CHAPTER7

SafetyElement

CHAPTER 7 SAFETY ELEMENT

Introduction
PurposeandScope
The purpose of the Safety Element is to include safety considerations in the planning and decisionmaking processbyestablishingpoliciesrelatedtofuturedevelopmentthatwillminimizetheriskofpersonalinjury, loss of life, property damage, and environmental damage associated with natural and manmade hazards. TheSafetyElementaddressestheCountyofSanDiegosnaturalhazardsandhumanactivitiesthatmaypose athreattopublicsafetywithinthefollowingtopicareas:

Wildfires GeologicalandSeismicHazards Flooding HazardousMaterials LawEnforcement AirportHazards

TheSafetyElementprovidespolicydirectionthatsupportslawsandregulationsrelatedtosafetyhazardsas wellaspoliciesthatsupporttheguidingprinciplesestablishedforthisGeneralPlan.

GuidingPrinciplesforSafety
The Safety Element maps, goals, and policies support the Guiding Principles specified in Chapter 2 of the General Plan. Specifically, Guiding Principle 5 provides direction for the Safety Element to ensure that development accounts for physical constraints and the natural hazards of the land. The Safety Element supportsthisprinciplethroughnumerouspoliciesthatlocatedevelopmentawayfromhazardousareasand ensure safety and security for all communities within the County. Goals and polices of the Safety Element protect residents and areas from wildland and urban fire, crime, hazardous materials incidents, flooding, earthquakes,andhazardousincidentsfromaircrafts.

RelationshiptoOtherGeneralPlanElements
Several Safety Element policies are interrelated with mandated topics in the Land Use, Circulation, and ConservationandOpenSpaceElements.Forexample,LandUseMapsseektominimizefuturedevelopment inhazardousareas.Policiestominimizetherisksposedfromwildlandfires,foundinthefirehazardssection of the Safety Element, are also found in the Land Use and Conservation and Open Space Elements. In addition, policies associated with secondary access during a fire emergency are found in the Mobility Element. References to related policies are provided where appropriate within the Safety Element. It is importanttoremember,however,thatpoliciesintheSafetyElementaretailoredtoaddresssafetyrelated issues and referenced policies in other Elements should also be reviewed to determine environmental or othertypesofpoliciesassociatedwithsimilarlocationsortypesofdevelopment.

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GoalsandPoliciesforSafetyElement
HazardsMitigation,DisasterPreparedness,andEmergency Response

CONTEXT
Thissectioncontainsgoalsandpoliciesthatprovideforthesafetyandprotectionoflifeandpropertyfrom theoccurrenceofanaturalormanmadehazardandapplygenerallytoanypotentialhazardousevent,which maybeaddressedfurtherinothertopicareasinthisElement.

H AZARDS M ITIGATION
On October 19, 2004, the Board of Supervisors adopted the MultiJurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP)incompliancewithfederalandStateregulationsintendedtoreinforcetheimportanceofmitigation planningandemphasizedplanningfordisastersbeforetheyoccur.TheHMPisacomprehensiveassessment of natural hazards including coastal storms, erosion and tsunami, dam failure, earthquakes, floods, rain inducedlandslides,liquefaction,structure/wildlandfires,andmanmadehazards,includingtechnologicaland terrorism.Theplanenhancespublicawarenessandunderstanding,createsadecisiontoolformanagement, promotes compliance with State and Federal program requirements, enhances local policies for hazard mitigationcapability,andprovidesinterjurisdictionalcoordinationofmitigationrelatedprogramming.

D ISASTER P REPAREDNESS
Savinglivesandtheprotectionoflife,theenvironment,andpropertyaretheprimarygoalsofgovernmental publicsafetyagenciesinanyemergencyordisaster.Emergencyplansprovidethebasisfromwhichresponse and recovery operations are executed. The success of these plans depends largely, in part, on the collaborationofagenciesandjurisdictionsresponsibleforthedevelopmentandmaintenanceoftheseplans. The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services (OES) coordinates the overall County response to disasters. OES is responsible for alerting and notifying appropriate agencies when disaster strikes; coordinatingallagenciesthatrespond;ensuringresourcesareavailableandmobilizedintimesofdisaster; developingplansandproceduresforresponsetoandrecoveryfromdisasters;anddevelopingandproviding preparednessmaterialsforthepublic.OESandnumerousregionalpartnershavecompletedtwoimportant publicsafetypreparednessplansrelatedtodisasterevacuationsandrecovery:

TheSanDiegoOperationalAreaEvacuationPlanTheEvacuationPlanisintendedtobeusedasa
template,ascitiesthroughouttheCountycontinuetodeveloptheirindividualevacuationplans. The Plan outlines procedures and organizational structures that can be used for a coordinated regional evacuation effort. Transportation routes and capacities are identified in addition to countywideshelterspaceandconsiderationsforspecialneedspopulations.

