Last month I was with Mission Viejo council member elect Cathy Schlicht as she promoted “emergency preparedness” at a city council meeting. She followed up by mailing thousands of flyers to our residents promoting the www.AlertOC.com “regional mass notification system designed to keep those who live or work in Orange County informed of important information when there is an emergency situation affecting the health, safety or welfare of a community.”
Prior to the mailing we each signed up for the program.
The front page of today’s OC Register reads “fire levels 100 homes” in Montecito, located just north of Santa Barbara.
In promoting emergency preparedness Cathy reminded Mission Viejo residents that only last year we had the Santiago fires reaching very close to our city boundary.
In council member elect Schlicht’s flyer she writes “public safety is my top priority. Although our staff may undergo emergency preparedness training, to date the public has not been included or notified about this new program. We need to be pro-active in protecting our homes and families.”
This was an excellent opportunity to test the system. With the Santa Ana winds and the dry season, the Montecito fire could have been right here in Mission Viejo.
Did anyone see any notification on our important community service bulletin board alerting residents and merchants to the 10 a.m. test?
And the $64,000 question. While upwards of five million were to participate in the drill did anyone in Mission Viejo, who signed up for this reverse 9-1-1 service, receive an email or a phone call regarding the Great Southern California shakeout drill?
Were you contacted by any member of our city staff?
No, I wasn’t contacted by a member of the city staff. I doubt more than handful of Mission Viejo residents were involved. Only those who hang out at city hall and mainline the bilge know anything about it. If there were any kind of emergency, I certainly wouldn’t call city hall (and listen to a recording about how no one can answer the phone).