Item 26 - Adoption of the City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan

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City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan Part I Basic Plan response. Third, we would have little ability to distribute information, warnings or emergency instructions out to the public. Loss of communications would create an immediate risk to life and property as well as significant panic and disruption throughout the community in many ways, which may include: 911 Communications - The most immediate threat to life or property from the loss of communications would stem from the loss of 911 communications. Santa Ana Police Department's Communications Division received 114,293 incoming 911 calls in calendar year 2022. Of these, 1,779 were Priority 1 calls, defined as representing an immediate threat to life. Another 28,276 were Priority 2 calls, defined as representing an immediate or potential threat to the safety of persons or property, or serious crimes occurring or just occurred. 19,185 of these calls were transferred to Orange County Fire Authority for their dispatch to structure, vehicle or other fires; medical emergencies; and other fire or rescue calls. The remaining 84,238 calls, as well as 332,069 calls to the Police Department's non -emergency telephone lines in 2022, represent the vast number of requests for service or information from the public. Loss of telecommunications (cellular, landline or both) would make it extremely difficult for the public to ask for help in any of these situations; instead, to summon help, most people would need to physically travel to a police or fire station. A loss of radio and data communications may mean that emergency responders could only be dispatched in person, directly from the police or fire station. Once dispatched, emergency responders would be unable to communicate back to request additional assistance or information or to coordinate with other responders. Utility Controls — The electrical power grid, natural gas distribution systems, and water and wastewater distribution and collection systems depend on electronic communications to keep those systems running; loss of communications would quickly result in failure, shortages or outages of these utilities. Financial Transactions — In modern society, the vast majority of financial transactions are electronic. This includes the deposit, transfer or withdrawal of funds from accounts, whether business -to -business, paycheck deposits, or transactions by individual consumers. Purchases are now usually made with purchase orders, credits or other electronic transfers at the business level, and at the consumer level, most purchases are made with credit or debit cards, cell phone transactions, or cash drawn from ATM machines. Loss of electronic communications would eliminate all of these and reduce all financial transactions to those where the buyer, the seller, the product and the cash are all physically present in the same place at the same time to complete the exchange. Personal and Family Communications — Family members would be unable to communicate with each other to coordinate their locations, schedules or transportation plans. This could cause significant disruption or panic in the community if family members or parents are unable to locate or re -unite with each other or their children. Medical and Health Care Communications — Medical care, particularly emergency medical treatment, depends on the rapid, electronic exchange of medical records and treatment instructions among pre -hospital emergency care providers, hospitals and emergency rooms, pharmacies, and doctor's offices. Delay or inability to exchange this information could contribute to the rapid deterioration or death of affected patients. 81