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PSC 9-11-2025 PresentationsPSC 9-11-2025 Item No.2 Alert and Warning AlertSCC Presentations ALERT & WARNING Presented By: Charles Harris Senior Public Information & Communications Officer County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management OVERVIEW 1.WHO WE ARE 2.IMPORTANCE OF EMERGENCY ALERTS & WARNINGS 3.COORDINATION WITH LOCAL JURISDICTIONAL PARTNERS 4.PROMOTING ALERTSCC TO INCREASE SUBSCRIBERS 5.MULTILINGUAL ALERTS & WHOLE COMMUNITY APPROACH 6.CONCLUSION & CALL TO ACTION WHO WE ARE The Office of Emergency Management is: •Responsible for supporting fire, law, and emergency medical services in emergencies or disasters. •We are directly responsible for serving community members living in the County's unincorporated areas. •We are responsible for coordinating the facilitation of emergency resource coordination with our operational area partners. ImpORTANCE OF EMERGENCY ALERTS & WARNINGS •Life -Saving Information: Timely alerts give people crucial lead time to take protective actions. Public warning systems save lives and reduce losses when disasters strike. Conversely, a lack of warnings has led to preventable deaths in disasters. •Phases of Disaster Communication: ⚬Alerts are vital at every stage: ￭Before/Prep: Early warnings such as weather watches and wildfire warnings prompt readiness and early evacuations. ￭During: Real -time alerts guide immediate actions – evacuation orders and shelter -in -place instructions targeted to threatened areas. ￭After: Ongoing alerts share post -disaster information on shelters, safe return, and aiding recovery. Keeping the public informed after a disaster helps prevent secondary injuries and boosts community resilience. COORDINATION WITH LOCAL JURISDICTIONAL PARTNERS •Unified Countywide System: All cities and towns in Santa Clara County share one official alert platform – AlertSCC – to send emergency notifications. This joint system ensures residents receive consistent messages whether an incident affects one community or many. •Joint Messaging Protocols: The County’s Office of Emergency Management works closely with city emergency managers and public information officers to coordinate messaging. In a major incident, agencies activate a Joint Information System so that alerts and warnings are harmonized across jurisdictions. This prevents conflicting information and ensures one clear, trusted voice. PROMOTING ALERTSCC •Opt -In Challenge: AlertSCC is an opt -in system, meaning residents must sign themselves up to receive alerts. This is a hurdle for reaching everyone. •Easy and Free Enrollment: We emphasize how simple it is to register (online or via QR code). The service is free, confidential, and takes just minutes. Our messaging highlights that if you don’t sign up, you won’t get these critical alerts. This clear call -to -action helps motivate residents to take that one easy preparedness step. •Public Education & Outreach: Our office and partners actively promote AlertSCC through multiple channels: ⚬Community Events: Tabling at community fairs, dignitary events, and preparedness workshops to demonstrate AlertSCC and help people register on the spot. ⚬Digital Campaigns: Regular social media reminders urging sign -ups, especially during National Preparedness Month (September) and fire season. ⚬Partner Engagement: We coordinate with schools, libraries, CERT teams, and neighborhood associations to spread the word. PROMOTING ALERTSCC (CONT.) ⚬Media & Leadership: Press releases and media events highlight AlertSCC. Local officials such as County Supervisors and city council members have been champions in encouraging sign -ups, often mentioning AlertSCC at meetings and on their platforms. MULTILINGUAL ALERTS & WHOLE COMMUNITY APPROACH •Reaching Diverse Communities: Santa Clara County is extremely diverse, so alert and warning messages must overcome language barriers. Our approach aligns with FEMA’s “Whole Community” philosophy, striving to include everyone, regardless of the language they speak or disabilities they may have. •Multilingual Messaging: We provide emergency information in the major languages spoken in our county. Outreach materials and sign -up instructions for AlertSCC are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. •Alerts in Multiple Languages : When a life -threatening incident occurs, authorities can issue AlertSCC messages in English and supplement with other languages as needed. For example, an evacuation text might be sent in English followed by Spanish. We also partner with ethnic media and community organizations to relay official warnings in the languages their audiences trust. CONCLUSION & CALL TO ACTION •Why This Matters: Effective alerts and warnings before, during, and after disasters are a cornerstone of public safety. They empower our community members to act quickly and safely. But they only work if people receive them – which is why building our subscriber base is so important. •Role of the Commission & Community Leaders: The Cupertino Public Safety Commission and other local leaders can help amplify this message. Encourage your constituents, friends, and neighbors to sign up for AlertSCC. Every new subscriber means one more household that will get life -saving information in a crisis. •Continued Collaboration: We will continue working with all jurisdictions in Santa Clara County to refine our alert & warning strategies, coordinate messaging, and expand multilingual capabilities. Together, through education, outreach, and modern warning tools, we can ensure our whole community stays informed and resilient when disaster strikes. •Take Action Now: We urge everyone to subscribe to AlertSCC today. By doing so, you’re connecting to an information lifeline that will help protect you and your loved ones when every minute counts. THANK YOU! CONTACT INFORMATION Charles Harris, Senior Public Information & Communications Officer County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management Email: charles.harris@oem.sccgov.org Office Phone: (408) 808-7800 PSC 9-11-2025 Item No.3 Monthly Update Reports Presentations Pedestrian Safety SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF DETECTIVE CHAD BISCADI TOPICS ▪PEDESTRIAN SAFETY TIPS ▪DRIVER SAFETY TIPS ▪CITATION STATISTICS ▪ACCIDENT STATISTICS Pedestrian Safety Tips •Use Crosswalks and Intersections •Drivers expect to see pedestrians at these locations •Wave at approaching vehicles to make sure they see you •Obey Pedestrian Signals •Wait for the “WALK” symbol •Look Both Ways •Stop and look left, right, and left again •Make eye contact with Drivers •Never assume a driver sees you •Stay Visible •Wear light-colored or reflective clothing at night, consider using a flashlight •Avoid Distractions •Don’t walk while being distracted on a cellphone or some other electronics' including headphones •Be Sober •Alcohol/drugs can impair your ability to walk safely and make decisions Pedestrian Safety Tips •Interacting with Traffic •Watch for turning vehicles even if you have the right of way •Be extra cautious in parking lots and driveways •Do not assume the drivers see you •Always walk towards traffic, this way you can always see oncoming vehicles •Stay as close to the farthest edge from the roadway as possible •Pedestrians do not always have the right of way when on the roadway Driver Safety Tips •Yield to Pedestrians in Crosswalks •Never Pass a stopped vehicle at a crosswalk •Obey School Zone Laws •Slow down in Pedestrian Areas •Watch for unexpected movements •Avoid Distractions, IE: electronics/headphones •Don’t assume Pedestrians see you •Be extra cautious in poor visibility •Watch for pedestrians at driveways and parking lots Traffic Related Activity Cupertino Accidents Traffic Safety Concerns Email: WVTRAFFIC@SHF.SCCGOV.ORG QUESTIONS? PSC 9-11-2025 Staff Update Presentations Public Safety Commission Staff Update Marta Drown Cupertino Office of Emergency Management 20250911 •CARES •CERT •MRC •Block Leader Volunteer Activities •Council Proclamation •Cupertino SCENE •AlertSCC promotion •City social media National Preparedness Month