SUPERVISOR DIANNE JACOB

San Diego County Board of Supervisors

Contact: Steve Schmidt, 619-206-9108, steve.schmidt@sdcounty.ca.gov

NEWS RELEASE
12/15/15

SAN DIEGO COUNTY TO ENLIST INMATES IN EL NIO RESPONSE

The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (12/15/15) agreed to seek the rapid
deployment of state inmate work crews if El Nio packs a punch in coming months.
The board voted to approve Supervisor Dianne Jacobs proposal to team up with Cal
Fire to ensure that the regions nearly 500 work crew inmates are quickly available to
assist with flood prevention and cleanup.
Its critical that we do all we can to protect people and property if El Nio hits hard
this winter, Jacob said. These crews mean more boots on the ground during this
potentially stormy season.
The state houses the inmates at work camps in Boulevard, Rainbow and Warner
Springs, and at La Cima Conservation Camp in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. The
crews are often deployed to major wildfires in the region.
The board authorized county executives to strike an agreement with local Cal Fire
officials to permit the speedy deployment of the inmates without clearance from
Sacramento.
Supervisor Jacobs initiative is part of a broader county effort to prepare homeowners
and businesses for possible flooding this winter. The county is providing free sandbags
to property owners and advising them to take steps to prevent soil erosion.
According to a recent study by National University, more than 50,000 local residents
and nearly 5,000 businesses are within 100-year flood zones that could be inundated
during extensive rainfall.
Since 2003, the county has invested more than $320 million on fire protection and
other public safety improvements to better protect communities during a wildfire,
flooding or other disaster. ###