants within 1 to 3 hours travel time beyond the tsunami warning area. The tsunami watch
area will be expanded hourly until it is either canceled or upgraded by issuing a Pacific-wide
warning. A Regional Tsunami Watch may be included in the text of the message that disseminates a
Regional Tsunami Warning.

(Note: Although Tsunami Watch and Tsunami Warning are defined separately for clarity, usual
operating procedures include both the Warning and the Watch in a single watch/warning bulletin.)

Tsunami Information Bulletin: A bulletin issued to advise participants of the occurrence of an

earthquake in the Pacific or near-Pacific area with the evaluation that a potentially destructive
tsunami was not generated. If the evaluation indicates the possible generation of a non-destructive
tsunami, an investigation will be initiated and additional tsunami information bulletins will be issued
until the investigation is concluded.

Appropriate Bulletins will generally be issued within 15 minutes of earthquake origin time for
earthquakes occurring within a Center's regional Area of Responsibility (AOR) and within 10
minutes of receipt of data necessary to characterize the earthquake for earthquakes occurring outside
of a Center's regional AOR. As initial warnings may be issued when tsunamis have not been
generated, warnings are limited in geographical extent until rapid confirmation of the existence or
nonexistence of a tsunami is obtained.

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Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning Bulletin: A message issued to all participants on a Pacific-wide
basis after confirmation has been received that a tsunami capable of causing destruction beyond the
local area has been generated and poses a threat to the coastal population for the entire Pacific Basin.
Each hour updated information will be sent until the Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning is canceled.

Regional Tsunami Warning/Watch Bulletin: A message issued initially using only seismic
information to alert all participants of the probability of a tsunami and advise that a tsunami
investigation is underway. The area placed in Tsunami Warning status will encompass a 3-hour
tsunami travel-time relative to the time of message issuance. Those areas within a 3 to 6-hour
tsunami travel-time will be placed in a Watch status. A Tsunami Warning/Watch will be followed
hourly by additional bulletins until it is either upgraded to a Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning or is
canceled.

Tsunami Message Bulletin: A message issued to advise participants of the occurrence of a major
earthquake in the Pacific or near-Pacific area. The message evaluates whether (a) A Pacific-wide
tsunami was not generated based on earthquake and historical tsunamis data. This will be the only
bulletin issued. No Pacific-wide tsunami warning is in effect; (b) An investigation is underway to
determine if a Pacific-wide tsunami has been generated. Additional bulletins will be issued hourly,
or sooner, as information becomes available. No Pacific-wide tsunami warning is in effect; or (c) No
destructive Pacific-wide tsunami threat exists. However, some areas may experience small sea level
changes. This will be the final bulletin issued unless additional information becomes available. No
Pacific-wide tsunami warning is in effect.

If the event occurs in the WC/ATWC area of responsibility and exceeds the WC/ATWC Regional
Warning threshold, but is less than the PTWC Warning/Watch threshold, an investigation will be
initiated by PTWC and additional Tsunami Information Bulletins will be issued until the
investigation is concluded.

Tsunami Communication Test Test messages are issued by PTWC at unannounced times on a
monthly basis to determine writer-to-reader delays in disseminating tsunami information, to test the
operation of the warning system by the evaluation of two-way communications with interactive
personnel response, and to keep communication operating personnel familiar with the procedures for
handling message traffic pertaining to the TWS.

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 COMMUNICATIONS REQUIREMENTS AND METHODS
OBJECTIVE
To ensure the timely and effective operation of the TWS, it is essential to have communication
facilities that are capable of rapidly handling all data requests from Tsunami Warning Centers, the
dissemination of seismic and tide reports, and the Tsunami Warning/Watch and Information
Bulletins. Since such traffic is relatively infrequent, existing communication channels are used with
some supplementation where absolutely necessary, instead of establishing a separate communication
system that would, to a large extent, duplicate existing channels. Hence, the communication
channels under the management and control of the United States Defense Information Systems
Agency (DISA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Weather Service (NWS), Army,
Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, various international agencies, and private companies, as outlined
herein, are to be used to handle the message traffic involved between Tsunami Warning Centers, the
seismic and tide stations, and the dissemination agencies participating in the warning system.

COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AVAILABLE

PTWC and WC/ATWC maintain the following communications services:

Service TWS User Audience

AUTODIN U.S. Department of Defense and State Department facilities

AFTN U.S. Federal Aviation Administration; and International affiliates
NIVIC National Weather Service; forecast and data subscribers
NWW National Weather Service; forecast subscribers and U.S. emergency service agencies
TELEX Emergency service agencies in some South America and Pacific island states
INTERNET Most international and domestic government agencies and academic institutions
FAX All the above
NAWAS Emergency management agencies nationwide.

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 DISSEMINATION OF TSUNAMI WATCHES AND
WARNINGS
SELECTION OF AGENCY
In order to limit the number of agencies to be contacted in the event of a tsunami, Tsunami
Warning/Watch and Information bulletins generally are issued to only one agency in a country,
territory, or administrative area. This agency usually is appointed by the central government or
administrative head of the area concerned and has fundamental responsibilities for public safety and
disaster mitigation. In California, the State Warning Center (CSWC) is the designated dissemination
agency of bulletins issued by the PTWC or the WC/ATWC. In turn, the CSWC forwards the
information to the operational areas, the operational areas are responsible for notifying local coastal
cities and districts.

FUNCTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DISSEMINATION

AGENCY
It is the ultimate responsibility of the dissemination agency, which may or may not be the local
government, to evaluate the tsunami information received from PTWC or WC/ATWC and to decide
on appropriate action after the receipt of a Tsunami Warning/Watch and Warning. Responsible
agencies should have well-developed emergency plans for all threatened localities. These plans
should clearly delineate areas of possible inundation. Evacuation routes should be designated, and
safe areas should be marked. The amount of advance warning necessary to ensure evacuation from
danger areas also should be known. Emergency duties and responsibilities should be designated, and
all affected officials should be thoroughly familiar with their duties. Tsunami Watch and Warning
information may be passed (depending on the time and facilities available) to the coastal population
by any or all of the following methods: radio, television, sirens, bells, whistles, warning flags,
mobile loud speakers, and personal contact.

ALL CLEAR PROCEDURE

At present, WC/ATWC does not have enough data available to enable it to determine when danger
has passed in many areas. Local conditions can cause wide variations in tsunami wave action.
Consequently, the local agencies and not WC/ATWC should make all-clear determinations. In
general, after receipt of a Tsunami Warning, action agencies can assume all-clear status when their
area is free from damaging waves for 2 hours, unless additional ETA have been announced by
PTWC or WC/ATWC, or local conditions (e.g., particularly strong currents in channels and
harbors), warrant continuation of the Tsunami Warning status. If no wave or only insignificant
waves occur, action agencies may assume all-clear status 2 hours after the latest ETA announced by
PTWC or WC/ATWC, unless the presence of strong currents in channels and harbors has been
noted, which may warrant continuation of the Tsunami Warning.

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SUMMARY OF WC/ATWC OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER LOCATION AND
(Ms) WC/ATWC ACTION
Ms less than 6.5 ALASKA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEST COAST OF U.S.
Issue information message if appropriate
Ms equal to 6.5 and less than. ALASKA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEST COAST OF U.S
warning thresholds Issue Tsunami Information Bulletin
Ms equal to 6.5 and equal to PACIFIC BASIN OUTSIDE OF ALASKA AND CANADA/U.S.
or less than 7.5 WEST COAST
Issue Tsunami Information Bulletin
Ms greater than 7.0 ALASKA WEST OF UNIMAK PASS (I 65W)
1. Issue a warning to areas within 3 hours travel time of the expected
bulletin issuance.
2. Issue a watch to the areas within 3 to 6 hours travel time.
3. Monitor tide gauges.
Ms greater than 7.0 ALASKA BERING SEA ONLY
1. Issue a warning to Alaska's Pribilof Island
and Aleutian Islands from Attu to False Pass only.
2. There is no watch area.
3. Monitor tide gauges.
Ms greater than 7.0 and less than or ALASKA EAST OF UNIMAK PASS, U.S./CANADA WEST
equal to 7.5 COAST
1. Issue a warning to areas within 2 hours travel time of the expected
bulletin issuance.
2. Issue a watch to areas with 2 to 3 hours travel time.
3. Monitor tide gauges.
Ms greater than 7.5 ALASKA EAST OF UNIMAK PASS, U.S./CANADA WEST
COAST
1. Issue Tsunami warning to areas within 3 hours travel time of the
expected bulletin issuance.
2. Issue a watch to areas within 3 to 6 hour travel time.
3. Monitor tide gauge data.
Ms greater than 7.5 PACIFIC BASIN OUTSIDE OF ALASKA AND CANADA/U.S.
WEST COAST
1. If the epicenter is within 6 hours tsunami travel time of any part of
the WC/ATWC area of responsibility:
a. Issue a warning to the areas within 3 hours travel time of
expected bulletin issuance.
b. Issue a watch to areas within 3 to 6 hours travel time.
c. Monitor tide gauge data.

2. If the epicenter is more than 6 hours travel time from any part of the
WC/ATWC area of responsibility, issue a Tsunami Advisory Bulletin.
OPERATIONS
WC/ATWC detects, locates, and computes magnitudes for major earthquakes in the entire Pacific
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Basin region. For events equal to or greater than M6.5, WC/ATWC coordinates epicenter and
magnitude with PTWC. Bulletins issued by WC/ATWC and PTWC will contain statements telling
of the other center's actions. Only WC/ATWC has the responsibility to issue messages/bulletins to
Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. This includes warning, watch,
advisory and information bulletins. WC/ATWC can provide technical advice to emergency
managers within its area of responsibility. Data are provided to PTWC, NEIC, the Japan
Meteorological Agency, HMS Russia, and others.

Micro computers provide 24-hour monitoring and analysis of seismic data telemetered to
WC/ATWC from throughout North America and Hawaii. Locations and magnitudes are
automatically computed in as little as two minutes. Two independent systems provide primary and
back up reliability. Information is immediately transmitted via the NWWS and/or the NAWAS to
emergency managers on the West Coast, in Alaska, and British Columbia. Tide data is available in
real or near real time from throughout the Pacific.

EARTHQUAKES IN THE ALASKA PENINSULA, GULF OF

ALASKA, AND UNITED STATES/CANADA WEST COAST
(Unimak Pass to the California/Mexico Border)
A warning will be issued for an area within two hours wave travel time from the time of expected
bulletin issuance for earthquakes greater than magnitude 7.0. A watch will be in effect for an area
within two to three hours wave travel time.

Confirmation of the existence of a tsunami will be sought as rapidly as possible. ATWC will monitor
the recorded tsunami effects and issue a cancellation or supplemental bulletin as appropriate. If
negative or minor tsunami activity has been noted on the tide gauges nearest the earthquake
epicenter 30 minutes after the ETA, the warning status will be canceled. All bulletins will be updated
a least hourly.

EARTHQUAKES IN ALASKA'S ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (Attu to

Unimak Pass)
A warning will be issued for an area within three hours wave travel time from the time of expected
bulletin issuance. for Aleutian earthquakes greater than magnitude 7.0 A watch will be in effect for
an area within three to six hours wave travel time.

Confirmation of the existence of a tsunami will be sought as rapidly as possible. WC/ATWC will
monitor the recorded tsunami effects and issue a cancellation or supplemental bulletin as
appropriate. If negative or minor tsunami activity has been noted on the tide gauges nearest the
earthquake epicenter 30 minutes after the ETA, the warning status will be canceled. All bulletins
will be updated a least hourly.

EARTHQUAKES IN ALASKA'S BERING SEA

A warning will be issued covering St. Paul and St. George Islands and the Aleutian Islands (Attu to
False Pass). for earthquakes greater than magnitude 7.0. There will be no watch area and the warning

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will not be expanded, even if a significant tsunami is detected.

EARTHQUAKES IN THE PACIFIC BASIN OUTSIDE THE WEST

COAST, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA
The WC/ATWC, after coordination with PTWC, will take the following actions for Pacific
earthquakes greater than magnitude 7.5.

a. When any part of the WC/ATWC area of responsibility is within six hours tsunami travel time
from the epicenter, the Center will issue a tsunami warning covering an area with at least a 3-hour
wave travel time from the time of expected bulletin issuance and a tsunami watch extending for an
additional three hours travel time.

b. When the epicenter is more than six hours tsunami travel time distant from any part of the
WC/ATWC area of responsibility, the Center will issue a tsunami advisory bulletin.

Tide gauges throughout the Pacific will be monitored for confirmation of the existence of the
tsunami. WC/ATWC will either issue a cancellation, continue the advisory/watch/warning, or cancel
the watch/warning and change to an advisory bulletin if there is no danger to the WC/ATWC area of
responsibility but PTWC continues its watch/warning. The appropriate action will be based on the
tsunami history and actual wave observations. WC/ATWC will continue to monitor all tsunami
effects and keep California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska advised until all
danger is past for any area of the Pacific.

TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETINS

WC/ATWC will issue a Tsunami Information Bulletin whenever:

a. An earthquake occurs with a magnitude of 6.5 or greater, but below the watch/warning thresholds
of A.4.2 through of A.4.5, within its area of responsibility.
b. An earthquake occurs with a magnitude equal to 6.5, but less than 7.5, outside its area of
responsibility.

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Appendix 7 Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Communication Plan for the
Tsunami Warning System

Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Guidelines for Coordinating Flood

Emergency Operations

Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Emergency Planning Guidance for Local

Government, January 1998

Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Large-Scale Evacuations Guidelines

Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Unified Command and SEMS: A Guide for
State and Local Government

City of Half Moon Bay, Coastside Tsunami Response Plan

Lori Dengler & Kathy Moley, Humboldt Earthquake Education Center, Department of
Geology, Humboldt State University, DRAFT Tsunami Curriculum

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Appendix 8 – Unified Command and SEMS

Unified Command
And SEMS:
A Guide for State & Local
Government

FINAL -- APPROVED

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 Unified Command And SEMS:
A Guide for State and Local Government

Purpose And Scope

This document clarifies how local, state, and federal agencies can successfully
manage emergency incidents through the application of unified command at the field
level of the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS).

SEMS is mandated for state agencies, voluntary for local governments (but necessary
for reimbursement of response-related personnel costs), and not required for federal
agencies.

General Concept

The Response
Structure
State and local agencies use the Incident Command System (ICS) as the structure to
manage emergency incidents at the field level of SEMS. ICS incorporates the
concept of unified command when more than one agency is responsible for the
emergency incident. This system allows agencies to exercise their responsibilities
without compromising jurisdictional authorities.

There are four elements to consider when applying unified command:

A. Policies, Objectives, Strategies

The responsibility to set joint policies, objectives, and strategies for an
incident belongs to the various jurisdictional and agency administrators who
set policy and are accountable to their agencies. This activity is done in
advance of tactical operations and may be coordinated from a location other
than where the field response is taking place.

B. Representatives
The unified command organization consists of the on-scene senior
representatives (agency incident commanders) from the various agencies with
responsibility for the incident.

C. Resources

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 Unified command resources are the personnel and equipment supplied by the
jurisdictions and agencies that have responsibility for the incident or by
cooperating agencies.

D. Operations
Unified command resources stay under the administrative and policy control
of their agencies; however, operationally, resources are deployed by a single
Operations Sections Chief based on the requirements of the consolidated
action plan. Consolidated action plans identify objectives and strategy
determinations for the incident made by the unified command. The incident
objectives must adequately reflect the needs of all the jurisdictional agencies.

Unified command represents an important element in increasing the effectiveness of

response to multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency incidents. As incidents become more
complex and involve more agencies, the need for unified command is increased.

Interagency
Agreements
Agencies that will be partners in a unified command situation should, whenever
possible, establish agreements in advance of emergency incidents that identify
jurisdictional and functional responsibilities and delineate the elements of the unified
command structure. In addition, agencies should take every opportunity to exercise
the provisions of these agreements through periodic training and simulation drills.

SEMS Applied—Coordinating Diverse Authorities

A cornerstone of SEMS is the application of ICS in emergency incident management

at the field level. Under this system, unified command must be used when emergency
incidents involve multiple agencies and/or jurisdictions. The basic precept of unified
command is that all agencies with jurisdictional responsibility for the incident will
manage an incident by establishing a common set of incident objectives and
strategies. This is accomplished without losing or abdicating agency authority,
autonomy, responsibility or accountability. Therefore, in order for state and local
agencies to be consistent with SEMS, the unified command must include all the
individual authorities with response jurisdiction over the incident.