TheSanDiegoOperationalRecoveryPlanTheRecoveryPlanisdesignedtoprovideguidanceto
jurisdictions and organizations within the County of San Diego as they continue their own recovery planning. The plan addresses short and longterm restoration plans for communities impactedbydisaster,includingissuessuchas:debrisremoval,coordinationoffinancialassistance

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and housing, economic recovery, and measures to reduce or eliminate the effects of future incidents.

E MERGENCY R ESPONSE
OES coordinates the overall County response to disasters, including alerting and notifying appropriate agencies, coordinating all responding agencies, ensuring resources are available and mobilized, developing response and recovery plans and procedures, and providing preparedness materials for the public. The Unified Disaster Council (UDC), the governing body of the Unified San Diego County Emergency Services Organization, is chaired by the Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and includes representativesfromthe18incorporatedcities.OESservesasstafftotheUDCandactsasaliaisonbetween the incorporated cities, the State Office of Emergency Services and FEMA, as well as nongovernmental agenciessuchastheAmericanRedCross.

GOALSANDPOLICIES
GOALS1
PublicSafety.Enhancedpublicsafetyandtheprotectionofpublicandprivateproperty.

Policies
S1.1 S1.2 MinimizeExposuretoHazards.Minimizethepopulationexposedtohazardsbyassigninglanduse designationsanddensityallowancesthatreflectsitespecificconstraintsandhazards. Public Facilities Location. Advise, and where appropriate require, new development to locate futurepublicfacilities,includingnewessentialandsensitivefacilities,withrespecttotheCountys hazardousareasandStatelaw. RiskReductionPrograms.Supporteffortsandprogramsthatreducetheriskofnaturalandman madehazardsandthatreducethetimeforrespondingtothesehazards. MultiJurisdictionalHazardMitigationPlan.ReviewandupdatetheCountysMultiJurisdictional HazardMitigationPlaneveryfiveyears. Postdisaster Reconstruction. Participate in the development of programs and procedures that emphasize coordination between appropriate public agencies and private entities to remove debrisandpromotetherapidreconstructionoftheCountyfollowingadisastereventandfacilitate theupgradingofthebuiltenvironmentasexpeditiouslyaspossible.

S1.3 S1.4 S1.5

GOALS2
Emergency Response. Effective emergency response to natural or humaninduced disasters that minimizesthelossoflifeanddamagetoproperty,whilealsoreducingdisruptionsinthedeliveryof vitalpublicandprivateservicesduringandfollowingadisaster.

Policies
S2.1 Emergency Management System Training. Conduct annual training sessions using adopted emergency management systems. Coordinate with other jurisdictions to execute a variety of exercisestotestoperationalandemergencyplans.

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S2.2

ParticipationinMutualAidSystems.Maintainparticipationinlocal,regional,State,andnational mutualaidsystemstoensurethatappropriateresourcesareavailableforresponseandrecovery duringandfollowingadisaster. FamiliaritywithNationalandStateResponsePlans.EnsurethatallrelevantandpertinentCounty ofSanDiegopersonnelarefamiliarwiththeNationalIncidentManagementSystem,theNational Response Plan, the State of California Master Mutual Aid Agreement, and any other relevant responseplansconsistentwiththeirpositionintheCountysEmergencyManagementPlan. Emergency and Disaster Education Programs. Sponsor and support education programs pertainingtoemergency/disasterpreparednessandresponseprotocolsandprocedures.Distribute information aboutemergency preparednesstocommunity groups,schools,religiousinstitutions, transientoccupancyestablishments,andbusinessassociations. Existing Development within 100year Flood Zones. Implement flood warning systems and evacuationplansforareasthatarealreadydevelopedwithin100yearfloodzones. Effective Emergency Evacuation Programs. Develop, implement, and maintain an effective evacuationprogramforareasofriskintheeventofanaturaldisaster.

