SB sergeant explained local hazard mitigation plan

EMERGENCY INFORMATION COUNCIL

Brian Gray, Seal Beach police sergeant and emergency services coordinator, gave a presentation to the Emergency Information Council (EIC) titled “You’re On Your Own” on May 13.

At any given time there are only about a handful of police officers on patrol, and they will respond to life-threatening issues first. However, that does not mean the City of Seal Beach is unprepared to do its part to prepare for, mitigate, respond to and recover from emergencies. The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) spells some of the most likely threats and recommends specific actions to decrease impact before it occurs. As it relates to Leisure World, the highest threat levels were assigned to extreme weather with flood, drought, wind, heat and tornado specifically listed. Of course, earthquakes topped all the threats. The LHMP is up for revision this year and input from residents is a major part of that. For instance, residents may want to include the potential for harmful smoke from a fire at the power plants next door or a plane crash on approach to the two nearby airports. To get involved or learn more about the plan, go to https:// www.sealbeachca.gov/Departments/ Police/ Public- Safety/ Local-Hazard-Mitigation-Plan.

The next EIC meeting will be held June 4 in Clubhouse 4 at 2 p.m. Susan Keyes, president of the SoCal Animal Response Team will talk about what to do for pets during an emergency.

For more information about the EIC, contact President Jackie Dunagan at jackie919@gmail. com or call 562-431-7479.