Residents press San Diego County on communications, evacuation and shelter training during EOP briefing

SAN DIEGO — At a virtual briefing on the San Diego County Emergency Operations Plan update, several residents pressed county staff for practical measures to maintain communications and move vulnerable people during disasters, citing problems seen in recent wildfires, rains and public safety power shutoffs.

Tighe Green told county staff that during public safety power shutoffs backup batteries at cell towers have failed and left communities without the ability to make 911 calls or receive reverse-911 warnings. "When AT&T and Verizon and those guys don't have enough backup batteries...we are completely shut off from the world," Green said during the meeting.

Robert Johnson suggested using satellite connectivity as a supplement — "I said Starlink as an example" — and urged county planners to map designated evacuation routes and plan for new developments and cross-border incidents near Chula Vista. County lead Nick Zubell acknowledged the comment and said the county has a cross-border working group that coordinates with partners in Mexico and that evacuation routing and mapping are under consideration for plan recommendations.

Participants also described difficulties transporting people experiencing homelessness to shelters during heavy rains and the need for clear information about available shelter locations. Karen Clay proposed an online portal for evacuees to report their location so agencies can coordinate feeding and resources; Zubell said the county would document that option for informational-sharing purposes.

Several speakers raised concerns about stair-chair evacuations in multilevel senior properties. Teresa said facility managers had been told they could not practice with stair chairs because of liability, and urged property owners to train staff rather than leaving residents behind. Raji, who identified themselves as working at San Diego Health, said the health system stocks stair chairs in multilevel facilities and maintains training plans with central subject-matter experts at each location.

County staff repeatedly emphasized that access and functional needs are integrated throughout the plan and that specific support is delivered through partnerships with cities, county departments and community organizations. Zubell said the county will collect and document suggestions from the meeting, post a meeting summary and recording on the Engage San Diego website, and incorporate feasible recommendations into the March draft for public comment.

No votes or formal actions were taken; the session was informational and intended to collect community priorities ahead of the formal public comment period.