S2.3

S2.4

S2.5 S2.6

FireHazards

CONTEXT
IntheCountyofSanDiego,firehazardsrepresentahighlevelthreattopersonalinjuryandpropertydamage. BecausemostoftheunincorporatedCountyislocatedwithinveryhighorextremefirethreatareas,avoiding highthreatareasisnotpossible(FigureS1[FireThreat]).ComparingstructurallossdatafromCALFIREof the20largestCaliforniawildlandfiresbystructurallossbetween19232008,SanDiegoCountyaccountedfor over34percentofthetotaldestroyedstructuresstatewide. Between1967and2007SanDiegoCountyexperiencedmorethan9,000destroyeddwellingsfromwildland fires.Thetopography,geographic,andclimaticconditionswithinourregionleadtotheoverallregionalfire problem. Over half of the land acreage of the unincorporated county is public land owned by the federal government,stategovernment,orlocalgovernment.Therefore,policiesfocusonminimizingtheimpactof wildfiresthroughlanduseplanningtechniquesandothermitigationmeasures.Keyissuesaddressedinthis sectionareasfollows:

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Rainbow Pendleton - De Luz Fallbrook

Palomar Mountain

Pala - Pauma

LEGEND Fire Threat 2005 Moderate

Little or no Threat High Very High

Lakeside

Community/Subregional Planning Area Boundary Subregional Group Boundary Lakes Rivers

Valle De Oro Spring Valley Sweetwater

Extreme Incorporated Area

Fire threat index based on fuel rank and fire rotation 1/1/2004 to 12/31/2004

FIRE THREAT

San Diego County General Plan

P A C

Bonsall

I F I C O C E A N

Valley Center

Borrego Springs

North Mountain

P E

Twin Oaks Hidden Meadows

R I

North County Metro

A L

Julian San Dieguito Ramona Desert Central Mountiain

C O U

Barona

Cuyamaca

N T Y

Descanso

Crest - Dehesa

Alpine

Pine Valley

Mountain Empire

Jamul
Potrero

Lake Morena / Campo

Boulevard Jacumba

Otay

Tecate
X I C

O Map Date: July 2008 Source: SanGIS, California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection1

10

Miles

Figure S-1

GO ALS AND POLICIES

DefensibleSpace:Defensiblespacereferstoaseparationzonebetweenwildlandsandstructureswherefuel, including natural and ornamental vegetation, manmade combustible materials, and ancillary structures, is managedormodifiedtominimizethespreadoffiretothestructureandallowspacefordefendingstructures from burning vegetation. This separation is important to improving the survivability of structures in a wildlandfireeventandismostreadilymaintainedwhenplannedforaspartofprojectdesign.Foroptimal protectionagainstwildfires,structuresshouldalsobehardenedtomakethemmoreignitionresistant.

Wildland/Urban Interface: The wildland/urban

interface refers to areas where structures and other human developments meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland. Much of the unincorporated County is located within the wildland/urbaninterface.

Strategic Vegetation Management: Outside of

defensible space around structures, reducing, thinning, or otherwise modifying the amount of vegetation (fuel) may reduce the risk of wildfire withinconiferforestsaswellasthroughstrategic fuel breaks near the wildlandurban interface in Wildland/urbaninterfaceinBonsall lowwindconditions.

Access/EgressRoutes:Requiredevelopmenttoincludemultipleaccess/egressrouteswhennecessary
toensureadequatesafety.

FundingFireServices:Existingfundingforfireservicesislimitedandvariable.Fulltimefundingforfire
servicesiscrucialforassuringlongtermcommitmentofadequatecoverage.

Travel Time Standards: The minimum travel time standards to respond to a fire hazard or medical
emergency facilitate the ability to identify future fire facility needs and to determine public service requirementsforproposeddevelopment.Traveltimestandardsindicatethatexpectationsforservice levelsaredifferentinurbanizedareasthaninruralareas.

MultipleFireProtectionDistricts:Providingacoordinatedresponsetolargewildlandfiresisachallenge
in the County where the responsibility for fire prevention and suppression is vested in a number of local,State,andfederalagencies.

MultiStory Structural Fires: The ability of rural fire protection districts to safely fight structural fires
with multiple stories may be an issue in rural locations when higher density multifamily residential developmentsareneededtoprovideaffordablehousingoralternatehousingtypes,sincetheruralfire protectiondistrictssimplydonothavetheresourcestofightmultistorystructurefires.

Building and Site Design: Requiring the hardening of structures with ignition resistant materials and
thelocationofstructurestominimizetheriskfromwildlandfires. During the past several years, the County instituted a number of safetyrelated programs and policies to reduce the risk of fire hazards. From 2004 to 2006, the County created the County Fire Enhancement Programtoassistunderfundedruralfireagencies.OnJune25,2008theBoardofSupervisorscreatedthe San Diego County Fire Authority, bringing together volunteer fire companies, fire districts, and CAL FIRE under thebannerofregionalcoordinationwithlocalcontrol.Policiesinthissectionaddressthepreceding issuesandprovideaframeworkthatsupportspreviouslyimplementedprogramsandpolicies.