Any process used by the unified command must permit the command team to develop
a consolidated action plan that adequately reflects the jurisdictional needs of the
agencies with responsibility for the incident. Unified command is based on the
presumption that all responsible agencies will cooperate in a collective effort to
mitigate an incident.

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Recommendations For “Best Practices”

When addressing pre-existing mandates within SEMS, the following guidelines

should be applied.

1) SEMS must be viewed as a structural system only, not a pre-emption authority.

SEMS is an emergency response management structure designed to focus resources

and effort in the most efficient fashion. It is an “overlay” to pre-existing mandates in
statute and regulation. It does not re-direct or preempt these authorities.

2) Jurisdictional authorities must not be compromised.

A basic precept of unified command is that jurisdictional authorities responsible for

the incident are never excluded from the command structure. The legal requirements
for federal, state, and local agencies must be taken into account when developing a
consolidated action plan. Exactly how those jurisdictional authorities function in the
unified command is a matter to be determined according to the details of the incident
and the parties involved.

3) Jurisdictional mandates must be applied within SEMS in a flexible manner.

SEMS is meant to be flexible and applicable to many disciplines involving many

agencies. There will almost always be overlapping authorities subject to
interpretation. Federal, state, and local agencies must coordinate with each other in
applying and exercising their respective authorities within the unified command.
Individual agencies do not exercise jurisdiction or authority that exceeds their legal
limits or usurp the authority of another agency—there is no “vote” inside the unified
command. It is incumbent upon the agencies involved to cooperate in order to allow
for a successful resolution to a complicated emergency response organizational issue.
Often, these issues can be dealt with through pre-planning.

4) Pre-planning and training must be continuous.

It is essential to the success of efficient emergency management that jurisdictions and

functional agencies pre-establish the unified command structure and conduct frequent
drills to exercise the system.
5) Cooperation and consensus must be a priority.

It is impossible to implement unified command unless the responsible agencies have

agreed to participate in the process. Once this has been achieved, incident
management goals, objectives and strategies are established through a consensus
process.

6) Establishment of the unified command structure must be expedited.

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Implement unified command promptly when it is needed in a multi-jurisdictional or
multi-agency incident. It is essential to begin joint planning as early as possible,
especially on those incidents where there may be conflicting priorities based on
agency responsibilities. Initially the participants should: identify statutory authorities
for all agencies; determine a clear functional structure for the incident; coordinate
initial activities; and open clear communication channels at all levels of the
organization. Conversely, individual agencies in the unified command should not
exit the response structure until their jurisdictional responsibilities have been resolved
and an orderly transition has been orchestrated.

7) Proper integration into the ICS structure is essential.

A member of the unified command is very different than an agency representative.

The unified command consists of agencies with direct jurisdictional responsibility for
the incident. Agency representatives are individuals assigned to an incident from
assisting or cooperating agencies. Agency representatives are personnel other than
those on direct tactical assignments or those involved in a unified command.

Summary

SEMS provides the structure for managing the response to multi-agency and multi-
jurisdiction emergencies in California and facilitates coordination among all
responding agencies. Within SEMS, ICS provides a flexible structure at the field
level for coordination of response activities which is geared to the needs of a specific
incident. Unified command allows agencies that have responsibility for an incident to
meet their statutory requirements through a coordinated process involving diverse
jurisdictional authorities.

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GENERAL AUTHORITIES AND DEFINITIONS

1. Pursuant to Government Code Section 8607(d) all state agencies are required to
use the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) to coordinate
multiple jurisdiction or multiple agency emergency and disaster operations.
2. Government Code Section 8607(e) requires a local agency to use SEMS in order
to be eligible for reimbursement of personnel-related response costs.
3. Under CCR, Title 19, Section 2403 there are five levels of the SEMS
organization. The field response level “commands emergency response personnel
and resources” to carry out “tactical decisions and activities in direct response to
an incident or threat.”
4. Under CCR, Title 19, Section 2405 emergency response agencies operating at the
field response level shall use the Incident Command System, incorporating the
functions, principles and components of ICS.
5. Under CCR, Title 19, Section 2402 emergency response agencies include “any
organization responding to an emergency....”
6. Pursuant to CCR, Title 19, Section 2407(c), “communications and coordination
shall be established between a local government EOC, when activated, and any
state or local emergency response agency having jurisdiction at an incident
occurring within a local government’s boundaries.”
7. Pursuant to CCR, Title 19, Section 2407(d), local government is to “use multi-
agency or inter-agency coordination to facilitate decisions for overall local
government level emergency response activities.”
8. Pursuant to Government Code Section 8616, during a state of emergency,
“outside aid” to a local government shall be rendered in accordance with
approved emergency plans.
9. Pursuant to Government Code Section 8618, unless otherwise expressly provided
by the parties, the responsible local official in whose jurisdiction an incident
requiring mutual aid has occurred “shall remain in charge at such incident,
including the direction of personnel and equipment provided him through mutual
aid.”
10. CCR, Title 19, Section 2405(a)(3)(C), defines the Unified Command structure as,
“...a unified team effort which allows all agencies with responsibility for the
incident, either geographical or functional, to manage an incident by establishing
a common set of incident objectives and strategies. This is accomplished without
losing or abdicating agency authority, autonomy, responsibility, or
accountability.”
11. The state has broad authority under the Emergency Services Act to address any
local need in a declared emergency if the conditions warrant. Government Code
Sec. 8614 states:
(a) Each department, division, bureau, board, commission, officer, and
employee of each political subdivision of the state shall render all possible
assistance to the Governor and to the Director of the Office of Emergency
Services in carrying out the provisions of this chapter.

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 (b) The emergency power which may be vested in a local public official
during a state of war emergency or a state of emergency shall be subject or
subordinate to the powers herein vested in the Governor when exercised
by the Governor.
(c) Ordinances, orders, and regulations of a political subdivision shall
continue in effect during a state of war emergency or a state of emergency
except as to any provision suspended or superseded by an order of
regulation issued by the Governor.
12. CCR, Title 19, Sec. 2405(a)(3)(D), defines consolidated action plans as
ones that, “...identify objectives and strategy determinations made by the Incident
Commander for the incident based upon the requirements of the jurisdiction. In
the case of a unified command, the incident objectives must adequately reflect the
policy and needs of all the jurisdictional agencies. The action plan for the
incident covers the tactical and support activities required for the operational
period.”
13. “Jurisdiction” describes a [legal] authority or responsibility, and can also
mean a geographical area, e.g., a city, county, state, federal lands, etc. (SEMS
Approved Course of Instruction Field Course, Module 13—Unified Command—
August 1995 Instructor Guide.)
14. “Agency” is used to describe organizations which have a legal and functional
responsibility at an incident. These may be from the same jurisdiction, other
jurisdictions, or represent functional governmental authorities which do not
necessarily have a geographical influence. They can also represent industrial and
commercial organizations from the private sector. Examples could include the
coroners office, the FAA, the XYZ chemical corporation, etc. (SEMS ACI,
Module 13, Instructor Guide.)

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Appendix 9 – Legal Guidelines for Controlling Movement of People and Property During an Emergency

Legal Guidelines for

Controlling Movement of
People and Property
During an Emergency

Approved by the Standardized Emergency Management System

(SEMS) Advisory Board on July 28, 1999

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The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services would like to acknowledge the assistance of the following
staff and agencies in the development of this guideline:

Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

Dallas Jones, Director

Reviewed and edited by:

Jane Hindmarsh, Planning & Technological Branch, Office of Emergency Services
David Zocchetti, Planning Section, Office of Emergency Services
Rebecca Wagoner, Planning Assistance Unit, Office of Emergency Services

Bob McKechnie, Staff Counsel, Office of Emergency Services

Ward Campbell, Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice

Guideline researched and authored by:

Andrew Grundman, Planning Assistance Unit, Office of Emergency Services

Revision & Approval History:

Approved by the Standardized Emergency Management System Technical Group on May 15, 1999
Approved by the Standardized Emergency Management System Advisory Board on August 28, 1999.

Document Revision: Final Version 082599-0900

NOTICE: This guideline is intended to provide information for State and local agencies for general planning
purposes. This guideline is primarily concerned with legal authorities for the actual imposition of evacuation,
curfew, or quarantines.

Many agencies or political subdivisions may provide input during an emergency situation under the authority
of the Standardized Emergency Management System regulations (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 19, § 2400 et seq.).
This guideline concentrates on those agencies or political subdivisions that have statutory or well-recognized
authority to actually issue evacuation, curfew, or quarantine orders.

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 LEGAL GUIDELINES FOR CONTROLLING
MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND PROPERTY

I. BACKGROUND/ INTRODUCTION

Purpose The guidelines are intended to clarify and explain the legal authority that state
and local political subdivisions and public safety agencies may use to initiate,
maintain, and enforce restrictions on the movement of persons and property.

The guidelines focus on issues local government officials may face when
evaluating the potential evacuation of their populations in the event of an
emergency or disaster. As they face this decision, questions will arise as to a
local government’s authority to issue an evacuation order and the liabilities
associated with such an order. The guidelines provide background to these
questions.

Contents This guideline relates to evacuations, quarantines, and similar restrictions for all
types of emergencies. Specific guidelines for flood-related evacuations may be
found in Legal Guidelines for Flood Evacuation. This guideline expands upon
Legal Guidelines for Flood Evacuation by including other types of emergency
situations.

Guidelines This document is intended for use strictly as a guide, and should not be
construed as providing legal advice. The guidelines are not inclusive of all legal
issues that may arise during an emergency, and discuss only issues likely to
arise during the course of an evacuation, quarantine, or similar action during an
emergency. Before ordering an evacuation, quarantine, or other action,
government officials or agencies should consult with appropriate legal counsel.

Update and This document will be updated and reviewed periodically by the Governor’s
Revision Office of Emergency Services in cooperation with the California Department of
Justice.

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 Table of Contents
The following questions are addressed in the respective section of this document:

FINANCE 83
LIKELIHOOD OF OCCURRENCE AND SEVERITY 89

NOTIFICATION AND THREAT ANALYSIS 94

I. BACKGROUND/ INTRODUCTION 114

II. DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND POWERS 119

WHAT ARE THE LEGAL AUTHORITIES TO ORDER AN EVACUATION? 119

WHAT IS THE POLICE POWER? 119

BASIS FOR AUTHORITY: 119

WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EMERGENCY? 121

WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO USE POLICE POWERS TO RESTRICT THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE
AND PROPERTY? 123
Generally, the local governing body, or whomever the local governing body has authorized to restrict the movement
of people and property during an emergency is primarily responsible for ordering an evacuation, quarantine, curfew,
or other restriction on travel. This authorization may be in the form of an ordinance, resolution, or order that the local
governing body has enacted. 123
A. COUNTIES 124
County Sheriff 125
Note: 126
B. CITIES 126
Chief of Police 128

WHAT POWERS DO LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE REGARDING EVACUATIONS? 128

PENAL CODE § 148.2. 130

PENAL CODE § 409. 132

PENAL CODE 409.5 132

PENAL CODE § 409.6 137

III. EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT / STANDARDIZED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM 144
IS THE EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT A FACTOR IN CONTROLLING MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND
PROPERTY? 144

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HOW DOES MUTUAL AID RELATE TO CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND
PROPERTY? 146

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES TO A LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF PROCLAIMING A LOCAL

EMERGENCY PRIOR TO ENACTING ORDERS CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND
PROPERTY? 147

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT PROCLAIMING A LOCAL EMERGENCY? 148

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO RECEIVE EXPANDED IMMUNITY PURSUANT TO THE EMERGENCY
SERVICES ACT? 149

WHAT AGENCIES ARE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT SEMS? 149

HOW IS SEMS APPLIED IN AN EMERGENCY? 150

IV. ROUTE AND AREA CLOSURES 151

IS RESTRICTING TRAVEL ROUTES PERMITTED? 151
ROADS & HIGHWAYS. 151
WATERWAYS. 154
FIRES. 156
OFF SHORE. 157
AIRPORTS. 157

WHAT IS THE AUTHORITY FOR CLOSING PUBLIC BEACHES? 161

V. EVACUATIONS 162
ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES TO EVACUATING UNDER § 409.5? 166

WHAT ARE THE MEANS FOR IMPOSING A MANDATORY EVACUATION? 166

VI. CURFEWS 174

ARE THERE CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS WITH CURFEWS? 174

WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ORDER A CURFEW? 175

HOW IS A CURFEW ORDERED? 182

HOW SHOULD THE CURFEW ORDER BE DRAFTED? 188

VII. QUARANTINES 196

IS A QUARANTINE CONSTITUTIONAL? 197

WHAT ARE THE LEGAL AUTHORITIES FOR A QUARANTINE? 198

WHY ESTABLISH A QUARANTINE? 199

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ORDERING A QUARANTINE? 199

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WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ORDER A QUARANTINE? 199

WHAT ACTIONS ARE STATUTORILY AUTHORIZED? 205

WHAT ARE THE OBLIGATIONS OF CITIZENS UNDER QUARANTINE? 207

WHAT POWER DOES LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE WITH RESPECT TO QUARANTINES?209

VIII. RIOTS / UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY 210

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A RIOT? 212

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A ROUT? 212

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF AN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY? 212

WHAT ARE THE DUTIES THAT ARISE DURING A RIOT, ROUT, OR UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY?............213

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF FAILING TO ORDER A DISPERSAL? 215

WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE CITIZENS? 215

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING A DISPERSAL ORDER? 215

IS THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE PERMITTED TO RESTRICT RIOTERS? 216

WHAT CONSTITUTES A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENT? 216

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENT? 217

X. TSUNAMIS / OFF SHORE INCIDENTS 218

WHAT IS THE TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE STATE? 218

WHAT IS THE COAST GUARD’S RESPONSIBILITY? 218

XI. DOMESTIC TERRORISM 219

XII. POTENTIAL LIABILITIES AND IMMUNITIES 219

WHAT PROTECTION IS OFFERED UNDER THE EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT? 219

WHAT PROTECTIONS DOES THE TORT CLAIMS ACT OFFER TO PUBLIC ENTITIES WHEN AN
EVACUATION IS NOT ORDERED UNDER THE EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT? 221

XIII. APPENDIX OF SELECTED STATUTES 225

Government Code 225

California Penal Code 226

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California Health and Safety Code 228
Health & Safety Code § 115885. 228

XIV. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES 230

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 II. DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND POWERS
To understand the duties and responsibilities that arise during an emergency,
Summary review of the various legal concepts that apply both prior to and during the
emergency is necessary. Note that for the purposes of this guideline, the term
“governing body” refers to that of a city, county, or city and county.

Q. WHAT ARE THE LEGAL AUTHORITIES TO ORDER AN

EVACUATION?

A. The primary authorities cited in this document are derived from the California
Constitution, Government Code, Penal Code, Emergency Services Act, and case
law.

A governing body may impose voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders

pursuant to the general police power with which government is imbued. The
preferred practice is to order an evacuation pursuant to statutory authority, e.g.
the Emergency Services Act.

Q. WHAT IS THE POLICE POWER?

A. The authority to control the movement of persons and property arises from the
police power of the state. The police power enables governments to take action
for the good of the public -- governing bodies may enact laws, ordinances, or
regulations to protect the health, safety, morals, or general welfare of the
population.1 Of course, the police power is used everyday for building
restrictions, licensing, and other similar activities. Similarly, the police power
also provides governing bodies with flexibility to meet emergency situations.

California Supreme Court—

The Supreme Court of California has described the police power as the inherent
power of the government to enact laws that protect the order, safety, and health
of society.2

BASIS FOR AUTHORITY:

California Constitution
Local governing bodies derive their basic powers from the state Constitution,
just as the state entities do.3 California’s Constitution expressly authorizes
counties and cities to make and enforce all local, police, sanitary and other
laws.4
1
Fitts v. Superior Court, (1936) 6 Cal. 2d 230, 234.
2
In re Ramirez (1924) 193 Cal. 633
3
Strumsky v. San Diego County Employees Retirement Assn. (1974) 11 Cal.3d 28, 36.

