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Office of Emergency Services Undergoes Name Change
The County’s Office of Emergency Services is now the Department of Emergency Management (DEM). The Department of Emergency Management will work with both the public and private sectors to help raise the level of planning and preparedness and provide support to first responders. The promotion to a County department “is an opportunity to better illustrate to the public, our partners and County employees its role in managing emergency preparation and response,” County Manager Mike Callagy said. “The COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires and other responses have shed a light on just how critical a strong and well-understood DEM is for San Mateo County."
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Board of Supervisors Approves Redistricting Map
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at its Dec. 7 meeting to adopt the “Communities Together” map that sets district lines for the next decade. The 5-0 vote caps a months-long public outreach and engagement process. The Board, by state law, must adopt a new map that sets boundaries for each of the five supervisorial districts by Dec. 15, 2021, for use in the June 2022 primaries. The new districts respect the geographical integrity of local communities and neighborhoods with shared interests and minimizes the division of coastal communities and those living in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City.
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Event Center Pediatric, Adult Vaccine Clinics Remain Open
With high demand at County-operated vaccination sites, appointments for first, second and boosters shots are strongly encouraged. Only a limited number of individuals without appointments will be able to get vaccinated. Appointments for both the pediatric and adult clinics can be made through MyTurn. Residents can also access first and second doses and boosters from other County-operated clinics, health providers and local pharmacies. To date, over 24,000 children 5 to 11 have been vaccinated with at least one dose, and 74.6 percent of the total population of San Mateo County has been fully vaccinated.
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Mental Health Professionals Partner With Police
Mental health professionals will team with law enforcement in Daly City, San Mateo, Redwood City, and South San Francisco as part of the Community Wellness and Crisis Response Pilot Project aimed at de-escalating 9-1-1 calls and providing appropriate, compassionate care for non-violent individuals. The County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services has contracted with local nonprofit StarVista to train and supervise clinicians, who will be embedded with each city’s police department based on need. Public safety 9-1-1 dispatchers will deploy the clinicians along with police officers to calls with individuals suspected of experiencing mental health crises.
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Assistant Director Selected for San Mateo County Parks
Hannah Ormshaw was recently named the San Mateo County Parks Department's new assistant director. Formerly serving as the department's Natural Resource Manager since 2019 and with a degree in environmental studies, Ormshaw brings an extensive background in natural resource management to the job. She will be instrumental as the department implements its Wildfire Fuel Management Program and develops and implements plans that protect sensitive species while also providing recreational access across more than 16,000 acres throughout San Mateo County.
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