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GOALSANDPOLICIES
GOALS3
Minimized Fire Hazards. Minimize injury, loss of life, and damage to property resulting from structuralorwildlandfirehazards.

Policies
S3.1 Defensible Development. Require development to be located, designed, and constructed to provideadequatedefensibilityandminimizetheriskofstructurallossandlifesafetyresultingfrom wildlandfires. Development in Hillsides and Canyons. Require development located near ridgelines, top of slopes,saddles,orotherareaswheretheterrainortopographyaffectitssusceptibilitytowildfires tobelocatedanddesignedtoaccountfortopographyandreducetheincreasedriskfromfires. Minimize Flammable Vegetation. Site and design development to minimize the likelihood of a wildfire spreading to structures by minimizing pockets or peninsulas, or islands of flammable vegetationwithinadevelopment. Service Availability. Plan for development where fire and emergency services are available or planned. AccessRoads.Requiredevelopmenttoprovideadditionalaccessroadswhennecessarytoprovide forsafeaccessofemergencyequipmentandcivilianevacuationconcurrently. Fire Protection Measures. Ensure that development located within fire threat areas implement measuresthatreducetheriskofstructuralandhumanlossduetowildfire.
Mitigationmeasuresinclude,butarenotlimitedto,theuseofignitionresistantmaterials,multipleingress andegressroutes,andfireprotectionsystems.

S3.2

S3.3

S3.4 S3.5 S3.6

S3.7

Fire Resistant Construction. Require all new, remodeled, or rebuilt structures to meet current ignition resistance construction codes and establish and enforce reasonable and prudent standardsthatsupportretrofittingofexistingstructuresinhighfirethreatareas.

GOALS4
ManagedFuelLoads.Managedfuelloads,includingornamentalandcombustiblevegetation.

Policies
S4.1 FuelManagementPrograms.Supportprograms consistent with state law that require fuel management/modification within established defensiblespaceboundariesandwhenstrategic fuel modification is necessary outside of defensible space, balance fuel management needs to protect structures with the preservation of native vegetation and sensitive habitats. NorthMountainwildfirearea

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S4.2

Coordination to Minimize Fuel Management Impacts. Consider comments from CAL FIRE, U.S. ForestService,localfiredistricts,andwildlifeagenciesforrecommendationsregardingmitigation forimpactstohabitatandspeciesintofuelmanagementprojects. ForestHealth.Encouragetheprotectionofwoodlands,forests,andtreeresourcesandlimitfire threatthroughappropriatefuelmanagementsuchasremovalofdead,dying,anddiseasedtrees.

S4.3

GOALS5
RegionalFireProtection.Regionalcoordinationamongfireprotectionagencies.

Policies
S5.1 Regional Coordination Support. Advocate and support regional coordination among fire protection and emergency service providers. Fire Service Provider Agreements. Encourageagreementsbetweenfireservice providerstoimprovefireprotectionandto maximize service levels in a fair, efficient, andcosteffectivemanner. Reassessment of Fire Hazards. Coordinate withfireprotectionandemergencyserviceproviderstoreassessfirehazardsafterwildfireevents toadjustfirepreventionandsuppressionneeds,asnecessary,commensurateforbothshortand longtermfirepreventionneeds.
CombinedfireandSherriffstationinPineValley

S5.2

S5.3

GOALS6
AdequateFireandMedicalServices.Adequatelevelsoffireandemergencymedicalservices(EMS) intheunincorporatedCounty.

Policies
S6.1 S6.2 Water Supply. Ensure that water supply systems for development are adequate to combat structuralandwildlandfires. FireProtectionforMultiStoryDevelopment.Coordinatewithfireservicesproviderstoimprove fireprotectionservicesformultistoryconstruction.
Multistorystructuresareassociatedwithdensitiesof15to30dwellingunitsperacreparticularlyin areaswithintheCountyWaterAuthority(CWA)boundary.Designfeaturesmayincludesafezonesand increasedbuildingdesignfeatures.

S6.3

Funding Fire Protection Services. Require development to contribute its fair share towards fundingtheprovisionofappropriatefireandemergencymedicalservicesasdeterminednecessary toadequatelyservetheproject.

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S6.4

FireProtectionServicesforDevelopment. Require thatnewdevelopmentdemonstratethatfire servicescanbeprovidedthatmeetstheminimumtraveltimesidentifiedinTableS1(TravelTime StandardsfromClosestFireStation).