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 California “A county or city may make and enforce within its limits all
Constitution local, police, sanitary, and other ordinances and regulations
Article XI, § 7 not in conflict with general laws.”

Statutory Authority

The state constitution expressly empowers local governments to create rules and
to enforce any non-conflicting regulation. The legislature has codified this
constitutional intent for the counties to have the powers of the state, including
the power to regulate movement of people and property.

Government “The several existing counties of the State and such other
Code § 23002 counties as are hereafter organized are legal subdivisions of
the State.”

Police Powers Pursuant to the police power, the Legislature has enacted specific statutes
During an pertaining to the movement of persons and property. Even so, the police power
Emergency does not require statutory enactment for authorities related to exigent
circumstances.

The Courts of the United States and California have provided rulings defining
the limits of the police power. Essentially, the extent of the police power is
proportional to the extent of the emergency. Police powers flow from the law
of necessity, and “in an emergency, the scope of permissible regulation may
increase.”5

4
Cal. Const. art. XI, § 7.
5
Adkins v. State of California, (1996) 50 Cal.App.4th 1802, 1810.

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Q.
WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EMERGENCY?

A. An “emergency” is well established in California as meaning “an unforeseen

situation calling for immediate action.6 An emergency is also defined as a
situation of ‘grave character and serious moment,’ which is evidenced by an
‘imminent and substantial threat to public health or safety.7

Emergency The California Emergency Services Act” and the Standardized Emergency
Services Act Management System have a specific definition of an “emergency:8
Definition
“...conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and
property...” 9

The conditions that cause an emergency may be natural or human caused. For
example, the California Emergency Services Act specifically enumerates the
following conditions:10

• air pollution,
• fire,
• flood,
• storm,
• epidemic,
• riot,
• drought,

6
Los Osos Valley Associates v. City of San Luis Obisbo, (1994) 30 Cal. App. 4th 1670, 1681.
7
Los Osos at 1673; County Sanitation Dist. No. 2 v. Los Angeles County Employee’s Assn. (1985) 38 Cal.
3d 564, 586, 592 cert. denied 474 U.S. 995 (1985).
8
Cal. Govt. Code § 8558, Cal. Code Regs., tit. 19, § 2402(e).
9
Cal. Govt. Code § 8558(b), (c) (Describing “state of emergency” and “local emergency.”).
10
Cal. Govt. Code § 8558.

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 • sudden and severe energy shortage,
• the Governor’s warning of an earthquake or volcanic prediction,
• probable or imminent enemy attack

Penal Code The Penal Code provides a further definition of emergency as “any condition
Definition which results in, or which could result in the response of a public official in an
authorized emergency vehicle, or any condition which jeopardizes or could
jeopardize public safety and results in or could result in, the evacuation of any
area, building, structure, vehicle or of any other place which individuals may
enter.”11

11
Cal. Penal Code § 148.3(c) (defining false report of an emergency).

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Q. WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO USE POLICE POWERS TO
RESTRICT THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND PROPERTY?

A. The Governor, delegates of the Governor, local governing bodies and their
designated representatives, statutorily designated law enforcement agents, and
statutorily authorized government employees have the authority to restrict the
movement of people and property in an emergency situation.

Local government may enact legislation under the authority of the state’s police
power. Local law enforcement agencies may be used to enforce or assist in the
implementation of the legislation.

Some of the legal subdivisions of the state that have the authority to restrict
movement of people and property are:

• local governing body of counties, or whomever is authorized to act on their

behalf;
• local governing body of cities, or whomever is authorized to act on their
behalf;
• statutorily designated law enforcement officers;
• statutorily designated health and public safety employees; and
• Governor.
Generally, the local governing body, or whomever the local governing body
has authorized to restrict the movement of people and property during
an emergency is primarily responsible for ordering an evacuation,

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 quarantine, curfew, or other restriction on travel. This authorization
may be in the form of an ordinance, resolution, or order that the local
governing body has enacted.

A. COUNTIES

Authorities:

• All the counties of this state are deemed to be legal subdivisions of the
state.12

• Case law establishes that a county exercises only those powers that are
granted by the state. 13

• Counties are not municipal corporations since counties are not, like
municipal corporations, incorporations of the inhabitants of specified
regions for purposes of local government.14

• Any county may make and enforce within its limits all local, police,
sanitary and other ordinances and regulations not in conflict with the
general laws.15

• All counties have the power to promote the public health and general
welfare of its citizens.16

In addition, any county may disseminate information to the public concerning

the rights, duties, properties and activities of the county.17

12
Cal. Const., Art. II, § 1; Cal. Govt. Code § 23002.
13
Marin County v. Superior Court of Marin County (1960) 563 Cal. 2d 633.
14
In re Miller’s Estate (1936) 5 Cal. 2d 588; Dillwood v. Riecks (1919) 42 Cal. App. 602.
15
Cal. Const. Art II, § 7.
16
Goodall v. Brite, (1936) 11 Cal. App. 2d 540.
17
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 25, 207.5.

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 Charter In those cases where the county has been granted a charter
county from the state and that charter has been approved by the state
legislature, then those charter counties shall have all the
powers that are provided by the state constitution or by statute
for the counties.18 In contrast, a general law county is created
and granted only those powers set forth by statute and the
common law.

Throughout the State, if there is a conflict between state law

and a county charter provision, the local law generally prevails
except where the intent of a general state law is to establish a
state policy. In those instances, state law prevails.19

County Sheriff The Sheriff shall prevent and suppress any affrays, breaches of
the peace, riots and insurrections which come to his
knowledge, and investigate public offenses which have been
committed.20

The Sheriff also has the responsibility for closing areas to the
public21 and consequently to order an evacuation. (see later
discussion of Penal Code § 409.5).

18
Cal. Const. Art. XI, §§ 4(g), (h).
19
Pearson v. Los Angeles County (1957) 49 Cal.2d 624; Shean v. Edmonds (1948) 89 Cal. App. 2d 315.
20
Cal. Govt. Code § 26602.
21
Cal. Penal Code §§ 409, 409.5, 409.6.

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 As county If the board of supervisors adopts a
director of resolution by unanimous vote, electing that
emergency the sheriff hold the office of county director
services of emergency services, ex officio, the sheriff
shall perform the duties prescribed by state
law and executive order, the California
Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual
Aid Agreement, mutual aid operational plans
adopted pursuant thereto and by county
ordinances and resolutions.22

Note: Not all counties have elected to have the

sheriff perform the duties of the county
director of emergency services. Verify who
has been given that responsibility for a
county.23

B. CITIES
Authorities:

• The state legislature is the entity that prescribes the procedures for city
formation and provides for city powers.24

• A city charter may provide for that city having the power to make and
enforce all ordinances and regulations in respect to municipal affairs,
subject only to those restrictions and limitations provided in their charter
and in respect to other matters, the city shall be subject to the general laws.25

22
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 22620-22623.
23
Cal. Const. Art. XI, § 4.
24
Cal. Const. Art. XI, § 2(a).
25
Cal. Const. Art. XI, § 4(a).

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 • A city may make and enforce within its limits all local, police, sanitary, and
other ordinances and regulations not in conflict with the general laws.26

• A city may adopt regulations designed to promote the health and welfare of
the people.27

A state statute addressing an area of statewide concern is deemed applicable to

charter and general law cities.28

26
Cal. Const. Art. XI, § 7.
27
DeAryan v. Butler (1953) 119 Cal. App. 2d 674; cert. denied 74 S.Ct. 863.
28
DeVita v. County of Napa (1995) 9 Cal. 4th 763.

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 Chief of “For the suppression of riot, public tumult, disturbance of the
Police peace, or resistance against the laws or public authorities in the
lawful exercise of their functions, the chief of police has the
powers conferred upon sheriffs by general law and in all
respects is entitled to the same protection.”29

The Chief of Police shall perform such other services as

general law and the city ordinances require.30

Just like the Sheriff, the Chief of Police has the power to close
areas to the public and consequently to order an evacuation.
(See later discussion of § 409.5)

Q. WHAT POWERS DO LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE REGARDING

EVACUATIONS?

A. There are six specific statutes, in addition to the California Emergency Services
Act, that provide methods for enforcing the restriction on movement of people
and property.

Penal Code Provides for punishment of persons interfering with firefighters or rescue
§ 148.2 personnel during the discharge of their duties. Also makes it an offense to
disobey orders given by firefighters or other public officers.

Penal Code Pertains to interfering with personnel at the scene of an emergency. Similar to
§ 402 Penal Code § 148.2, specifically broadens the conditions and types of personnel
protected by the statute.

Penal Code Prohibits persons from remaining in the area of a riot or an unlawful assembly,
§ 409 after being warned to disperse.

Penal Code Provides that law enforcement has authority to control or manage an accident
§ 409.3 scene except for patient care.

29
Cal. Govt. Code § 41601.
30
Cal. Govt. Code § 41611.

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Penal Code Allows specified law enforcement officers to close or restrict access to an area.
§ 409.5
Allows specified law enforcement officers to close or restrict access to an
Penal Code avalanche area, and provides for forcible removal from the area.
§ 409.6

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 PENAL CODE § 148.2.

This section is primarily used when people interfere with emergency measures
implemented by a public safety agency. There are four chargeable conditions
under this section.

First, every person that intentionally resists or interferes with fire department
personnel or emergency rescue personnel discharging their duties may be
charged for this crime.31

Second, a person may be guilty under this section if he or she disobeys the order
of any firefighter or public officer.32

Third, in case of a fire, a person who causes a fire’s extinguishment to be

postponed because of any act of disorderly conduct is also chargeable under this
section.33

Fourth, a party who exerts influence on another person to delay or hamper the
extinguishment of a fire may be charged under this section.34

Any volunteers or employees of a public firefighting agency are considered

“emergency rescue personnel” when actively engaged in rescue of persons and
property during an emergency.35

Exception to § A private paramedic is not considered “emergency rescue personnel” for the
148.2 purposes of § 148.2.36

PENAL CODE § 402.

Penal Code section 402 provides that interfering with personnel at the scene of
an emergency is a criminal act.

31
Cal. Penal Code § 148.2.1.
32
Cal. Penal Code § 148.2.2.
33
Cal. Penal Code § 148.2.3.
34
Cal. Penal Code § 148.2.4.
35
Cal. Penal Code § 245.1
36
People v. Olsen (1986) 186 Cal. App. 3d 257.

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 “Every person who intentionally travels to, or stops at, an emergency scene for
the purpose of viewing the scene or the actions of the public safety personnel
and impedes the personnel from discharging their duties is guilty of a
misdemeanor.”

Additionally, this section prohibits persons from interfering with rescues by

impeding emergency vehicles or personnel while rescuers are traveling to or
from an emergency scene for the purpose of protecting
lives or property.

Traveling to, or stopping at, an emergency scene is permissible if a person’s

employment requires viewing of the scene. This exception is probably limited
to members of the media. To avoid liability, each potential violator should be
analyzed to determine whether viewing of the scene could be considered “part
of the duties of their employment.”

The term “emergency,” as explained in section 402 (c), means any incident that
involves injured persons, property damage, or a threat to the safety of persons or
property.

Causes of Penal Code § 402 lists various causes of emergencies, including:

Emergencies
• fire,
• explosion,
• airplane crash,
• flooding,
• windstorm damage,
• railroad accident,
• traffic accident,
• power plant accident,
• toxic chemical spill, and,
• biological spill.

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 This list is merely illustrative. The code expressly includes any other natural or
human-caused event.

PENAL CODE § 409.

Penal Code section 409 provides that failure to disperse from the area of a riot
or an unlawful assembly is a criminal act.

“Every person remaining present at the place of any riot, rout, or unlawful
assembly, after the same has been lawfully warned to disperse, except public
officers and persons assisting them in attempting to disperse the same, is guilty
of a misdemeanor.”

The legislature intended that this section and related sections provide the means
for officers to control any willful and malicious obstruction of the public’s free
use of a public way.37

Offender’s Guilt is Inferred

Whether a person is guilty of the offense of assembling for the purpose of

disturbing the peace or for failure to disperse does not depend on whether the
assembly’s purpose was consummated.38 The offense of “remaining at place of
riot” does not require that an individual actively participated in a riot or an
unlawful assembly.39

PENAL CODE 409.5

Penal Code section 409.5 provides that specified law enforcement officers may
close or restrict access to an area in the event of a disaster.

Advantages/ Limitations

37
In re Bacon (1966) 49 Cal. Rptr. 322.
38
People v. Anderson (1931) 117 Cal. App. 763.
39
People v. Sklar (1930) 111 Cal. App. Supp. 776.

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The advantage of using Penal Code § 409.5 to restrict the movement of people
or property is that it allows specified law enforcement officers to close an area
by a verbal order on an immediate and/or selective basis. The disadvantage is
that the announcement or orders may vary from officer to officer, increasing the
likelihood of non-uniformity which could provide a basis for subsequent
litigation. Close supervision and coordination are essential.

The agencies and persons that have the authority to restrict the movement of
people and property under Penal Code § 409.5 are:

• California Highway Patrol,

• Sheriff’s Office,
• Police Department,
• Marshal’s Office,
• Any officer or employee of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
designated a peace officer by subdivision (g) of Cal. Penal Code § 830.2,
• Any officer or employee of the Department of Parks and Recreation
designated a peace officer by subdivision (f) of Cal. Penal Code § 830.2,
• Any officer or employee of the Department of Fish and Game designated a
peace officer under subdivision (e) of Cal. Penal Code § 830.2,
• Any publicly employed full-time lifeguard or publicly employed full-time
marine safety officer while acting in a supervisory position in the
performance of his or her official duties.

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Note: Local If the calamity creates an immediate menace to the public
health officer health, the local health officer may close the area where the
menace exists pursuant to the conditions set forth in this
section.

Other Subdivisions (c) and (d) of section 409.5 pertain to unauthorized persons
Subdivisions entering or refusing to leave a closed area. These sections also pertain to
restricted entry into a closed area by members of the media, the general public,
and affected residents.

409.5(c) Unauthorized person entering a closed area or refusing to leave a closed

area.

“Any unauthorized person who willfully and knowingly enters an area closed
pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) and who willfully remains in the area after
receiving notice to evacuate or leave shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
409.5(d)
Restricted entry into a closed area for media and residents.

“Nothing in this section shall prevent a duly authorized representative of any

news service, newspaper, or radio or television station or network from entering
the areas closed pursuant to this section.”

The media’s statutory right of access to disaster areas was clarified in the case
of Leiserson v. City of San Diego in 1986. One of the issues in the case was
whether a member of the media could have their access restricted because the
area was “unsafe” to enter. The court reasoned that “press representatives must

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 be given unrestricted access to disaster scenes unless police personnel at the
scene reasonably determine that such unrestricted access will interfere with
emergency operations.”40

“…duly authorized representative…”

The term “duly authorized representative” refers to individuals recognized by

their employer and major city police or sheriff department as a working member
of the press.41 In 1984 the State Attorney General opined that the term “duly
authorized” refers to a person authorized access by a news station, newspaper,
radio or television network having duly authorized the individual to be its
representative at the disaster location.42

40
Leiserson v. City of San Diego, (1986) 184 Cal. App. 3d 41, 51.
41
L.A. Free Press v. City of Los Angeles (1970) 9 Cal. App. 3d 448, 451.
42
67 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 535 (1984).

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Order to Whether Penal Code § 409.5 permits law enforcement officers to forcibly
evacuate evacuate an area is not clear.

Issues Because of a variety of issues concerning the implementation of this approach,

many jurisdictions decided to warn the person and either have that person sign a
waiver form if the person refused to leave, or fully document the giving of the
notice to leave and that person’s refusal to leave.

Alternative Another alternative would be to have the officer order the

evacuation, and should that person refuse to leave the area, the
officer would arrest that person under Penal Code § 148.

Evacuation Rather than relying on Penal Code § 409.5, the local governing body should
order consider issuing an evacuation order that specifies the following:

• whether the order is for voluntary or mandatory evacuation;

• who is going to enforce the order (police, sheriff, director of emergency
services, fire department, etc.);
• what they are authorized to do (evacuate, use reasonable force to remove
someone from an area);

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• the relevant time period; and
• that the evacuation is issued under provisions of the Emergency Services
Act, thereby invoking the penalty provisions of the Act and affording the
immunities accorded.

