I am writing to propose that the City Council direct the Chief of Police to enter into talks with the Menlo Park Fire District to
create a joint emergency operations center (EOC).
Background:
The MPFD is planning on major renovations to Station 1 on Middlefield Rd. Further MPFD no longer has access to the area-wide EOC
formerly located off of Willow Rd.
The MPPD has a tiny meeting room that serves as a makeshift EOC. I sit in that room once a month for a meeting of the Chief's
Advisory Committee and was flabbergasted to learn that it is their "EOC."
As a member of the Community Emergency Response Team, I have toured several area EOCs and mobile command centers. Indeed, I even
helped to create CERT's mobile command center which I warrant is better equipped than that of the police department.
Another opportunity is presenting itself for a property should the Fire District's plans not be able to accommodate n EOC in
addition to the training facilities envisioned. USGS is slated to complete its move out of its building on Middlefield by 2021.
The property is owned by the General Service Administration. I have no insight into what they plan to do with it in the future,
but it may be possible to negotiate a reasonable sale.
An emergency will occur. An EOC will be needed. Inadequate planning and response facilities will lead to the loss of lives and
increased property damage.
Regards,
Steve Taffeem:415-613-6684 [tel:415-613-6684]|e:steve.taffee@gmail.com [steve.taffee@gmail.com]|w:stevetaffee.com
[http://stevetaffee.com/]a:600 Willow Rd Unit 10 Menlo Park, CA 94025-2676[https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.wisestamp.com/widgets/green_32.png]