Traveltimesarecalculatedusingacceptedmethodologybasedonthetraveldistancefromthefirestationto thefarthestdwellingunitofthedevelopment.Firestationsmustbestaffedyearround,publiclysupported, andcommittedtoprovidingservice.Thesedonotincludestationsthatarenotobligatedbylawto automaticallyrespondtoanincident.TraveltimeisbasedonstandardspublishedbytheNationalFire ProtectionAssociation.Traveltimedoesnotrepresenttotalresponsetime,whichiscalculatedbyadding thetraveltimetothecallprocessingtimeandtotheturnout/reflextime.Generally,thecallprocessingand turnout/reflextimewouldaddbetweentwotothreeminutestothetraveltime.Itisnotknownifany countyhasformallyadoptedNFPA1710and/or1720asastandard.TotalResponseTime(NFPA 1710/1720)iscalculatedastimethePublicSafetyAnsweringPoint(PSAP)receivestheemergencycall, transfersittofirecommunications,thealarmisprocessedandtransmittedtoresponders,responders turnout,plustraveltimetothescenetoinitiateaction.Theuseofresponsetimefordetermining adequateserviceisproblematicintheunincorporatedCountybecauseitissubjectiveandvariesfrom departmenttodepartment,stationtostationandworkshifttoworkshift.Reflextime(theamountoftime fromwhenthecallisreceivedbythestationtowhentheengineleavesthestation)canvaryfromoneto threeminutes.Theuseoftraveltime,ascalculatedbyusingNFPA1142,allowsustobeconsistentacross theCountyindeterminingadequateresponse,regardlessofthedistrict. TableS1establishesaservicelevelstandardforfireandfirstresponderemergencymedicalservicesthatis appropriatetotheareawhereadevelopmentislocated.Standardsareintendedto(1)helpensure developmentoccursinareaswithadequatefireprotectionand/or(2)helpimprovefireserviceinareaswith inadequatecoveragebyrequiringmitigationforservicelevelimprovementsaspartofprojectapproval.

TableS1
Travel Time

TravelTimeStandardsfromtheClosestFireStation*
RegionalCategory (and/orLandUseDesignation) RationaleforTravelTimeStandards**

5 min

Village (VR-2 to VR-30) and limited Semi-Rural Residential Areas (SR-1) Commercial and Industrial Designations in the Village Regional Category Development located within a Village Boundary Semi-Rural Residential Areas (> SR-1 and SR-2 and SR-4) Commercial and Industrial Designations in the Semi-Rural Regional Category Development located within a Rural Village Boundary Limited Semi-Rural Residential areas (>SR-4, SR-10) and Rural Lands (RL20) All Commercial and Industrial Designations in the Rural Lands Regional Category

In general, this travel time standard applies to the Countys more intensely developed areas, where resident and business expectations for service are the highest.

10 min

In general, this travel time provides a moderate level of service in areas where lower-density development, longer access routes and longer distances make it difficult to achieve shorter travel times.

20 min

In general, this travel time is appropriate for very lowdensity residential areas, where full-time fire service is limited and where long access routes make it impossible to achieve shorter travel times.

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TableS1
Travel Time

TravelTimeStandardsfromtheClosestFireStation*
RegionalCategory (and/orLandUseDesignation) RationaleforTravelTimeStandards**

>20 min

Very-low rural land densities (RL-40 and RL-80)

Application of very-low rural densities mitigates the risk associated with wildfires by drastically reducing the number of people potentially exposed to this hazard. Future subdivisions at these densities are not required to meet a travel time standard. However, independent fire districts should impose additional mitigation requirements on development in these areas.

* **

Themostrestrictivestandardwillapplywhenthedensity,regionalcategoryand/orvillage/ruralvillage boundarydonotyieldaconsistentresponsetimestandard. Traveltimestandardsdonotguaranteeaspecificlevelofserviceorresponsetimefromfireandemergency services.Levelofserviceisdeterminedbythefundingandresourcesavailabletotherespondingentity.

S6.5

Concurrency of Fire Protection Services. Ensure that fire protection staffing, facilities and equipment required to serve development are operating prior to, or in conjunction with, the development. Allow incremental growth to occur until a new facility can be supported by development.