PENAL CODE § 409.6

Penal Code section 409.6 differs slightly from section 409.5, most noticeably in
that it expressly authorizes the use of reasonable force to remove an
unauthorized person from the closed area.

(a) Whenever a menace to the public health or safety is created by an avalanche,

officers of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, police
departments, or sheriff’s offices, any officer or employee of the Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection designated a peace officer by subdivision (g) of
Section 830.2, and any officer or employee of the Department of Parks and
Recreation designated a peace officer by subdivision (f) of Section 830.2, may

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close the area where the menace exists for the duration thereof by means of
ropes, markers or guards to any and all persons not authorized by that officer to
enter or remain

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within the closed area. If an avalanche creates an immediate menace to the
public health, the local health officer may close the area where the menace
exists pursuant to the conditions which are set forth above in this section.

The media is allowed the same freedom of access to an area of avalanche

danger that they have at any disaster scene:

§ 409.6(d) Nothing in this section shall prevent a duly authorized representative

of any news service, newspaper, or radio or television station or network from
entering the areas closed pursuant to this section.

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Definition of An avalanche, for the purpose of this section, would include avalanches of snow
an avalanche and mudslides. Additionally, volcanic activity is also subject to the provisions
of § 409.6.

Volcanoes are covered under this section because of the potential for avalanches
resulting from a volcano’s pyroclastic flow. Pyroclastic flows are streams of
hot ash and rock fragments, mixed with hot air and other gases, that move
rapidly along the ground surface. Pyroclastic flows can occur when a large
mass of rock avalanches from the side of a volcanic dome.43

43
Volcanic Hazards (1987) U.S. Govt. Print. Off. 194 - 389.

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 Penal Code 409.6 may be used to facilitate an emergency area closure whenever
a menace to the public health or safety is created by an avalanche.

The law enforcement officers may close the area that threatens the public, and
may also close the area surrounding any emergency field command post or any
other command post regardless of whether that command post is located near
the avalanche.44

Differences Penal Code 409.6 is similar to section 409.5 except that it applies specifically to
between 409.5 avalanches, including snow, mud, and volcanic. This section would also apply

44
Cal. Penal Code § 409.5(b).

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and 409.6 to mudslides and landslides. Unlike 409.5, the use of reasonable force to
remove persons who were given notice to leave the area is expressly provided
for in section 409.6.

Alternative As with Penal Code § 409.5, the option remains to have the
officer order the evacuation, and should that person refuse to
leave the area, the officer could arrest that person under Penal
Code § 148.

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Evacuation Rather than relying on Penal Code § 409.6, the local governing body may issue
order an evacuation order that specifies the following:

• whether the order is for voluntary or mandatory evacuation;

• who is going to enforce the order (police, sheriff, director of emergency
services, fire department, etc.);
• what they are authorized to do (evacuate, use reasonable force to remove
someone from an area);

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 • the relevant time period; and
• that the evacuation is issued under provisions of the Emergency Services
Act, thereby invoking the penalty provisions of the Act and affording the
immunities accorded.

III. EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT / STANDARDIZED

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Q. IS THE EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT A FACTOR IN
CONTROLLING MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND PROPERTY?

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A. The various statutory provisions and the police power of the state that allow for
controlling the movement of people and property during an emergency may be
utilized independently or in conjunction with the Emergency Services Act.
Immunity from liability is generally greater if the provisions of the Emergency
Services Act are employed. To illustrate the differences, the discussion below
explains the Emergency Services Act beginning with Government Code § 8550.

State Section 8550 codifies the legislative intent that the state is responsible to
responsibility mitigate the effects of those emergencies “which result in conditions of disaster
or in extreme peril to life, property, and the resources of the state, and generally
to protect the health and safety and preserve the lives and property of the people
of the state.” This section also confers emergency power on the Governor, the
Director of the Office of Emergency Services, and the chief executives and
governing bodies of political subdivisions of this state.

“Political Government Code Section 8557(c) defines “political subdivision” to include

subdivision” “any city, city and county, county, district, or other local governmental agency
defined or public agency authorized by law.”

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 By enacting the Emergency Services Act, the legislature merged civil defense,
disaster response, and mutual aid into one operational concept. As a result, each
political subdivision has the authority and obligation to plan and participate in
emergency situations.

Q. HOW DOES MUTUAL AID RELATE TO CONTROLLING THE

MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE AND PROPERTY?

A. Mutual Aid may be rendered under the authority and protection of the
Emergency Services Act even though a local emergency has not been
proclaimed. There must exist an emergency affecting life and property of such
a magnitude that the local entity is unable to combat it with its available
resources, and outside assistance is required. That outside assistance is termed
“mutual aid”45 for the purposes of the Emergency Services Act.

Advantage If a local government renders mutual aid in the absence of a

local emergency proclamation, it may do so and still be within
the auspices of the Emergency Services Act. The advantage of
proclaiming a local emergency is that it conclusively
establishes the actions were within the Emergency Services
Act. Compliance with the Act provides local government
greater immunities such as immunity from liability for itself
and its employees.46

Master The Emergency Services Act does not specifically define “mutual aid.”47
Mutual Aid Instead, the Act merely references the Master Mutual Aid Agreement, approved
Agreement emergency plans, and the authority for rendering such aid during a war
emergency or state of emergency.48
Mutual aid must be consistent with the Master Mutual Aid Agreement and the
Standardized Emergency Management System.49

In periods other than a state of war emergency, state of emergency, or local

emergency, the Emergency Services Act refers to the Master Mutual Aid
Agreement and local ordinances, resolutions, agreements, or plans as authority
for the exercise of mutual aid powers.50

The Master Mutual Aid Agreement suggests that mutual aid means the
interchange of services and facilities on a local, county-wide, regional, state-
wide and interstate basis to combat the effects of disasters which may result

45
Cal. Govt. Code § 8559
46
Soto v. California (1997) 56 Cal. App. 4th 196.
47
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8615-8618.
48
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8560, 8561, 8615, 8616.
49
Cal. Govt. Code § 8617, Cal. Code Regs. tit. 19, § 2415(c).
50
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8560, 8561, 8617.

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 from such calamities as flood, fire, earthquake, pestilence, war, sabotage and
riot, and is intended to be available in the event of a disaster of such magnitude
that is, or is likely to be, beyond the control of a single political subdivision and
requires the combined forces of several political subdivisions to combat.

Q. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES TO A LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF

PROCLAIMING A LOCAL EMERGENCY PRIOR TO
ENACTING ORDERS CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF
PEOPLE AND PROPERTY?

A. The immunities of the “Emergency Services Act” provide more protection than
those offered by the “State Tort Claims Act.” In the event of litigation,
however, a local government will have to establish that it was acting in
accordance with the Emergency Services Act” in order to use its protection.51

Local Proclamation of Emergency

The easiest way to prove a local governing body was acting underneath the
protection of the Emergency Services Act is when a “state of local emergency”
has been proclaimed by the local governing body.

In-county By proclaiming a state of local emergency, there is a finding

resources that an emergency exists and that mutual aid is needed to assist
that entity. Even if only in-county resources are utilized, the
Master Mutual Aid Agreement and any local agreements to
provide mutual aid should be sufficient to establish that the
Emergency Services Act applies.52

Out-of-county If out-of-county assistance is needed, requests for mutual aid

resources should follow the procedures set forth by the Office of
Emergency Services, including obtaining mission numbers
from OES for responding agencies. This is particularly
important for possible reimbursement of extraordinary
expenses in the event of a proclaimed “State of Emergency” or
in the event of a presidential declaration of disaster when state
or federal disaster relief funds become available.

Proclaim If there are grounds for proclaiming a “local emergency,” for a number of
early reasons, proclaim it at the earliest possible time. By doing so, the proclamation
provides for the following:

• alerting and activating the mutual aid system;

• invoking and disseminating emergency orders at the earliest possible time;
and
• meeting the requisites for seeking the Governor’s proclamation of a “State
51
Adkins v. State of California (1996) 50 Cal. App. 4th 1802.
52
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8615-8617, 8631.

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 of Emergency.”

Issue orders Another advantage to proclaiming a local emergency is

and authorization of the local governing body to issue “orders and
regulations regulations necessary to provide for the protection of life and
property.”53

This provision is particularly important because enhanced

control over the movement of people and property during an
emergency is available.

For example:

• The local governing body may expand the category of

persons who are authorized to announce and enforce the
orders;
• the failure to obey the order is a misdemeanor subject to
fine and/or imprisonment;54
• The use of an order avoids the legal ambiguities that exist
in using Penal Code section 409.5 when used to restrict
movement into or out of a disaster area.

Q. WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT PROCLAIMING A

LOCAL EMERGENCY?

No Local If a state of local emergency is not proclaimed, then the only remaining
Proclamation authorities that would allow restrictions on the movement of people and
property would be statutorily authorized officials, and the governing body’s use
of the police power. Additionally, in order for a local agency to receive the
immunity afforded by the Emergency Services Act, the parties would have to
establish that mutual aid was provided in accordance with the act. This would
require proving that the emergency response was accomplished in accordance
with the State Emergency Plan, the Master Mutual Aid Agreement, or local
mutual aid agreements or plans.55

Actions under If a local government entity were to be sued, it would have to establish that it
the ESA was acting under the provisions of the Emergency Services Act in order to
receive the protection offered by the Emergency Services Act. Although a
proclamation of an emergency is not a prerequisite to establish that actions
occurred pursuant to the ESA, such a proclamation facilitates establishing that
the ESA applies.

53
Cal. Govt. Code § 8634.
54
Cal. Govt. Code § 8665.
55
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8560 et seq.

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Q. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO RECEIVE EXPANDED IMMUNITY
PURSUANT TO THE EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT?

A. The best way to insure that a local government or agency is protected by the
immunities of the Emergency Services Act is to:

• Establish a local plan,

• Have the plan approved by the local governing body,
• Have the plan reviewed by OES,
• Verify that the plan is consistent with the State Emergency Plan as adopted
by the Governor.56

A second method for claiming the expanded immunities of the California

Emergency Services Act is to establish that mutual aid was provided in
accordance with the Emergency Services Act, the Master Mutual Aid
Agreement, the Standardized Emergency Management System, and the
procedures set forth by the Office of Emergency Services.

“All mutual aid systems and agreements shall be consistent with SEMS and the
Master Mutual Aid Agreement.”57

Mutual aid On occasion, there may be assistance rendered according to local agreement, or
outside OES merely a request for assistance, without utilizing the formalized OES mutual aid
procedures procedures. This often occurs within an operational area.

Operational “An intermediate level of the state emergency services

Area organization, consisting of a county and all political
subdivisions within the county area.”58

Make If a formal agreement is drafted, or an ordinance or regulation enacted requiring

reference to mutual aid to combat an emergency, it is recommended that reference to the
the ESA mutual aid provisions of the Emergency Services Act be incorporated into those
documents.59 These approaches will at least allow for an arguable position that
there was substantial compliance with the Emergency Services Act.

Q. WHAT AGENCIES ARE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT SEMS?

A. All state agencies are required to use the Standardized Emergency Management
System for coordination during either multiple jurisdiction or multiple agency
emergency and disaster operations.60 The use of SEMS is not mandatory for
56
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8560, 8568, 8569.
57
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 19, § 2415(c).
58
Cal. Govt. Code §8559(b).
59
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 13863.
60
Cal. Govt. Code § 8607(d).

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 local agencies; however, the use of SEMS is required to be eligible for
reimbursement of disaster related personnel response expenses.61

Q. HOW IS SEMS APPLIED IN AN EMERGENCY?

A. The State of California has developed the Standardized Emergency

Management System (SEMS) for responding to and managing multi-agency
and/ or multi-jurisdictional emergencies and disasters within California’s
territorial area.

DESCRIPTION OF SEMS

The Standardized Emergency Management System incorporates a broad range

of emergency management practices to effectively respond to disasters.
Between disasters, SEMS builds connections to integrate management,
communications, and resources at the local, regional, and statewide levels to
maximize the responsiveness of emergency personnel.

Emergency Response Organization

The Standardized System is multi-level and designed to manage disasters

anytime and anywhere in the State. It is intended to facilitate priority setting,
interagency cooperation, and the efficient flow of resources and information,
but does not alter statutory authorities or responsibilities of emergency
responders.

SEMS provides the framework for coordinating state and local government
emergency response in California using the existing incident command system
and mutual aid agreements. It consists of five
organizational levels, five main functions, mutual aid, the Incident Command
System, multi/inter-agency coordination, and the operational area concept.

Five Organizational Levels:

Field level - includes those entities which manage and coordinate response at
the emergency scene.

Local level - manages and coordinates county, city, or special districts (which
in turn manage and coordinate the field levels).

Operational areas - manage and coordinate at the local level (essentially all
local governments within the geographic boundary of a county).

Regional levels - manage and coordinate information and resources among

operational areas.

State level - provides statewide regional level resource coordination integrated

with federal resource coordination.

61
Cal. Govt. Code § 8607(e).

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 Five Main Functions of the SEMS Structure

Management -provides the overall direction and sets priorities for an

emergency, limited by the jurisdiction roles and responsibilities.

Operations - implements priorities established by the management function.

Planning/Intelligence - gathers and assesses information.

Logistics -obtains the resources to support the operations.

Finance/Administration - tracks all costs related to the operations.

Most local jurisdictions have "mutual aid" agreements. These agreements

provide a means for a community, that has fully committed all of its available
resources to a local emergency, to obtain additional resources from surrounding
communities and counties. Mutual aid agreements are used daily and during
disasters by fire, law enforcement, health care, and other disciplines. SEMS
incorporates existing, and newly developed mutual aid systems.
The Incident Command System provides standardized procedures and
terminology, a unified command structure, a manageable span of control, and an
action planning process that identifies overall incident
response strategies. Within SEMS, the general concepts of the ICS are
translated to each level of the statewide response system--from a local field
incident to statewide coordination. This allows seamless
communication among all responding agencies and levels of government.

IV. ROUTE AND AREA CLOSURES

IS RESTRICTING TRAVEL ROUTES PERMITTED?

Q.
ROADS & HIGHWAYS.
A.
Under the police powers of the state and by statutory authority, emergency
General response and law enforcement agencies are empowered to close roads to general
Concept traffic under the authority of the police powers.

Because the state has preempted the entire field of traffic control, any right of a
local authority to interfere with the free flow of traffic, such as closing a street,
must be derived from an express delegation of authority from the Legislature.62

The same police power that allows for the closure of a road also imposes a duty
to allow the movement of people and property as soon as possible, because that
is the primary purpose of the roadway.63

Authorities:

62
Cal. Vehicle Code § 21; 75 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 80 (1992).
63
People v Uffindell (1949) 90 Cal. App. 2d Supp. 881, 883, 202 P.2d 874, 876.

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 • Police Power
• Vehicle Code
• Health and Safety Code
• Street and Highways Code

General rule A local legislative body having authority to adopt local police regulations may
close a street when the local authority that has jurisdiction determines it is
necessary for the safety and protection of persons using the street during the
closure.64 Signs must be posted at all entrances of the affected section before
the closure may take effect.65

64
78 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 65, fn. 2 (1995).
65
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 21103

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State The California Department of Transportation is statutorily authorized to restrict
Highways traffic or close any state highway whenever necessary for the protection of the
public or for protection of the highway during storms.66

Note: The Department of Transportation, sometimes referred to as “CalTrans,” often

performs traffic restrictions and road closures in conjunction with the Highway
Patrol. It is important to note that each agency has independent statutory
authority to close a state highway.

County The Board of Supervisors of a county may restrict traffic or close any county
Highways highway whenever the board determines those actions are necessary to protect
the public or to protect the highway from damage during a storm.67 The Board
of Supervisors may delegate their authority to the county road commissioner.68

66
Cal. Streets and Highways Code § 124.
67
Cal. Streets and Highways Code § 942.5
68
Cal. Streets and Highways Code § 942.6

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 The California Highway Patrol, police departments, and sheriff’s office may
close any highway to traffic if there is a threat to public health or safety caused
by dangerous substances.69 Additionally, the Highway Patrol may also restrict
Highway traffic or close down any highway if visibility poses a significant safety
Patrol hazard.70

WATERWAYS.

