Santa Barbara County’s Emergency Operations Center is a central hub where county agencies coordinate their response during emergencies. The county is giving residents a rare look inside the facility during a series of open houses focused on emergency preparedness.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

The center brings together agencies including fire, law enforcement, public works, health officials, and emergency management. The goal is to take information coming in from the field and turn it into action.

County officials train and plan for a range of emergencies, including wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and other large-scale disasters. During the open house, residents can learn about the technology, equipment, and people involved in coordinating an emergency response.

A simulated earthquake exercise gives visitors a chance to think about how their own homes would fare during a major earthquake. The event also highlights some of the tools emergency crews use after disasters, such as equipment to clear debris from roads after heavy rain.

The open house is also designed to make emergency preparedness approachable for children, with activities, fire hats, and other giveaways. Officials say one of the most important steps residents can take is signing up for emergency alerts. Only about 21% of Santa Barbara County residents are currently registered for emergency alerts through ReadySBC, according to county officials.

Safety officials also recommend residents keep basic emergency supplies on hand. Simple tools, such as an emergency whistle, can be crucial in emergency situations. Three short blasts are a commonly recognized distress signal.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.