GeologicalHazards

CONTEXT
Natural geologic processes that represent a hazard to life, health, or property are considered geologic hazards.NaturalgeologichazardsaffectingpeopleandpropertyinCountyofSanDiegoincludeearthquakes, which can cause surface fault rupture, ground shaking, landslides, and liquefaction; expansive soils; weathering;andmasswastingphenomena,suchaslandslidesandrockfalls(SeeFigureS2[FaultsandNear SourceShakingZones],FigureS3[LandslideSusceptibility],andFigureS4[ExpansiveClays]).Althoughitis not possible to prevent or mitigate all geologic hazards, their destructive effects can be reduced to acceptablelevelsoravoidedthroughcarefulplanningandprojectsitinganddesign. Ofthegeologicalhazards,seismichazardsposethehighestpotentialforcausingwidespreaddamage.Allof SanDiegoCountyislocatedwithinSeismicZone4(Sec.1629.4.1oftheCaliforniaBuildingCode[CBC]),which isthehighestSeismicZoneand,likemostofSouthernCalifornia,issubjecttogroundshaking.Activefaultsin theregionincludesegmentsoftheSanJacinto,Elsinore,andRoseCanyonfaultzones.Seismichazardpolicies listed below reflect State law and adopted guidelines including the CBC, AlquistPriolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act, and the States Guidelines for Evaluating and Mitigating Seismic Hazards in California (Special Publication117). Landslide risks vary across the Countys diverse landscape. Landslides consist of masses of rock, earth, or debristhatmovedownaslope.Typesofslopefailuresincluderockfalls,rotational(deep)slips,andshallow debrisflows.Landslidescanbecausedbyhumanactivitiessuchasgrading,irrigationofslopes,andmining activity.Landslidesalsooccurasaresultofnaturalconditionssuchasearthquakes,heavyprecipitation,weak rock/soil character, seepage of groundwater, and topography. Areas within the County subject to the greatestriskoflandslidesincludepropertiesonorbelowsteepslopes.Inordertoreducelandslidehazardsto public health and safety, land use policies are incorporated into this Element that serve to avoid

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CO UN

O R A N G E

Rainbow Pendleton-De Luz Fallbrook

Palomar Mountain

Pala-Pauma Valley
I F I C O C E A N

P A C

Bonsall Valley Center

Hidden Meadows Twin Oaks Valley

North Mountain

Borrego Springs

P E R

North County Metro

I A L

Julian

Desert

LEGEND Faults Seismic Shaking Buffer 2 Km 5 Km 10 Km 15 Km Incorporated Area Community/Subregional Planning Area Boundary Subregional Group Boundary Lakes Rivers

San Dieguito

Ramona

C O

Cuyamaca

U N T

Lakeside
Descanso

Central Mountain

Alpine Crest-DehesaHarbison CanyonGranite Hills Valle De Oro Spring Valley Sweetwater Jamul-Dulzura
Potrero

Pine Valley

Mountain Empire

Lake Morena / Campo

Boulevard Jacumba

Otay

Tecate
E X I C O

FAULTS & NEAR SOURCE SHAKING ZONES

San Diego County General Plan

Map Date: May 2009 1 Source: County of San Diego

0 2 4 6 8 Miles 10

Figure S-2

CO UN

O R A N G E

Rainbow Pendleton-De Luz Fallbrook

Palomar Mountain

Pala-Pauma Valley
I F I C O C E A N

P A C

Bonsall Valley Center

Hidden Meadows Twin Oaks Valley

North Mountain

Borrego Springs

P E R

North County Metro

I A L

LEGEND Landslide Susceptibility High Moderate Incorporated Area Community/Subregional Planning Area Boundary Subregional Group Boundary Tribal/State/Federal Lands Lakes Rivers

Julian San Dieguito Ramona

Desert

C O

Cuyamaca

U N T

Lakeside
Descanso

Central Mountain

Alpine Crest-DehesaHarbison CanyonGranite Hills Valle De Oro Spring Valley Sweetwater Jamul-Dulzura
Potrero

Pine Valley

Mountain Empire

Lake Morena / Campo

Boulevard Jacumba

Otay

Tecate
E X I C O

LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY
San Diego County General Plan

Map Date: May 2009 1 Source: County of San Diego, USGS, HAZUS
0 2 4 6 8 Miles 10

Figure S-3

CO UN

O R A N G E

Rainbow Pendleton-De Luz Fallbrook

Palomar Mountain

Pala-Pauma Valley
I F I C O C E A N

P A C

Bonsall Valley Center

Hidden Meadows Twin Oaks Valley

North Mountain

Borrego Springs

P E R

North County Metro

I A L

LEGEND Expansive Clays Incorporated Area Community/Subregional Planning Area Boundary Subregional Group Boundary Tribal/State/Federal Lands Lakes Rivers