A state may exercise its police powers in regulating the use of navigable waters
within its borders in the absence of federal preemption.71 The California

69
Cal. Vehicle Code § 2812
70
Cal. Vehicle Code § 2812.5
71
80 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 311 (1997).

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 Department of Boating & Waterways is one state agency possessing authority to
close waterways during an emergency.72

Regulations that restrict or prohibit traveling on federally designated navigable

waterways normally are considered to be an infringement on the public’s rights.
However, in an emergency situation, reasonable regulations are permitted in the
interests of the safety and welfare of the public.73

The Department of Water Resources is vested with the authority to supervise

reservoirs as necessary to safeguard life and property. The Department also has
the power to take remedial measures necessary to protect the health, safety,

72
See Protocol for Closure of Delta Waterways, State of California, Office of Emergency Services, November
1997
73
45 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 122, 128 (1965)

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 convenience and welfare of the general public during times of extraordinary
stress and of disaster resulting from storms, floods, or where damage to
watershed lands by forest fires has created an imminent threat of floods or
damage.74
FIRES.

It is a criminal offense to disobey the lawful order of any firefighter or public

officer at a forest fire,75 or a firefighter in the course of his/her duties he/she is
protecting personnel or equipment.76

Roads or other areas may be closed to vehicle or conveyances to prevent

damage to firefighting apparatus or to prevent firefighting efforts from being
interfered with.77

74
Cal. Water Code §§ 128, 6100.
75
Cal. Pub. Res. Code § 4165(a).
76
Cal. Vehicle Code § 2801.
77
Cal. Pub. Res. Code § 4165(b), (e).

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 OFF SHORE.

The United States Coast Guard has exclusive jurisdiction over incidents
occurring at sea. The Coast Guard may also act in supporting roles to assist
other jurisdictions in inland or near shore responses.
AIRPORTS.

Congress’ whole purpose in creating the Federal Aviation Administration was

to promote safe air travel, and to protect the lives and property of people on
ground as well as air travelers.78 Further, Congress has impliedly preempted
state and territorial regulation of aviation safety because the nature of aviation
safety permits only one uniform system of regulation.79

78
NORML v. Mullen (1985) 796 F.2d 276.
79
United States Const., art. VI, cl. 2; 49 U.S.C § 40101 et seq.

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 Many airports have memorandums of understanding or similar instruments with
local public safety agencies for the purpose of providing rapid and efficient
response in the event of a disaster or an emergency.

National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board is the federal entity responsible for
investigating aviation crashes.80

80
49 U.S.C § 1101 et seq.

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 OFF-HIGHWAY AREAS

In order to protect natural resources, among other reasons, the United States
Bureau of Land Management may temporarily prevent public use of federal
lands within the State of California.81

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED AREAS82

Local law enforcement officers may restrict entry to an area damaged by an

81
63 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 115 (1980).
82
67 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 535 (1984).

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 earthquake while a threat exists to the public health and safety, as determined on
a case by case basis. However, media representatives may not be denied access
to the area.

NUCLEAR INCIDENTS83

State law is the primary authority relating to precautionary evacuations due to a

nuclear incident. Reimbursement for evacuation costs under the Price-
Anderson act requires that the evacuation be authorized by State law, and be
necessary to protect public health and safety.84

83
See generally, Price-Anderson Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq.
84
42 U.S.C. §§ 2014(w), (gg), 2210(q).

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Q. WHAT IS THE AUTHORITY FOR CLOSING PUBLIC BEACHES?

A. Authorities:
• Police Power
• Health and Safety Code § 115885
• Penal Code § 409.5

The local health officer may restrict the use of, or close all or a portion of a

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 public beach if they find violations of department standards exist. The health
officer must inform the agency responsible for the beach within 24 hours of a
closure or restriction.85

In the event of an untreated sewage release adjacent to a public beach, the local
health officer shall close the beach and waters until the area is within safe
standards.86
V. EVACUATIONS
For the purpose of this guideline, an evacuation is considered a control on the
movement of people and their property. An evacuation may be a voluntary

85
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 115880, 115885.
86
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 115880, 115885.

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 evacuation, where the governing body recommends but does not require the
evacuation of an area. Alternately, an evacuation may be mandatory, where the
governing body determines that under its police power it can require the citizens
of an area to leave that area in order to protect life, safety, or the general welfare
of the population during an emergency. In either event, an evacuation is best
ordered pursuant to either statutory authority or the Emergency Services Act.

Penal Code § Section 409.5 provides that specified law enforcement officers may close or
409.5 restrict access to an area in the event of a disaster. This is the most common
method used to initially order an evacuation, and is usually used prior to a
resolution by the local governing body.

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Penal Code Penal Code Section 409.6 provides law enforcement officers with the same
§409.6 powers as allowed under § 409.5, however, § 409.6 expressly allows the use of
reasonable force to remove an unauthorized person from a closed avalanche
area.

Issues Instead of forcibly removing persons from an area ordered evacuated, many
jurisdictions merely warn the person and either have them sign a release of
liability or fully document the notice given and the citizen’s refusal to leave.
There are potential problems with this method, such as questions of whether

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 “duress” could be construed when a citizen signs the release under emergency
conditions, and whether a mere waiver is adequate to relieve the governing
body of its obligation under the police powers of the state.

Alternative An alternative to the use of a signed waiver would be to have

an officer order an evacuation. This would permit the officer
to arrest that person under Penal Code § 148 or § 148.2.

Another Occasionally a person may refuse to evacuate an area, and may advise others to
Alternative do the same. Under some circumstances, that person may be subject to arrest
for violation of criminal statutes such as child endangerment, cruelty to animals,
suicide, and others.87

87
Cal. Penal Code §§ 273a, 273d, 401, 597.

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Q. ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES TO EVACUATING UNDER § 409.5?

A. The local governing body may impose voluntary or mandatory evacuation

orders pursuant to their police powers. The preferred practice is to proclaim a
local emergency under provisions of the Emergency Services Act and then issue
any evacuation order pursuant to that authority.

Q. WHAT ARE THE MEANS FOR IMPOSING A MANDATORY

EVACUATION?

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A. There are four different means for imposing a mandatory evacuation.

Penal Code Penal Code section 409.5 authorizes officers of the highway patrol, police
§ 409.5 departments, marshal’s office or sheriff’s office and certain other statutorily
designated law enforcement officers to close an area whenever there is a
menace to public health or safety.

Although section 409.5 is often utilized during emergencies, it is not clear

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 whether it authorizes law enforcement to remove persons who were within the
area prior to its closure. Further, only those officers specifically named in the
statute may enforce it.

Penal Code Penal Code section 409.6 authorizes officers of the highway patrol, police
§ 409.6 departments, marshal’s office or sheriff’s office and certain other statutorily
designated law enforcement officers to close an area whenever there is a
menace to public health or safety caused by an avalanche or the potential for an
avalanche.

Section 409.6 expressly provides for the use of reasonable force to remove

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 persons from an area that has been ordered closed pursuant to section 409.6.

State of local Even though a local governing body has inherent policy powers to protect the
emergency health and safety of its people, Government Code § 8558(c) and § 8630
authorize the local governing body to proclaim a “state of local emergency”
pursuant to the Emergency Services Act.

When a “state of local emergency” has been proclaimed, the local governing
body may issue orders and regulations “necessary to provide for the protection
of life and property.”88 An order for mandatory evacuation would be authorized
under that section. Failure to comply with such an order is a misdemeanor
providing imprisonment for up to six months and/ or a fine of up to $1,000.89

88
Cal. Govt. Code § 8634.
89
Cal. Govt. Code § 8665.

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 The advantage of this approach is that local control and coordination are
maintained.

Although the police power are primarily legislative, a governing body of a

Enacting local political subdivision is not required to promulgate specific rules or ordinances
ordinances to be enacted prior to a particular incident. The reason for this is twofold: First,
it is neither practical or possible to envision every type of incident that would
require a restriction on the movement of people or property. Second, the
proclamation of an emergency by the local governing body allows for flexibility
in enacting rules. For example, an official designated by the governing body

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 may proclaim a local emergency, after which it does not need to be ratified by
the governing body for seven days.90

If the local governing body wishes to empower a particular official with the
authority to proclaim an emergency, this should be done by ordinance prior to a
potential emergency. This provides for a smoother transition than would
otherwise normally exist under emergency circumstances.

In preparation for an emergency response, a governing body could adopt, by

ordinance, emergency standby orders for evacuations, quarantines, curfews and
other restrictions on the right to travel. These ordinances may be drafted to

90
Cal. Govt. Code § 8630.

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become effective upon the proclamation of a local emergency.

One advantage offered by this method is that the appropriate authorities will
immediately be empowered to act upon the proclamation of a local emergency,
reducing response time, and allowing for pre-planning of an emergency
response.

Example: For example, the local governing body can, by emergency

standby order, authorize the local director of emergency
services to evacuate or close areas under certain conditions.
In the emergency standby order the local governing body
would specify who they have designated to act on their

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 behalf, and what that person’s authority is.

If the governing body operates under an ordinance when no local emergency

has been proclaimed, the ordinance may be deemed by the courts as
complementing Penal Code § 409.5 rather than the Emergency Services Act,
and consequently limit the immunities afforded by the Emergency Services
Act.91

State of The Governor may proclaim a “state of emergency.”92 During a “state of

Emergency emergency” the Governor has complete authority over all state agencies and the
right to exercise all police powers vested in the State, including the issuance of
such orders and regulations as deemed necessary.”93

The Governor may also amend or rescind existing orders and regulations.94 The
Governor may suspend any regulatory statute, any statute prescribing the
procedure for conducting state business, or the orders, rules, or regulations of
any state agency.

Local public officials and employees are required to render all possible
assistance to the Governor during a “state of emergency.”95 The ordinances,
orders, and regulations of a political subdivision continue in effect during a state
of emergency unless suspended or superseded by an order issued by the
Governor.96

Thus, the Governor may choose to either assume responsibility for the issuance
of mandatory evacuation orders or abide by the mandatory evacuation orders
issued by the affected political subdivision.

Proclaim If a governing body issues a local proclamation of emergency, it is preferable to

early issue the proclamation at the earliest possible time since this will authorize the
local governing body to issue “orders and regulations necessary to provide for
the protection of life and property.”97

Note: Review the city charter to determine what powers the local
government possesses. The city may already have
independent powers to take certain emergency response
actions, providing that those actions do not conflict with any
state statutes.

91
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8655 et. seq.
92
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8558(b), 8625.
93
Cal. Govt. Code §§8567, 8627, 8627.5, 8628.
94
Cal. Govt. Code § 8567.
95
Cal. Govt. Code § 8614.
96
Cal. Govt. Code § 8614.
97
Cal. Govt. Code § 8634.

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Ordinances Local ordinances remain in effect even if a “State of Emergency” is proclaimed
remain in by the Governor unless the Governor orders the local ordinance suspended or
effect superseded.98 The Governor may permit local governing bodies to continue to
exercise their emergency powers and to issue orders and regulations even
though a “State of Emergency” is proclaimed.

VI. CURFEWS
For the purpose of this guideline, a curfew is a restriction on movement of
persons or property based on time of day factors. Usually restrictions on the
freedom to travel in public areas are considered intrusions by the state that are
protected against by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.99
However, the government may limit an individual’s freedom under exigent
circumstances if necessary to promote the general public’s safety. For example,
an insurrection or riot is an instance where the government’s interest in safety
outweighs a person’s right to assemble, speak or travel in public areas as long as
the imminent peril of violence exists.100

Curfews may also be justified after natural or manmade disasters for other
public safety reasons:

• Imminent threat of violence,

• Protecting the health of citizens,
• Protecting private property,
• Protecting government services,
• other interests relating to public welfare during or following a disaster.

Q. ARE THERE CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS WITH CURFEWS?

A. There are several immediate Constitutional concerns. For example, because a

curfew imposes restrictions on the time, place, and manner in which speech may
be exercised, discretionary determinations by a public official of who may be
heard or not heard encourages censorship and discrimination, and is
constitutionally suspect.101

Further, there is judicial concern that “…unless there is a genuine emergency, a

curfew aimed at all citizens could not survive constitutional scrutiny.”102

Citywide or countywide curfew laws enacted or promulgated at a time of riot or

civil disorder have been held valid, as against various
constitutional objections.103

98
Cal. Govt. Code § 8614(c).
99
Papachristou v. Jacksonville, (1972), 405 U.S. 156.
100
In re Juan C. (1994) 28 Cal. App. 4th 1093, 1101, 33 Cal. Rptr. 2d 919, 923.
101
In re Juan C. (1994) 28 Cal. App. 4th 1093, 1099.
102
Bykofsky v. Borough of Middletown (1976) 429 U.S. 964, 965 cert. denied (dissent Justices Marshall and
Brennan)
103
United States v Chalk (4th Cir. 1971) 441 F. 2d 1277. cert. denied 404 U.S. 943.

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Q. WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ORDER A CURFEW?

A. There are several statutory authorities that expressly allow for the
implementation of a curfew. These authorities are in addition to the inherent
police powers delegated to the local political subdivisions by the state
legislature.104

EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT.

The Emergency Services Act provides that during a local emergency, the local

104
Cal. Govt. Code § 8634.

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 government, or a designated agent, may impose a curfew. Additionally, the
Governor has the authority to exercise “all police powers vested in the State…”,
which would include the power to order a curfew.105

“During a local emergency the governing body of a political subdivision, or

Govt. Code officials designated thereby, may promulgate orders or regulations necessary to
§ 8634 provide for the protection of life and property, including orders or regulations
imposing a curfew within designated boundaries where necessary to preserve
the public order and safety.”

Under § 8634 of the Emergency Services Act, there are three sources of a
curfew proclamation. These sources include: the local governing body, an
official designated by the local governing body, or the Governor.

105
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8567(a), 8627.

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 Local Governing Body

A local governing body is the legislative body, trustees, or directors of any city,
city and county, county, district, or other local government agency or public
agency authorized by law.106

The local governing body may order a curfew, after a local emergency has been
proclaimed, if the curfew is necessary to preserve public order and safety.

Designated Official

The designated official should be determined by an ordinance adopted by the

local governing body.107 The designated official of the local governing body

106
Cal. Govt. Code § 8557(c), (d).
107
Cal. Govt. Code § 8630.

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usually means the mayor, city manager, or other person whose chief function is
the administration of an area. Depending upon the particular circumstances of
the situation, power may be vested in an officer of a law enforcement agency,
fire suppression agency, or health department.

The designated official of the local governing body may order a curfew after a
local emergency has been proclaimed, if the curfew is necessary to preserve
public order and safety.

Governor

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 The Governor has the authority to make, amend, and rescind regulations. The
Governor has the power to impose a curfew if necessary to carry out the
provisions of the Emergency Services Act.

During a state of emergency, the Governor has complete authority over all of
the state government and the right to exercise all police powers of the state.108
The Governor has the authority to make, amend, or rescind a curfew initiated by
a local government under a local emergency, because a local government’s
authority flows from the state. California Govt. Code § 8627 vests all of the
state’s police power in the Governor during a state of emergency.

108
Cal. Govt. Code § 8627.

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 All local governments must “follow the lawful orders of the Governor” during a
“state of emergency,” as well as during a “state of war emergency.”

“The Governor is [ ] empowered to proclaim a state of emergency in an area

affected or likely to be affected thereby when...he finds that local authority is
inadequate to cope with the emergency.”109 This indicates that the Governor
can determine when an emergency is or is likely to be “beyond the control of
the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any county, city and county,
or city and requires the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to
combat...”110

Additionally, the Governor also has the authority to make, amend and rescind
orders and regulations to carry out the provisions of the California Emergency
Services Act.111 Under this section, there are no restrictions limiting the

109
Cal. Govt. Code § 8625(a).
110
Cal. Govt. Code § 8558(b).
111
Cal. Govt. Code § 8567(a).

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 Governor’s authority over local jurisdictions to “state of war emergency.”

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.

Department of Health Services

Health & The department of Health Services may take measures as necessary to
Safety determine the nature of any contagious, infectious, or communicable disease
§ 120140 and prevent the disease from spreading. Additionally, the department may take
possession or control of any living person.

