San Mateo County leaders push final call for residents to complete emergency preparedness survey
San Mateo County, California – San Mateo County officials are making one last push to encourage residents to fill out the Community Emergency Preparedness Survey in San Mateo County. They are warning that if not enough people fill it out, some of the county’s most vulnerable areas might be left without the help they need during the next big disaster. As the poll comes to an end, leaders believe that the answers they have gotten so far show that there are concerning gaps in representation.
David Canepa, the President of the Board of Supervisors, and Dr. Shruti Dhapodkar, the Director of Emergency Management, are asking individuals throughout the county to come forward, especially those who live in regions that have been at higher danger in the past. Early results suggest that only a few polls have come in from certain areas that are facing some of the worst threats.
Daly City, which has more than 100,000 residents and is located right along the San Andreas Fault, has only sent in 40 surveys. East Palo Alto is at risk of flooding from the Bay and surrounding rivers, but it has only sent in 23. Cities near the coast, such Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, are likewise behind, even though they are at risk of tsunamis, storms that cut them off from the rest of the world, and Highway 1 closures.
Local leaders say that not getting feedback from these communities could make it harder for the county to plan well.
“The communities that often face the greatest challenges in emergencies are the least represented in our data,” Canepa said. “This survey is your seat at the table when decisions are made about how to protect your family and your neighborhood.”
In the past few years, San Mateo County has dealt with a lot of different disasters such wildfires, tsunami alerts, bad winter storms, and a lot of earthquakes. Because it is next to the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay and is cut through by the San Andreas Fault, it is at risk of several natural disasters all year long. Because of this, the Board of Supervisors has made emergency preparedness one of its top funding priorities.
Dhapodkar stressed that every completed survey gives important information, such as how residents want to get notifications and whether they have pets or older family members who need extra help during evacuations.
“When communities participate, we can tailor our resources, our communications, and our outreach to actually reach them when it matters most,” Dhapodkar added.
Officials are reminding residents that the survey is anonymous, available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin, and only takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. No personal information is gathered, and the only purpose of the responses is to make emergency preparation better.
County leaders are urging people not just to take the survey individually, but also to share it with their neighbors, friends, and community groups. This is especially important in Daly City, San Bruno, Millbrae, South San Francisco, East Palo Alto, Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, and North Fair Oaks.
Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SMCEM_Community_Assessment