Julian San Dieguito Ramona

Desert

C O

Cuyamaca

U N T

Lakeside
Descanso

Central Mountain

Alpine Crest-DehesaHarbison CanyonGranite Hills Valle De Oro Spring Valley Sweetwater Jamul-Dulzura
Potrero

Pine Valley

Mountain Empire

Lake Morena / Campo

Boulevard Jacumba

Otay

Tecate
E X I C O

EXPANSIVE CLAYS

Map Date: May 2009 1 Source: SanGIS

0 2 4 6 8 Miles 10

San Diego County General Plan

Figure S-4

GO ALS AND POLICIES

development in hazardous areas or require engineering solutions that mitigate dangers to proposed structuresandtooffsitelands.

GOALSANDPOLICIES
GOALS7
ReducedSeismicHazards.Minimizedpersonalinjuryandpropertydamageresultingfromseismic hazards.

Policies
S7.1 Development Location. Locate development in areas where the risk to people or resources is minimized. In accordance with the California Department of Conservation Special Publication42, require development be located a minimum of 50feet from active or potentially active faults, unless an alternative setback distance is approved based on geologic analysis and feasible engineering design measures adequate to demonstrate that the fault rupture hazard would be avoided. EngineeringMeasurestoReduceRisk.Requirealldevelopmenttoincludeengineeringmeasures toreduceriskinaccordancewiththeCaliforniaBuildingCode,UniformBuildingCode,andother seismic and geologic hazard safety standards, including design and construction standards that regulate land use in areas known to have or potentially have significant seismic and/or other geologichazards. LandUseLocation.Prohibithighoccupancyuses,essentialpublicfacilities,andusesthatpermit significantamountsofhazardousmaterialswithinAlquistPrioloandCountyspecialstudieszones. UnreinforcedMasonryStructures.Requiretheretrofittingofunreinforcedmasonrystructuresto minimizedamageintheeventofseismicorgeologichazards. Retrofitting of Essential Facilities. Seismic retrofit essential facilities to minimize damage in the eventofseismicorgeologichazards.

S7.2

S7.3 S7.4 S7.5

GOALS8
Reduced Landslide, Mudslide, and Rock Fall Hazards. Minimized personal injury and property damagecausedbymudslides,landslides,orrockfalls.

Policies
S8.1 S8.2 Landslide Risks. Direct development away from areas with high landslide, mudslide, or rock fall potentialwhenengineeringsolutionshavebeendeterminedbytheCountytobeinfeasible. RiskofSlopeInstability.Prohibitdevelopmentfromcausingorcontributingtoslopeinstability.

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FloodHazards

CONTEXT
Floodingisapersistentortemporaryconditionofpartialorcompleteinundationofnormallydrylandareas. Flooding is commonly associated with the overflow of natural rivers or streams, but can also occur near stormwaterdiversionfacilities,orinlowlyingareasnotdesignedtotransportorinfiltratewateratanytime. ThepotentialforfloodinginSanDiegoCountyishigh.Stormeventsarethemostcommoncauseofflooding, andareasmostpronetofloodingaremappedbytheState,federalagencies,andtheCounty. Nearly every community planning area (CPA) or subregion in the unincorporated County has studied areas subjecttofloodinundation,(althoughtherearealsoknownfloodhazardareasintheCountythathavenot beenstudied).TheCountyofSanDiegopublishesmapsshowingstudied100yearfloodplainandfloodway boundaries,and100yearfloodwatersurfaceelevations(whereavailable),orfloodplainhazardareas.These areasaremappedas100yearfloodplainsinFigureS5(Floodplains).1Floodplainsarerelativelyflatareasof lowlandsadjoiningandincludingthechannelofariver,stream,watercourse,bay,orotherbodyofwater whichissubjecttoinundationbythefloodwatersofthe100yearfrequencyflood.Watercoursessubjectto floodcontrolrequirementsbytheCountyareaffectedbylargedrainageareas(typicallyonesquaremileand greater for FEMA mapped floodplains and 100 acres or greater tributary area for Countydefined watercourses)andareshownontheCountyfloodplainmaps.Afloodwayisthechannelofariverorother watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood (100 year flood) without increasing the water surface elevation more than the designated height, but not to exceedmorethanonefoot.Encroachmentintothefloodwaybystructuresisgenerallyprohibited. Most community planning areas have between 100 to 4,700acres of land identified as a floodplain. The exception is Borrego Springs (within the Desert Subregion), which has nearly 30,350acres of land in its alluvialfloodplain.Thishighnumbercanbeattributedtoflashfloodingthatoccursindeserts.TheCountyof SanDiegoFloodHazardMapforBorregoValleydelineatesboundariesofknownspecialfloodhazardareas on alluvial fans and lines of equal probability of flood depths and velocities. Alluvial fans are generally a desert phenomenon where streams emerge from canyons and deposit sand and rock in a coneshaped formationfanningoutfromthecanyonmouth.Thepotentialforhighvelocityflowandheavysedimentload coupled with the complex nature of alluvial fan flooding means that virtually all parts of the fan can be threatened by catastrophic flooding. The Borrego Valley Flood Management Report (October 17, 1989), however,providesmethodsforreducingrisktostructuresbuiltonthealluvialfan.