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 Because of the various methods of spreading disease, it is possible that a curfew
might become necessary. It may become necessary to enforce a curfew to
prevent the unnecessary spread of a disease to surrounding regions.

Q. HOW IS A CURFEW ORDERED?

A. A curfew is allowed as a function of the state’s police power. Because of the

tenuous relationship between a curfew and restrictions on a person’s
constitutional rights, the ordering of a curfew on a local level should be done by
legislation.

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 For local governments, an emergency curfew may be imposed following the
proclamation of a local emergency, since this offers increased protection from
liability, in addition to express statutory authorization under Govt. Code § 8634.
A curfew may be ordered under circumstances other than those in the
Emergency Services Act.112

A curfew on a state level should be imposed by the Governor following

proclamation of a state of emergency, or a state of war emergency. Exceptions
to this would be when the exigency of the potential problem to be avoided or
alleviated would make it necessary for an interim curfew to be imposed prior to

112
Cal. Govt. Code § 8634.

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 the Governor’s proclamation of a curfew.

EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT REQUIREMENTS

Must be A curfew must be in writing. This includes all orders and regulations regarding
written the curfew, and amendments to the original curfew. Additionally, when the
curfew restriction is lifted, the rescission of the curfew must also be in
writing.113

Must provide An additional requirement of a curfew order is that the orders and regulations
widespread concerning the curfew must be given “widespread publicity and notice.”114

113
Cal. Govt. Code § 8634.
114
Cal. Govt. Code § 8634.

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publicity
Methods of notice should include local media. Care should be used to ascertain
Note: if alternative methods are necessary due to power outages, or other exigent
circumstances.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (CASE-LAW)

Careful Because restricting a person’s freedom to travel is such an important concept in

Drafting our society, a curfew must be carefully drafted to avoid later constitutional and
due process claims.

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 During a local emergency, the county, city or city and county may impose a
curfew within a designated boundary to preserve public order and safety.

Must not be For an emergency curfew regulation to withstand a facial vagueness challenge
vague under the due process clause, there are two basic requirements:

1. NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC.

The statute or regulation must be sufficiently definite to provide adequate notice

of conduct proscribed.115

115
People v Richardson (1994) 33 Cal. App. 4th Supp. 11.

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 2. CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENFORCEMENT.

The regulation must provide sufficiently definite guidelines for the police in
order to prevent arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.116 In other words,
concern that law enforcement might exercise their discretion in an unlawful
manner, such as based on a person’s race or economic status, would render an
otherwise well defined statute unconstitutionally vague.117 Concern would be
caused on a showing of evidence that the curfew law was discriminatorily or
arbitrarily enforced.118

A regulation is not unconstitutionally vague merely because an officer can,

when presented with probable cause, exercise his discretion and decide whether
or not to arrest someone.119

116
Id.
117
People v. Superior Court (1998) 46 Cal. 3d 381, 397-398.
118
People v Richardson (1994) 33 Cal. App. 4th Supp. 11, 17.
119
People v Monroe (1993) 12 Cal. App. 4th 1174, 1193.

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Explanation:

Legislation Because some persons and activities are required and necessary during a
should not be curfew, such as police activity, firefighting, media reporting, these categories
inclusive should be specified. However, if an inclusive list is created, the curfew might
be found to be unconstitutional because of people that have good cause to be on
the streets are not included in the list of examples, such as homeless people.

Q. HOW SHOULD THE CURFEW ORDER BE DRAFTED?

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A. While the Emergency Services Act does not provide any requirements in excess
of those listed in Govt. Code § 8634, general rules derived from non ESA
curfews should be used for guidance.

First, the curfew order must be carefully drafted to prevent being invalidated or
later found to be unconstitutional.

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 Narrow Emphasis

Because a curfew significantly interferes with a person’s protection under the

14th amendment, the State or the local political subdivision that is responsible
for promulgating the curfew regulations must be able to demonstrate that the
curfew order is “narrowly drawn” to further a “compelling state interest,” which
would presumably be the health, safety, or general welfare of the affected
citizens.120

A curfew may be deemed unconstitutional on the face of the document if it

seeks to prohibit “an overly broad range” of constitutionally protected
conduct.121

120
Roe v. Wade (1973) 410 U.S. 113, 155-156.
121
In re Juan C. (1994) 28 Cal. App. 4th 1093, 1100.

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 Suggested Practice: Specify the emergency or possible problem that the curfew
is being imposed to prevent or decrease. Do not attempt to solve subsidiary or
ancillary problems that are not the specific target of the proposed curfew. An
emergency curfew should only be ordered when there is a heightened need to
protect the public health, safety, or to protect the constitutional rights of
citizens.122

122
See generally, In re Juan C. (1994) 28 Cal. App. 4th 1093.

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 Clear Language

Second, the order should clearly describe what conduct is to be prohibited, and
must sufficiently define the offense so that ordinary people can understand the
order.123 The language of the curfew order should clearly define:

• The action sought to be prohibited:

• The people affected by the order,
• The geographic area where the curfew is in effect,
• The excepted classes of people, (public safety),

123
Nunez v. City of San Diego (9th Cir. 1997) 114 F.3d 935.

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 • The dates and time of the curfew, including beginning and
ending dates,
• The instructions for enforcement that will be given to law enforcement
agencies

• The conditions under which a person will be prosecuted for a violation of

the curfew
• That the curfew is mandatory

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Suggested Practice: Avoid use of gratuitous “legalese” when drafting curfew
orders. Use concise and specific language when describing the restricted area.
Use language that is readily understood by the majority of the population,
consider the educational level of the population sought to be restrained. The
curfew order should “speak for itself” and it is advisable to avoid public
comment that could be considered contradictory of the curfew order.

For example, when describing a boundary, use “the area bounded by the
Caldera river on the south, H street on the north, 22nd street on the east, and 47th
street on the west”, rather than “The Hollyhock neighborhood.”

When describing the restrictions of time, do not use military time such as “1800

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 hours through 0600”, rather use the measurements used by the general
population: “From Six O’clock, Friday night, to Six O’clock, Saturday
Morning.

Enforcement Standards

Third, the curfew order should provide definite standards concerning

enforcement of the curfew. These standards must permit law enforcement to
enforce the law in a nonarbitrary, nondiscriminatory manner.124

To prevent claims of discrimination or censorship, a “blanket” curfew should be

imposed. A curfew that covers all segments of the population except for those

124
Nunez v. City of San Diego (9th Cir. 1997) 114 F.3d 935.

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 necessary to preserve order or extinguish fires “falls into [the] category of
systematic, consistent, and just order of treatment” especially with reference to
presence on streets or highways.125

Designated Boundary

The boundary must be clearly defined in order to allow for adequate notice of
expected conduct.

VII. QUARANTINES

125
In re Juan C. (1994) 28 Cal. App. 4th 1093, 1100.

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Duties and In order to understand the duties and responsibilities that arise prior to and
Responsib- during a quarantine, one must first review the relationships between the
ilities restriction of personal freedom compared with the health, safety, and welfare of
the public in general.

For the purposes of these guidelines, “quarantine” is the prevention or

restriction of movement of persons or property for the purposes of protecting
public health.126

Q. IS A QUARANTINE CONSTITUTIONAL?

126
Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 17, § 2500 (similar definition).

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A. The quarantine of persons or property is a power allowed the states under the
Constitution.127 A quarantine remains constitutional even if it affects foreign
and domestic commerce.128

Even though the right to travel within the United States is constitutionally
protected, that right may be limited when a community’s safety and welfare is
threatened because of disease.129

Q. WHAT ARE THE LEGAL AUTHORITIES FOR A QUARANTINE?

127
Morgan’s L. & T.R. & S.S. Co. v. Bd. of Health (1886) 118 U.S. 455; Compagnie Francaise de Navigation a
Vapeur v. State Bd. of Health (1902) 186 U.S. 380.
128
Compagnie Francaise de Navigation a Vapeur v. State Bd. of Health (1902) 186 U.S. 380.
129
In Re Juan C. (1994) 28 Cal. App. 4th 1093; United States Const., amdts. I, V, XIV.

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A. The primary authorities cited in this document include the following: The
United States Constitution, Health and Safety Code, Food and Agriculture
Code, Harbors and Navigation Code, and case law. The legal bases for
establishing, maintaining and enforcing a quarantine vary depending on the
specific threat, and are discussed accordingly.

For the purposes of these guidelines, discussion is limited to state law

authorities.

Q. WHY ESTABLISH A QUARANTINE?

A. The state of California has a duty to take all necessary steps for the promotion
and protection of the health of its citizens, and may take actions to achieve that
goal.130

A quarantine could also be established to enforce regulations regarding:

• Contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases;131

• Sexually transmitted diseases;132
• A disease detrimental to the animal industry;133
• Hazardous waste;134

Q. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ORDERING A QUARANTINE?

A. Generally, health officers are responsible for a threat to the human population,
while agricultural officials are responsible for threats to agriculture or
commerce.

Q. WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO ORDER A QUARANTINE?

A. Which official has authority to order a quarantine depends upon whether the
danger is a threat to agriculture or commerce, or a threat to the human
population.

Generally, health officials have the power to “quarantine, isolate, inspect, and
disinfect persons, animals, houses, rooms, other property, places, cities or
localities.”135 Agricultural officials have similar powers and may also establish
130
Patrick v. Riley (1930) 209 Cal. 350.
131
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120175.
132
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120585.
133
Cal. Food & Agric. Code §§ 9568-9569(a).
134
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 25187.6.

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 quarantines that affect people movement as well as commerce. Because of the
overlap in authority, they will be discussed together.

Specific examples of statutorily authorized persons who may order a quarantine

are discussed below. They include:

• The state Department of Health Services;

• The county health officer, under the direction of the Department of Health
Services;
• The director of the department of Food and Agriculture;
• The county veterinarian;136
• The board of health or the health officer of a county that has commercial
access to the ocean;137
• Governor.138

Other agencies or personnel may also be authorized under the “police powers”
of the state to enforce regulations to protect the public health and the public
safety.139

Duration of a Once a quarantine is ordered, it remains until all affected property is treated or
quarantine destroyed, and until all isolated persons are considered noninfectious.140

A. COUNTIES & CITIES.

Health Officers and Health Boards

135
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120145.
136
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 2343.
137
Cal. Harb. & Nav. Code § 4160.
138
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 9572.
139
Henning Jacobsen v. Commw. of Massachusetts (1905) 197 U.S. 11.
140
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120235.

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 Authorities:

• “Health Officer” refers to county, city, and district health officers, and city
and district health boards, except for advisory boards.141

• The health officer shall take measures to control the spread or further
occurrence of any contagious, infectious, or communicable disease that he
is aware of.142

• The health officer may inspect any place or person when necessary to
enforce health regulations.143

• After being informed of the need for quarantine to isolate diseases, the
health officer shall ensure the adequacy of isolation and determine
procedures for the premises and contacts.144

Limitations on In some instances where the health officer has determined that
Authority a quarantine is necessary, the officer may be required to
receive approval from the Department of Health Services prior
to establishing a quarantine zone.145

County Veterinarian

Authorities:

• The county veterinarian may establish such quarantine regulations as he

deems necessary.146

Limitations of “A quarantine shall not be established by one county or city against another
County county or city on account of the existence of any disease of domestic animals
Officials without the written consent of the director [of Department of Health
Services].”147

A. STATE.

141
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120100.
142
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120175.
143
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120585.
144
Cal. Health & Safety Code §120215, (a), (b).
145
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120200, 120210(a), 120210(b), 120215, 120135, 120415.
146
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 5763.
147
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 9573.

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 Department of Health Services

Authorities:

• The functions and duties of the Department of Health are to quarantine,

isolate, inspect, and disinfect persons, animals, houses, rooms, or other
property, places, cities, or localities, whenever it deems it necessary to
protect or preserve the public health.148

• Department of Health Services promulgates general and specific rules

regarding quarantine and disinfection of persons and property, and may
require the local health officer to enforce the regulations;149

148
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120145.
149
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120210(a).

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 Department of Food and Agriculture

Authorities:

• The Director of the Department of Food and Agriculture may summarily

disinfect, remove, destroy, or take any other action thought necessary to
eradicate a public nuisance.150

• The director may establish and enforce quarantine regulations to protect the
agricultural industry from pests.151

150
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 5763.
151
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 5301.

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 • The director shall set a quarantine district upon discovery of an infectious
disease deemed detrimental to the animal industry.152

• The Director may restrict movement of persons, vehicles and commodities

from entering or leaving the quarantine district.153

Governor

Authorities:

152
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 9568.
153
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 9569(a).

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 • The Governor may proclaim quarantine regulations which apply to any state
or country and the animals or diseases from that region.154

• The Emergency Services Act

Q. WHAT ACTIONS ARE STATUTORILY AUTHORIZED?

A. The local health officer may be authorized by the Department of Health

Services to protect or preserve the public health. A city health officer is
authorized to enforce local, state, and federal regulations concerning the public
health.155

154
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 9572.
155
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 101470.

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The director of the Department of Food and Agriculture may also impose
quarantine measures. These measures include:

• Preventing or restricting persons from entering or leaving a quarantined

area;
• Preventing or restricting movement of vehicles, commodities, household
goods, and animals from entering or leaving a quarantined area;
• Preventing or restricting direct communication between persons under the
quarantine and those not affected;

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 • Disinfecting of persons, animals, houses or rooms;
• Destruction of beddings, carpets, household goods, furnishings, materials,
clothing, or animals when disinfecting would be unsafe;
• Any other action considered necessary to eradicate a public nuisance;
• Any other action considered necessary to prevent spread or additional
occurrences of a disease;
• Any other action necessary to preserve the public health.

Q. WHAT ARE THE OBLIGATIONS OF CITIZENS UNDER

QUARANTINE?

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A. A person lawfully placed in quarantine by health authorities is obligated to stay
within the prescribed bounds, whether guarded or not.156 Persons who fail to
follow rules, regulations or orders authorized by the Department of Health are
guilty of a misdemeanor.157

It is unlawful for any person to violate any quarantine order which regulates,
restricts, or restrains the movement of persons, vehicles, farm equipment, farm
and dairy products, into from, or from place to place within a quarantined
district, area, or premises.158

156
In Re Vaughan (1922) 189 Cal. 491; Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120225.
157
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120275.
158
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 9698.

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Q. WHAT POWER DOES LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE WITH RESPECT
TO QUARANTINES?

A. Govt. Code § “The state may imprison or confine for the protection of the
202 public peace or health or of individual life or safety.”

Health & To determine the nature of a disease, and to prevent its spread,
Safety Code the Department of Health Services may take possession or

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§ 120140 control of the body of any living person.

Penal Code Allows closing of an area because of an emergency. Describes

§ 409.5 power that is granted to certain law enforcement groups.

VIII. RIOTS / UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY

Even though the first amendment of the Constitution expressly provides the

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right to peaceably assemble and the freedom of speech, police powers and
public policy define limitations to the exercise of the rights.

1st Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of

United States. religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
Constitution abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right
of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.”

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 There are three activities which fall under the general description of riots or
unlawful assembly:
• Riots
• Routs
• Unlawful Assembly

Q. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A RIOT?

A. PENAL CODE § 404(a)

This section defines what actions are statutorily required in order for the actions
of individuals to constitute a riot. The purpose of this definition allows for
officers to control any wilful and malicious obstruction of the citizens’ free use
of a public way.159

In order to establish the existence of a riot, the following conditions must be

met:
• Two or more persons acting together,
• disturbing the public peace,
• without authority of law,
• use of any force or violence, or threat and immediate capability
of force or violence.
Note: Disturbance of public peace extends even to any place of confinement, such as
prisons, jails, work camps, and juvenile ranches.160

Q. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A ROUT?

A. PENAL CODE § 406

This section defines a “rout” as the joint actions of two or more persons in any
attempt to advance toward the commission of an act that would constitute a riot.

For example, member of demonstration warned to disperse that threw rocks at

officers was found guilty of rout.161 Because actions of one member of an
assembly may cause or compel another person to act in concert to create a
public nuisance, this attempt is defined as a “rout.”

Q. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF AN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY?

A. PENAL CODE § 407

159
Rees v. City of Palm Springs (1961) 10 Cal. Rptr. 386.
160
Cal. Penal Code § 404(b).
161
In re Wagner (1981) 119 Cal. App. 3d 90.

