Public Safety
Poway is the Safest City in San Diego County and I will work to keep it that way.
At a high level, Public Safety is split into four parts:
- The Sheriff
- The Fire Department
- The Auxiliary Civilian Core
- Structural/Zoning Area Safety
The Sheriff
Poway is the Safest City in San Diego County due to the tight partnership between the San Diego Sheriff's, the Poway City Government, and the City Residents. This commitment is reflected in the robust investment Poway makes in its law enforcement contract with the County Sheriff, which is the single largest financial investment in the City Budget. The endorsement by the Deputy Sheriff's Association of San Diego County reflects an understanding that I am the candidate best positioned to support this partnership and the results that it delivers for Poway.
The Fire Department
I believe fully funding our Fire Department is a top priority for the City of Poway. The Poway Fire Department doubles as Paramedics so, if you have a medical emergency and call for an ambulance, a Paramedic will arrive at your door. Download Pulsepoint and you will see that the vast majority of these emergencies calls are for medical assistance. I will continue to support funding this essential service for the City as well as providing them with the resources they need to successfully execute their duties.
The Auxiliary Civilian Core
Poway has a number of resident run emergency preparedness and response groups, such as CERT PNEC and the Poway Auxiliary Communication Team (PACT), a local group of Poway Ham Radio operators who provide communication and coordination resources for the fire department in the event of a large area emergency. These groups (and others) help to fill in the safety mesh that reflects the commitment we all have to being prepared and able to weather natural disasters and other emergencies.
Working with these groups is a great way to both get involved with your neighbors and to help improve your safety profile. I will work to strengthen the coordination between the our first responders and these groups so that emergency responses can continue to be effective.
Structural/Zoning Area Safety
The City Council and Staff are charged with enacting regulations and ensuring the Safety Element of the General plan is up to date and enforced properly. This includes clearing dead or unsafe trees in fire evacuation corridors and clearing the drainage and flood control systems of the city. Recently, through much effort of the current City Council and the City Staff, Poway was awarded a significant FEMA grant to clear Eucalyptus and other dead trees in the Twin Peaks/Espola Road/Bridlewood areas. But more needs to be done to clear these growing threats (I'm not a fan of the Euks), be they through grants or through proper funding of specific LMDs
It is important to have in place City Councillors who are aware of these important roles in our public safety program.
