Title
Recommendation to Provide Direction on and Authorize the City Manager to Finalize and Transmit the City of Alameda's Response to the Findings and Recommendations Contained in the 2025-26 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury Report Entitled A Call for Readiness: Improving the City of Alameda's Emergency Preparedness. (City Manager 10021030)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Gerry Beaudin, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On June 15, 2026, the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury released its report, “A Call for Readiness: Improving the City of Alameda's Emergency Preparedness,” presenting 12 findings and nine recommendations related to the City of Alameda's (City) Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), disaster preparedness training, the voluntary disaster registry, public warning systems, emergency communications, and after-action reporting practices. Pursuant to California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05, the City Council, as the City's governing body, is required to formally respond to the Presiding Judge of the Alameda County Superior Court within 90 days of the Grand Jury's submission of its report. City staff prepared a draft response (Exhibit 1) addressing each finding and recommendation. This report provides an overview of that draft response and requests City Council direction on its content, and authorization for the City Manager to finalize and transmit the response to the Presiding Judge by the statutory deadline.
BACKGROUND
The Alameda County Civil Grand Jury is a body of county residents empaneled each year to investigate the operations of local government agencies within Alameda County, including the City. Under California Penal Code Section 933(c), when a Grand Jury issues a final report addressing a public agency's operations, the governing body of that agency must comment on the findings and recommendations within 90 days after the report is submitted. Responses must indicate whether the agency agrees, disagrees wholly, or disagrees partially with each finding, and must indicate whether each recommendation has been implemented, will be implemented, requires further analysis, or will not be implemented, consistent with Penal Code Section 933.05.
On June 15, 2026, the Grand Jury released its report on the City's emergency preparedness program, which examined the City's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), community disaster preparedness training and outreach, the City's voluntary disaster registry for residents with access and functional needs, public warning and notification systems, emergency communications during the 2024 and 2025 tsunami events, and the City's practices for conducting exercises and preparing after-action reports. The City Council most recently adopted an updated EOP in April 2026, the first update in seven years, following a consultant-led process that began in May 2025. Emergency Management staff have continued to engage the community through events such as the Alameda Art & Wine Faire, school presentations, the Alameda Spring Festival, the Alameda Hospital Health Fair, and programs at the Alameda Senior Center.
City staff from the City Manager's Office, Emergency Management (Fire Department), and other affected departments collaborated to prepare a draft response to each of the Grand Jury's 12 findings and nine recommendations. That draft response is attached as Exhibit 1 for the City Council's review and consideration.
DISCUSSION
The draft response addresses each Grand Jury finding and recommendation individually. The key areas addressed, and the general nature of the City's proposed response, are summarized below:
• Emergency Operations Plan (Findings 26-43, 26-44; Recommendation 26-22): The City agrees that it has a flexible EOP and the April 2026 update was overdue. Staff reports that Recommendation 26-22 (update the EOP at least every five years) has already been implemented, with the next update due by April 2031.
• Community Training and Outreach (Finding 26-45; Recommendations 26-23, 26-24): The City partially disagrees with the finding, citing ongoing community outreach events, and reports that Emergency Management staff (Recommendation 26-23) is developing a more robust community outreach program and that a citywide preparedness mailer, distributed via US Postal Service (Recommendation 26-24), is anticipated to be completed by October 2026.
• Voluntary Disaster Registry and Disability Partnerships (Findings 26-46, 26-47; Recommendation 26-25): The City disagrees that the registry should be discontinued and does not intend to implement Recommendation 26-25, believing the registry adds value when paired with community partnerships. The City agrees with Finding 26-47 and will improve coordination with its ADA Coordinator and the Commission on Persons with Disabilities.
• Public Warning Systems (Finding 26-48; Recommendation 26-28): The City agrees it lacks an outdoor siren system and explains its historical reliance on the countywide AC Alert system, which was a recommendation from a 2012 Grand Jury Report to have a coordinated countywide mass notification system. Staff proposes to further study the feasibility of a siren system and report back to the City Manager within six months of the Grand Jury report's publication.
• Alerts and Social Media (Findings 26-49, 26-50, 26-51; Recommendations 26-26, 26-27): The City agrees it has alerting capability with AC Alert and agrees that social media messaging during the 2024 and 2025 tsunami events was inconsistent. The new EOP has pre-scripted messaging templates designed to improve timely messaging, and a pending Communications Manager hire will support implementation of Recommendation 26-26 within six months of the report's publication; Recommendation 26-27 is reported as already implemented.
• Exercises and After-Action Reporting (Findings 26-52, 26-53, 26-54; Recommendations 26-29, 26-30): The City partially disagrees with these findings, noting after-action reports were completed for the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2024 tsunami warning, and that Section 8.4 of the 2026 EOP already establishes after-action reporting requirements consistent with State Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) regulations. The City describes EOC-assigned staff training sessions beginning in fall 2026 and a longer-term goal of two EOC tabletop exercises per year.
Following City Council direction, the City Manager will finalize the response letter, incorporating any City Council-directed revisions, and transmit it to the Honorable Presiding Judge of the Alameda County Superior Court and the Alameda County Grand Jury within the statutory 90-day deadline.
ALTERNATIVES
• Provide direction on the draft response substantially as presented and authorize the City Manager to finalize and transmit it to the Presiding Judge by the statutory deadline.
• Direct staff to revise specific findings or recommendation responses. This alternative could delay transmittal and jeopardize the City's ability to meet the statutory 90-day deadline.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact to the City from providing direction on, and authorizing transmittal of, the draft Grand Jury response letter. Some of the actions described within the response letter itself-such as hiring potential AmeriCorps fellowship positions, a citywide preparedness mailer, and implementation of a citywide siren system-carry some future financial impacts. As appropriate, budget appropriations or new expenditures related to implementation will be brought to City Council for consideration, as necessary.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This report is submitted in compliance with California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05, which require the governing body of a public agency to comment on Grand Jury findings and recommendations within 90 days of the report's submission.
This action also relates to the City's 2026 Emergency Operations Plan, adopted by the City Council in April 2026, and supports the City's Strategic Plan priority of maintaining a safe and resilient community.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required.
CLIMATE IMPACT
There are no identifiable climate impacts or climate action opportunities associated with the subject of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Provide direction on and authorize the City Manager to finalize and transmit the City of Alameda's response to the findings and recommendations contained in the 2025-26 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury report entitled A Call for Readiness: Improving the City of Alameda's Emergency Preparedness.
Respectfully submitted,
Gerry Beaudin, City Manager
By,
Nicholas Luby, Fire Chief
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Draft Response to the 2025-26 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury Report on Emergency Preparedness
2. 2025-26 Alameda County Grand Jury Report A Call for Readiness: Improving the City of Alameda's Emergency Preparedness