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 An unlawful assembly occurs whenever two or more persons assemble together
to do a lawful act in a violent, boisterous, or tumultuous manner, such assembly
is an unlawful assembly.

A person is considered to take part in an unlawful assembly by “knowingly

joining or remaining with the group after it has become unlawful.”162

Q. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES THAT ARISE DURING A RIOT, ROUT, OR

UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY?

A. The governing body of the affected town or city, the town justices, or the county
sheriff must command the assembled persons to disperse.

162
In re Wagner (1981)119 Cal. App. 3d 90, 104.

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Penal Code § “Where any number of persons, whether armed or not, are unlawfully or
726 riotously assembled, the sheriff of the county and his or her deputies, the
officials governing the town or city, or the judges of the justice courts, or any of
them, must go among the persons assemble, or as near to them as possible, and
command them, in the name of the people of the state, immediately to disperse.”

Note: Penal Code § 726 includes police officers among those that are required to order
unlawfully or riotously assembled persons to disperse.163 This means that law
enforcement officers may arrest persons without giving the § 726 dispersal
command, however, those persons may not be charged with a violation of § 409

163
People v. Sklar (1930) 111 Cal. App. Supp. 776.

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 because no dispersal command had been given.

Dispersal The courts have interpreted that the requirement to “go among the persons
command unlawfully or riotously assembled and command them to disperse” is satisfied
must be heard when delivered from an amplification device on a police helicopter flying over
the area in such a manner as to reasonably assure that the persons involved
heard the command.164

This section does not apply to Penal Codes § 415 or § 416 regarding
disturbances of the peace.165
Penal Code §
727 TO ARREST RIOTERS IF THEY DO NOT DISPERSE. If the assembled
persons do not immediately disperse, they must be arrested. Any person present
at the riot or within that county may be commanded to assist in the arrests.

Q. WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF FAILING TO ORDER A

DISPERSAL?

A. Magistrates or officers having knowledge of an unlawful or riotous assembly

that neglect to command the people to disperse or to exercise their vested
authority in suppressing or arresting the offenders are guilty of a
misdemeanor.166

Q. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE CITIZENS?

A. It is the duty of citizens to obey the commands that a peace officer gives in the
line of duty. A purported rioter may not use alleged unlawful attacks as a
defense for not obeying the otherwise lawful order of a peace officer. This is
because a citizen’s recourse is in the courts, as opposed to open resistance.167

Persons to aid Additionally, if requested, all persons present or within the county must aid the
in the magistrates or officers in arresting rioters who do not immediately disperse.168
dispersal
Q. WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING A
DISPERSAL ORDER?

A. Penal Code § 409

Every person remaining present at the place of any riot, rout, or unlawful
assembly, after the same has been lawfully warned to disperse, except public
officers and persons assisting them in attempting to disperse the same, is guilty

164
People v. Cipriani (1971) 95 Cal. Rptr. 722.
165
People v. Anderson (1931) 117 Cal. App. Supp. 763.
166
Cal. Penal Code § 410.
167
People v. Yuen (1939) 32 Cal. App. 2d 151, cert. denied 60 S.Ct. 115; Cal. Penal Code § 416.
168
Cal. Penal Code § 727.

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 of a misdemeanor.
Q. IS THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE PERMITTED TO RESTRICT
RIOTERS?

A. By Public Safety Officers

Public officers and those acting under their command for aid and assistance are
allowed to use deadly force in the discharge of a legal duty.169

By the General Public

Homicide is justifiable when committed against a person who manifestly

intends and endeavors, in a riotous manner, to enter the habitation of another for
the purpose of committing violence on a person inside that habitation.170

IX. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

Hazardous material incidents may occur without warning at any location in
California and may often appear at unexpected places. For example, residue
from illegal pharmaceutical enterprises are often discarded in public areas such
as parks or rivers, further increasing the chance of exposure to the general
population or environmental damage.

Hazardous material incidents often occur along transportation routes such as

railroads, highways, and waterways. The vast quantities and types of chemicals
transported pose a major threat of exposure to the general public traveling and
living near transportation routes.

When a hazardous situation endangers the public, two primary options are
available to emergency responders:171

1. Evacuation, or
2. Sheltering-in-place.

Use of the Hazardous Materials Incident Contingency Plan along with this
guideline is recommended. Legal authorities providing for evacuation of
persons in a potentially dangerous area may be accomplished through use of the
evacuation authorities provided in Section II of this guideline, “Duties,
Responsibilities & Powers,” specifically the powers that law enforcement has
relative to evacuations. Similarly, the “Quarantine” section may provide
guidance for certain types of evacuations, as well as providing some authority
for “sheltering-in-place.”

Q. WHAT CONSTITUTES A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENT?

169
Cal. Penal Code § 196.
170
Cal. Penal Code § 197.
171
Hazardous Materials Incident Contingency Plan, Attachment 7, Draft Version (April, 1999).

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A. Generally a release, or threatened release, of hazardous materials that could
threaten public health and safety is considered a hazardous material incident.
This includes the discharge or threatened discharge of substances and materials
designated as hazardous by the United States Department of Transportation for
the purposes of Parts 172, 173, and 177 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. For the purposes of this document, the guidelines presented are
not intended to address problems associated with non-hazardous or long-term
non-emergency site mitigation.

Also included in the category of an acute release of hazardous material are oil
spills and radiological incidents because of their adverse impacts on public
health and the environment. Because of the unique technical requirements,
policy considerations, and national security issues that surround these materials,
planning issues are usually covered under a separate plan.

Q. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL

INCIDENT?

A. The person with custodial responsibilities for the material is usually the
responsible party, and is ultimately responsible for abating the release or
threatened release of the material, damage to the public health, and
environmental concerns.172

First Responders, such as Sheriff, Police, or Fire Departments have the authority
to begin initial emergency procedures as necessary, such as evacuating the area,
quarantining the area, or closing down the transportation route.173

Following the initial emergency response, many governmental agencies may

also have concurrent responsibility and authority to control and mitigate
damage. Additionally, most of these agencies provide information necessary
for the Incident Commander to decide whether restrictions on movement of
people or property should be implemented.174

The Incident Commander or Unified Command will generally make the

decision whether to evacuate based on technical advice provided from public
health officers, technicians, or other qualified personnel.

“All state agencies shall use SEMS to coordinate multiple jurisdiction or

multiple agency emergency and disaster operations.”175 In order for local
Use of SEMS governments to be eligible for partial reimbursement of response costs, SEMS
required must be utilized when responding to an incident.176

Hazardous Material Incidents often involve jurisdiction or technical expertise of

172
Hazmat Contingency Plan at 1-6.
173
Cal. Penal Code §§ 148.2, 409.3, 409.5; Cal. Health & Safety §§ 1798.6(c), 25187.6, Cal Govt. Code
§§22620-22623.
174
See e.g. Cal. Govt. Code § 8670.7 (authority over oil spills).
175
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 19 § 2443. See also Cal. Code. Regs., tit. 19 § 2407
176
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 19 §§ 2407, 2443. See also Cal. Code. Regs., tit. 19, § 2402(i) (defining “incident”).

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 various state and local agencies. Always refer to a current copy of the State
Hazardous Materials Incident Contingency Plan for information about the
various authorities.

X. TSUNAMIS / OFF SHORE INCIDENTS

A tsunami is a series of sea waves most commonly caused by an earthquake

beneath the sea floor. The waves can kill and injure people and cause great
property damage when they come ashore. Tsunamis can occur at any time of
day or night, under any and all weather conditions, and in all seasons. Areas
especially vulnerable to tsunamis are beaches open to the ocean, bay mouths or
tidal flats, and river delta areas.177

Further, the potential exists for the occurrence of either an airplane crash or a
ship disaster in the ocean or navigable waterways of the state that would give
cause for an immediate quarantine, evacuation, or decontamination of that area.

Q. WHAT IS THE TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE STATE?

A. California's territorial claims in the coastal channels and straits are limited to
three-mile belts off the mainland shore and surrounding the coastal islands.
This boundary is established for all purposes domestic, political and proprietary,
as between the federal and state government.178 For practical purposes,
whenever the jurisdiction is relevant to the operation of federal law, the
congressional delineation of the boundary will prevail over a conflicting state
assertion.

Even so, the State may enforce laws that are not in conflict with federal law in
adjacent waters of the State.179

Q. WHAT IS THE COAST GUARD’S RESPONSIBILITY?

A. The Coast Guard is permitted to render aid to persons, vessels, or aircraft on or

under waters within federal jurisdiction.180 The Coast Guard may also assist in
the protection of persons and property wherever and whenever it is feasible.

14 U.S.C. § 88 Saving Life and Property

(a) In order to render aid to distressed persons, vessels, and aircraft on or under
the high seas, and on and under the waters over which the United States has
jurisdiction and in order to render aid to persons and property imperiled by
flood, the Coast Guard may:

177
Tsunami! How To Survive the Hazard On California’s Coast, (1996) Cal. Off. Emerg. Serv.
178
People v. Weeren, (1980) 26 Cal. 3d 654; 43 U.S.C. § 1301 (Submerged Lands Act).
179
People v. Weeren, (1980) 26 Cal. 3d 654.
180
14 U.S.C. § 88.

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 (1) perform any and all acts necessary to rescue and aid persons and
protect and save property;

(b)(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Coast Guard may render aid to persons and
protect and save property at any time and at any place at which Coast Guard
facilities and personnel are available and can be effectively utilized.

(2) The Commandant shall make full use of all available and qualified
resources, including the Coast Guard Auxiliary and individuals licensed by the
Secretary pursuant to § 8904(b) of title 46 USC, in rendering aid under this
subsection in non emergency cases.

Authority over As far as may be necessary for the regulation of interstate and
navigable foreign commerce, the United States has the paramount right
waters to control the navigable waters within the several states.181

This means that the Federal government may regulate

navigable waters for the purpose of commerce, but that they
have no specific authority over non-navigable rivers, streams,
and lakes.

XI. DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Terrorism generally involves a violent act, or an act dangerous to human life, in

violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State, to intimidate
or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in
furtherance of political or social objectives.

The State of California and local governments exercise preeminent authority to

make decisions regarding the consequences of terrorism, including authority to
make decisions regarding protective actions of the community. This authority
will ordinarily rest with the incident commander and local emergency services
organization. State and federal governments provide assistance as required.

XII. POTENTIAL LIABILITIES AND IMMUNITIES

The potential for liability-related lawsuits exists for the responding emergency
agency, for public employees, and for impressed disaster workers. The two
primary sources of protection are the Emergency Services Act and the State
Tort Claims Act.

Q. WHAT PROTECTION IS OFFERED UNDER THE EMERGENCY

SERVICES ACT?

A. The majority of the actions discussed in this guideline may be executed under
the provisions of the Emergency Services Act.182 The primary reason that
181
Forestier v. Johnson (1912) 164 Cal. 24.

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 restrictions on the movement of people or property during an emergency should
be performed under the Emergency Services Act is because this will provide
greater immunity from liability than the State Tort Claims Act.183

The Emergency Services Act expressly grants immunity from liability based on
an agency’s actions during a proclaimed emergency:

“The state or its political subdivisions shall not be liable for any claims based
Government upon the exercise or performance, or the failure to exercise or perform, a
liability discretionary function or duty on the part of a state or local agency or any
employee of the state or its political subdivisions in carrying out the provisions
of this chapter.”184

Volunteer Government Code Section 8657 extends the immunities of the Emergency
liability Services Act to include disaster service workers (DSW) and persons impressed
into service during a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local
emergency.

Comparison The Emergency Services Act grants immunity for both discretionary and
between ESA ministerial duties, while the “Tort Claims Act” generally provides immunity
and Tort only for discretionary acts.185
Claim Act

Tort Claims In 1961, the California Supreme Court abrogated the doctrine of governmental
Act tort immunity.186 In response to that ruling, in 1963 the California legislature
enacted the “Tort Claims Act.”187

Defines The “Tort Claims Act” is the primary source for defining the
liability and liabilities and immunities of public entities and public
immunities employees. This guideline will briefly discuss the general
principles of the “Tort Claims Act.”

“Public For the purposes of the Tort Claims Act, a “public agency” is
Agency” defined as the State, the Regents of the University of
defined” California, a county, a city, a district, public authority, public
agency and any other political subdivision or public
corporation in the state.188
182
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 8550 et seq.
183
Cal. Govt. Code § 810 et seq.
184
Cal. Govt. Code § 8655.
185
Macias v. State of California (1995) 10 Cal. 4th 844.
186
Muskopf v. Corning Hospital District (1961) 55 Cal. 2d 211.
187
Cal. Govt. Code §§ 810 et seq.
188
Cal. Govt. Code § 811.2.

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 “Employee The term “employee” includes an officer, a judicial officer,
defined” an employee, or a servant, whether compensated or not, but
does not include an independent contractor.”189

Tort liability Even though Government Code § 815 appears to establish immunity of public
entities as the rule and liability as the exception, the courts generally have taken
the opposite approach.190 For example, statutes which impose tort liability in
general terms have been found to be applicable to public entities even though
public entities were not named.191 Nor is liability based upon contractual
arrangements affected.192

However, Government Code § 815(b) indicates that liabilities established under

the “Tort Claims Act” are subject to any statutory immunities, including
immunities created by statutes other than the “Tort Claims Act,” such as those
in the Emergency Services Act. For example, Government Code § 855.4
provides that neither a public entity nor its employees are liable for injury
resulting from a decision to perform or not perform any act to prevent disease or
to control the spread of the disease.193 However, this section probably does not
remove the responsibility that a governing body or an agency may have in the
event an area is proclaimed a diseased area, such as a rabies area.194

Q. WHAT PROTECTIONS DOES THE TORT CLAIMS ACT OFFER TO

PUBLIC ENTITIES WHEN AN EVACUATION IS NOT
ORDERED UNDER THE EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT?

A. Even though the “Tort Claims Act” is statutory in nature, the courts have
referred to common law and general principles of negligence. This approach
usually arises when determining an employee’s liability and the possible
vicarious immunity accorded the public entity employer.195

Circum- Even though the “Tort Claims Act” states that except as otherwise provided by
stances for statute, a public entity is not liable for an injury, whether the injury arises out of
liability an act or omission of the public entity, a public employee, or any other person,
the exceptions to immunity are numerous. Essentially, a public entity may be
liable under the following circumstances:

Act or omission Where there is a duty of care owed the injured party, a
reasonable reliance upon the performance of that duty and the
public employee’s act or omission would be the proximate
cause of injury so that such act or omission
would make the employee personally liable. When viewed
189
Cal. Govt. Code § 810.2
190
Ramos v. County of Madera (1971) 4 Cal. 3d 685, 692.
191
Levine v. City of Los Angeles (1977) 68 Cal. App. 3d 481, 487.
192
Aubry v. Tri-City Hospital District (1992) 2 Cal. 4th 962.
193
Cal. Govt. Code § 855.4.
194
63 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 8 (1980).
195
California v. Superior Court (1984) 150 Cal. App. 3d 848.

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 under general negligence principles, then the public entity
may be found vicariously liable for the act of its employee.196

This has often arisen in the context of the employee

promising to do an act such as warn a particular person of
some danger, the person reasonably relies upon that promise,
the employee fails to carry out the promise and the failure to
give the warning resulted in damage to the promisee. In
essence, the employee created a duty to a person with a
special relationship, and then performed negligently, causing
the injury.197

Example The situation could arise under the provisions of Penal Code Section 409.5.
where a peace officer promised to notify a person in a disaster area of a future
need to evacuate. If the officer fails to warn the promisee, then liability may
attach if a “special relationship” could be found between the officer’s promise
and the promisee’s detrimental reliance on that promise.

Avoid A public entity and its employees should pay particular attention to the phrasing
“created of orders that control the movement of people and property in order to avoid
duties” “created” duties. Generally policy decisions are accorded immunity, while
ministerial acts are not.198

Failure to Liability may be incurred for an injury proximately caused by a public entity’s
discharge duty failure to discharge a mandatory duty imposed by statute or regulation.199
Where a public entity fails to perform a mandatory duty, it has the burden of
establishing that it exercised reasonable diligence to assure that the duty was
performed.

