Disaster Preparedness

Disasters can leave people injured or displaced and in some cases cause death. They also cause significant damage to our homes, communities, businesses, public infrastructure, and our environment; and they cost tremendous amounts in terms of response, recovery dollars, and economic loss. While we cannot prevent disasters from happening, we can help reduce or eliminate their effects through preparedness and mitigation.

The City of Montclair takes a pro-active role in disaster preparedness and mitigation through the City's Office of Emergency Services. The goal of Montclair's Office of Emergency Services is to implement the four phases of comprehensive emergency management, which are mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

City personnel prepare for disaster situations by conducting training and disaster drills using the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). Both SEMS and NIMS are emergency management systems that provide a consistent template for all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of their cause, size, location, or complexity.

Montclair is an active participant on the San Bernardino County Operational Area Coordinating Council (OACC). This Council was established on September 19, 1995, by the County Board of Supervisors. The OACC consists of one primary representative from each jurisdiction within the Operational Area. This Council works along with local governments, the County of San Bernardino Office of Emergency Services, the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to better prepare and plan for potential disasters within California. Exchanging critical preparedness information and discussing resources are functions of the Council that better prepare our City, County, and State for man-made and natural disasters.

The City encourages all residents to be prepared for disasters. Some of the things you can do to prepare are build an emergency supply kit, develop an emergency plan, and be informed about the hazards that affect the areas you frequent.

We hope that the information provided on this website is beneficial to you. If you require additional information, please contact the Montclair Fire Department at (909) 447-3540.