Liabilities not Liability is imposed by statute or constitutional provisions other than those set
included forth by the “Tort Claims Act.” For instance, the constitutional provision
governing a taking of property for public use (condemnation),200 negligent or
wrongful act or omission in the operation of any motor vehicle201 or

196
California v. Superior Court (1984) 150 Cal. App. 3d 848.
197
Connelly v. State of California (1970) 3 Cal. App. 3d 744.
198
Johnson v. State of California (1996) 50 Cal. App. 4th 1802.
199
California v. Superior Court (1984) 150 Cal. App. 3d 848.
200
Cal. Const., art. I, § 19.
201
Cal. Vehicle Code §§17001, 17004. But see Soto v. California (1997) 56 Cal. App. 4th 196. (negligent
operation of a motor vehicle found protected under Emergency Services Act).

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 maintaining a nuisance202 are examples of liabilities that may not be protected
by either the State Tort Claims Act or the Emergency Services Act.

Qualifying Although most of the discussion has centered on areas of potential liability, two
principles qualifying principles may be applicable in emergency evacuation situations.

Doctrine of The first qualifying principle is known as the “imminent peril

imminent peril doctrine”, the “sudden peril rule”, or the “emergency
doctrine.” This doctrine allows the jury in a civil trial to be
instructed that “a person who, without negligence on his or
her part, is suddenly and unexpectedly confronted with
apparent or actual imminent danger, that person is not
required to use the same judgment and prudence as would be
required under ordinary circumstances.203

This instruction will be given only if the evidence supports

that:204

• the party invoking the doctrine was in fact confronted by

a sudden and unexpected peril,

• That the perilous situation was not brought about by the

party’s own negligence,

• That at least two courses of action were available after

the perilous situation was perceived,

• That the course of action taken after confrontation by the

peril was a course of action which would have been taken
by a reasonably prudent person under similar
circumstances.

If these conditions are met, the person is not necessarily

negligent if that person makes a choice that ultimately proves
to have been the wrong one, provided that that person chose
a course of action that a person of ordinary prudence would
have chosen under the circumstances. If such is the case, that
person will not be liable even if an alternative course of
action would have avoided the action.205

202
Nestle v. City of Santa Monica (1972) 6 Cal. 3d 920.
203
Leo v. Dunham (1953) 41 Cal. 2d 712, 714-715. See also Damele v. Mack Trucks, Inc. (1990) 219 Cal.
App. 3d 29.
204
Cal. Civil BAJI 4.40, 8th ed. 1995.
205
Leo v. Dunham (1953) 41 Cal. 2d 712, 714-715.

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 State’s police The other governing principle is that the State may take
power property by virtue of its police powers when there is an
urgency sufficiently important to override the policy of
compensation.206

206
Teresi v. State of California (1986) 180 Cal. App. 3d 239; see Adkins v. State of California, supra; Holtz v.
Superior Ct. (1970) 3 Cal. 3d 296, 305; Farmer’s Ins. Exchange v. State of California (1985) 175 Cal. App. 3d
494, 501-502; Freeman v. Contra Costa County Water District (1971) 18 Cal. App. 3d 404, 408.

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 XIII. APPENDIX OF SELECTED STATUTES

Government Code
Cal. Govt. Code § 8558 Conditions or degrees of emergency.
Three conditions or degrees of emergency are established by this chapter:

(a) “State of war emergency” means the condition which exists immediately, with or without a proclamation
thereof by the Governor, whenever this state or nation is attacked by an enemy of the United States, or upon
receipt by the state of a warning from the federal government indicating that such an attack is probable or
imminent.
(b) “State of emergency means the duly proclaimed existence of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of
persons and property within the state caused by such conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic,
riot, drought, sudden and severe energy shortage, plant or animal infestation or disease, the Governor’s
warning of an earthquake or volcanic prediction, or an earthquake, or other conditions, other than conditions
resulting from a labor controversy or conditions causing a “state of war emergency,” which conditions, by
reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and
facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region
or regions to combat, or with respect to regulated energy utilities, a sudden and severe energy shortage
requires extraordinary measures beyond the authority vested in the California Public Utilities Commission.
(c) “Local Emergency” means the duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to
the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of a county, city and county, or city caused by
such conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, drought, sudden and severe energy shortage,
plant or animal infestation or disease, the Governor’s warning of an earthquake or volcanic prediction, or an
earthquake, or other conditions, other than conditions resulting from a labor controversy, which conditions are
or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of that political
subdivision and requires the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat, or with respect to
regulated energy utilities, a sudden and severe energy shortage requires extraordinary measures beyond the
authority vested in the California Public Utilities Commission.

§ 8630. Proclamation by local governing body; review; termination

(a) A local emergency may be proclaimed only by the governing body of a city, county, or city and county, or
by an official designated by ordinance adopted by that governing body.
(b) Whenever a local emergency is proclaimed by an official designated by ordinance, the local emergency
shall not remain in effect for a period in excess of seven days unless it has been ratified by the governing
body.
(c)(1) The governing body shall review, at its regularly scheduled meetings until the local emergency is
terminated, the need for continuing the local
emergency. However, in no event shall a review take place more than 21 days after the previous review.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the governing body meets weekly, it shall review the need for
continuing the local emergency at least every 14 days, until the local emergency is terminated.
(d) The governing body shall proclaim the termination of the local emergency at the earliest possible date
that conditions warrant.

§ 23002. Counties as legal subdivisions

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 The several existing counties of the State and such other counties as are hereafter organized are legal
subdivisions of the State.

§ 26602. Prevention and suppression of disturbances

The sheriff shall prevent and suppress any affrays, breaches of the peace, riots, and insurrections which come
to his knowledge, and investigate public offenses which have been committed.

California Penal Code

Cal. Pen. Code § 148.2 Illegal conduct at burning of building; misdemeanor.

Every person who willfully commits any of the following acts at the burning of a building or at any other time
and place where any fireman or firemen or emergency rescue personnel are discharging or attempting to
discharge an official duty, is guilty of a misdemeanor:

(1) Resists or interferes with the lawful efforts of any fireman or firemen or emergency rescue personnel in
the discharge or attempt to discharge an official duty.
(2) Disobeys the lawful orders of any fireman or public officer.
(3) Engages in any disorderly conduct which delays or prevents a fire from being timely extinguished.
(4) Forbids or prevents others from assisting in extinguishing a fire or exhorts another person, as to whom he
has no legal right to protect or control, from assisting in extinguishing a fire.

§ 148.3. False report of emergency; punishment

(a) Any individual who reports, or causes any report to be made, to any city, county, city and county, or state
department, district, agency, division, commission, or board, that an "emergency" exists, knowing that such
report is false, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by imprisonment
in the county jail, not exceeding one year, or by a fine, not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by
both such fine and imprisonment.
(b) Any individual who reports, or causes any report to be made, to any city,
county, city and county, or state department, district, agency, division, commission, or board, that an
"emergency" exists, knowing that such report is false, and great bodily injury or death is sustained by any
person as a result of such false report, is guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by
imprisonment in the state prison, or by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both such
fine and imprisonment.
(c) "Emergency" as used in this section means any condition which results in, or which could result in, the
response of a public official in an authorized emergency vehicle, or any condition which jeopardizes or could
jeopardize public safety and results in, or could result in, the evacuation of any area, building, structure,
vehicle or of any other place which any individual may enter.

§ 245.1. Fireman, firefighter and emergency rescue personnel defined

As used in Sections 148.2, 241, 243, 244.5, and 245, "fireman" or "firefighter" includes any person who is
an officer, employee or member of a fire department or fire protection or firefighting agency of the federal
government, the State of California, a city, county, city and county, district, or other public or municipal
corporation or political subdivision of this state, whether this person is a volunteer or partly paid or fully paid.
As used in Section 148.2, "emergency rescue personnel" means any person who is an officer, employee or
member of a fire department or fire protection or

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firefighting agency of the federal government, the State of California, a city, county, city and county, district,
or other public or municipal corporation or political subdivision of this state, whether this person is a
volunteer or partly paid or fully paid, while he or she is actually engaged in the on-the- site rescue of persons
or property during an emergency as defined by subdivision (c) of Section 148.3.

Cal. Pen. Code § 402 Interference with personnel at scene of emergency.

(a) Every person who goes to the scene of an emergency, or stops at the scene of an emergency, for the
purpose of viewing the scene or the activities of police officers, firefighters, emergency medical, or other
emergency personnel, or military coping with the emergency in the course of their duties during the time it is
necessary for emergency vehicles or those personnel to be at the scene of the emergency or to be moving to or
from the scene of the emergency for the purpose of protecting lives or property, unless it is part of the duties
of that person’s employment to view that scene or activities, and thereby impedes police officers, firefighters,
emergency medical, or other emergency personnel or military personnel, in the performance of their duties in
coping with the emergency, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) Every person who knowingly resists or interferes with the lawful efforts of a lifeguard in the discharge or
attempted discharge of an official duty in an emergency situation, when the person knows or reasonably
should know that the lifeguard is engaged in the performance of his or her official duty, is guilty of a
misdemeanor.
(c) For the purposes of this section, an emergency includes a condition or situation involving injury to
persons, damage to property, or peril to the safety of persons or property, which results from a fire, an
explosion, an airplane crash, flooding, windstorm damage, a railroad accident, a power plant accident, a
toxic chemical or biological spill, or any other natural or human-caused event.

§ 409. Riot, rout, or unlawful assembly; remaining present after warning to disperse

Remaining present at place of riot, etc., after warning to disperse. Every person remaining present at the
place of any riot, rout, or unlawful assembly, after the same has been lawfully warned to disperse, except
public officers and persons assisting them in attempting to disperse the same, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

§ 409.5. Authority of peace officers, lifeguard or marine safety officer to close disaster area; exclusion
from police command post area; unauthorized entry; exception

(a) Whenever a menace to the public health or safety is created by a calamity including a flood, storm, fire,
earthquake, explosion, accident, or other disaster, officers of the Department of the California Highway
Patrol, police departments, marshal's office or sheriff's office, any officer or employee of the Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection designated a peace officer by subdivision (g) of Section 830.2, any officer or
employee of the Department of Parks and Recreation designated a peace officer by subdivision (f) of Section
830.2, any officer or employee of the Department of Fish and Game designated a peace officer under
subdivision (e) of Section 830.2, and any publicly employed full-time lifeguard or publicly employed full-
time marine safety officer while acting in a supervisory position in the performance of his or her official
duties, may close the area where the menace exists for the duration thereof by means of ropes, markers, or
guards to any and all persons not authorized by the lifeguard or officer to enter or remain within the enclosed
area. If the calamity creates an immediate menace to the public health, the local health officer may close the
area where the menace exists pursuant to the conditions set forth in this section.
(b) Officers of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, police departments, marshal's office or
sheriff's office, officers of the Department of Fish and Game designated as peace officers by subdivision (e)
of Section 830.2, or officers of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection designated as peace officers by

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subdivision (g) of Section 830.2 may close the immediate area surrounding any emergency field command
post or any other command post activated for the purpose of abating any calamity enumerated in this section
or any riot or other civil disturbance to any and all unauthorized persons pursuant to the conditions set forth in
this section whether or not the field command post or other command post is located near to the actual
calamity or
riot or other civil disturbance.
(c) Any unauthorized person who willfully and knowingly enters an area closed pursuant to subdivision (a)
or (b) and who willfully remains within the area after receiving notice to evacuate or leave shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor.
(d) Nothing in this section shall prevent a duly authorized representative of any news service, newspaper, or
radio or television station or network from entering the areas closed pursuant to this section.

§ 409.6. Avalanche danger; areas closed; unlawful entry

(a) Whenever a menace to the public health or safety is created by an avalanche, officers of the Department
of the California Highway Patrol, police departments, or sheriff's offices, any officer or employee of the
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection designated a peace officer by subdivision (g) of Section 830.2,
and any officer or employee of the Department of Parks and Recreation designated a peace officer by
subdivision (f) of Section 830.2, may close the area where the menace exists for the duration thereof by
means of ropes, markers, or guards to any and all persons not authorized by that officer to enter or remain
within the closed area. If an avalanche creates an
immediate menace to the public health, the local health officer may close the area where the menace exists
pursuant to the conditions which are set forth above in this section.
(b) Officers of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, police departments, or sheriff's offices, or
officers of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection designated as peace officers by subdivision (g) of
Section 830.2, may close the immediate area surrounding any emergency field command post or any other
command post activated for the purpose of abating hazardous conditions created by an avalanche to any and
all unauthorized persons pursuant to the conditions which are set forth in this section whether or not that field
command post or other command post is located near the avalanche.
(c) Any unauthorized person who willfully and knowingly enters an area closed pursuant to subdivision (a)
or (b) and who willfully remains within that area, or any unauthorized person who willfully remains within an
area closed pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b), after receiving notice to evacuate or leave from a peace officer
named in subdivision (a) or (b), shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. If necessary, a peace officer named in
subdivision (a) or (b) may use reasonable force to remove from the closed area any unauthorized person who
willfully remains within that area after receiving notice to evacuate or leave.
(d) Nothing in this section shall prevent a duly authorized representative of
any news service, newspaper, or radio or television station or network from entering the areas closed pursuant
to this section.

California Health and Safety Code

Health & Safety Code § 115885.
The health officer having jurisdiction over the area in which a public beach is created shall:

(a) Inspect the public beach to determine whether the standards established pursuant to Section 115880 are
being complied with. If the health officer finds any violation of the standards, he or she may restrict the use
of, or close, the public beach or portion thereof in which the violation occurs until the standard is complied
with.

(b) Investigate any complaint of a person of a violation of any standard established by the department
pursuant to Section 115880. If the health officer finds any violation of the standards prescribed by the
department, he or she may restrict the use of, or close, the

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public beach or portion thereof until the standard is complied with. If the person who made the complaint is
not satisfied with the action taken by the health officer, he or she may report the violation to the department.
The department shall investigate the reported violation, and, if it finds that the violation exists, it may restrict
the use of or close the public beach or portion thereof until the standard violated is complied with.

(c) (1) Whenever a beach is posted, closed, or otherwise restricted in accordance with Section 115915, the
health officer shall inform the agency responsible for the operation and maintenance of the public beach
within 24 hours of the posting, closure, or restriction.

(c) (2) The health officer shall establish a telephone hotline to inform the public of all beaches currently
closed, posted, or otherwise restricted. The hotline shall be updated as needed in order to convey changes in
public health risks.

(d) Report any violation of the standards established pursuant to Section 115880 to the district attorney, or if
the violation occurred in a city and, pursuant to Section 41803.5 of the Government Code, the city attorney is
authorized to prosecute misdemeanors, to the city attorney.

(e) In the event of a known untreated sewage release, the local health officer shall immediately test the waters
adjacent to the public beach and to take action pursuant to regulations established under Section 115880.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the event of an untreated sewage release that is known to
have reached recreational waters adjacent to a public beach, the local health officer shall immediately close
those waters until it has been determined by the local health officer that the waters are in compliance with the
standards established pursuant to Section 115880.

(g) Any duty imposed upon a local public officer or agency pursuant to this section shall be mandatory only
during a fiscal year in which the Legislature has appropriated sufficient funds, as determined by the State
Director of Health Services, in the annual
Budget Act or otherwise for local agencies to cover the costs to those agencies associated with the
performance of these duties. The State Director of Health Services shall annually, within 15 days after
enactment of the Budget Act, file a written statement with the Secretary of the Senate and with the Chief
Clerk of the Assembly
memorializing whether sufficient funds have been appropriated.

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XIV. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES

Westlaw, West Group, Inc. (Computer Assisted Legal Research)

The Police Power - Public Policy and Constitutional Rights, Prof. Ernst Freund,
Callaghan & Co., 1904

Hazardous Material Incident Contingency Plan, California, State of California,

Office of Emergency Services, (January 1991), Paul J. Penn, et al. (serving as
the State Toxic Disaster Plan as required by Cal. Govt. Code § 8574.17)

State of California, Annex G, Media and Public Information Functions for

Hazardous Materials in California, prepared by Local Emergency Planning
Committees and Public Safety Agencies within California, March 1995

Legal Guidelines for Flood Evacuation, State of California, Office of

Emergency Services, October 1997.

Public Sector Tort Liability for Disaster Management, David Zocchetti, May
1997

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 Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Planning & Technological Assistance Branch

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