Communitylevelmapsshowingthe100yearfloodplainareascanbeaccessedonlinebycontactingSANGISat http://www.sangis.org/maplibrary.
1

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CO UN

O R A N G E

Rainbow Pendleton-De Luz Fallbrook

Palomar Mountain

Pala-Pauma Valley
I F I C O C E A N

P A C

Bonsall Valley Center

Hidden Meadows Twin Oaks Valley

North Mountain

Borrego Springs

P E R

North County Metro

I A L

LEGEND 100 year Floodway 100 year Floodplain Incorporated Area Community/Subregional Planning Area Boundary Subregional Group Boundary Tribal/State/Federal Lands Lakes Rivers

Julian San Dieguito Ramona

Desert

C O

Cuyamaca

U N T

Lakeside
Descanso

Central Mountain

Alpine Crest-DehesaHarbison CanyonGranite Hills Valle De Oro Spring Valley Sweetwater Jamul-Dulzura
Potrero

Pine Valley

Mountain Empire

Lake Morena / Campo

Boulevard Jacumba

Otay

Tecate
E X I C O

FLOOD PLAINS

Map Date: May 2009 1 Source: FEMA, County of San Diego

0 2 4 6 8 Miles 10

San Diego County General Plan

Figure S-5

CHAPTER 7 SAFETY ELEMENT

Floodingmayalsooccurastheresultofdamfailure.Thefailureofadamoccursmostcommonlyasaresult of poor design/construction, lack of maintenance, or structural damage caused by an earthquake. Areas subject to inundation due to a dam failure are shown in FigureS6 (Dam Inundation Areas). This event is extremelyhazardous,asitwilltypicallyoccurquicklyandwithoutwarning.Areasdirectlybelowthedamare at the greatest risk, and, as the water moves further downstream, reduces in velocity, and becomes shallowerindepth,themagnitudeofthedamageandpotentialrisktolifeandpropertydecreases. Themosteffectivewaystoreducetheriskofflooding is to ensure development is located outside flood prone areas. However, it is also possible to reduce flooding by constructing drainage facilities or using other design measures to mitigate hazards. Urbanization affects flooding by reducing the permeabilityoflandsurfaces,whichalsoincreasesthe amount of stormwater runoff and the required capacityofchannels.InVillageandRuralVillagesand inareascontainingVillagedensities,theGeneralPlan policies discourage future development from locating within a floodplain, but recognize that there may be instanceswhereencroachmentiswarranted.Because lowerdensitydevelopmentprovidesgreaterflexibility DaminunincorporatedCounty when siting structures, future development in Semi RuralandRuralLandsdesignationsshouldbelocatedoutsidemappedfloodplainsandnaturalfloodcontrol systems.

GOALSANDPOLICIES
GOALS9
Protection of Life and Property. Minimized personal injury and property damage losses resulting fromfloodevents.

Policies
S9.1 FloodplainMaps.Managedevelopmentbasedonfederalfloodplainmaps.Countymapsshallalso be referred to and in case of conflict(s) between the County floodplain maps and the federal floodplainmaps,themorestringentofrestrictionsshallapply. Development in Floodplains. Limit development in designated floodplains to decrease the potentialforpropertydamageandlossoflifefromfloodingandtoavoidtheneedforengineered channels, channel improvements, and other flood control facilities. Require development to conformtofederalfloodproofingstandardsandsitingcriteriatopreventflowobstruction. DevelopmentinFloodHazardAreas.Requiredevelopmentwithinmappedfloodhazardareasbe sited and designed to minimize on and offsite hazards to health, safety, and property due to flooding.

S9.2

S9.3

COUNTYOFSANDIEGO

718

GENERALPLAN

CO UN

O R A N G E

Rainbow Pendleton-De Luz Fallbrook

Palomar Mountain

Pala-Pauma Valley
I F I C O C E A N

P A C

Bonsall Valley Center

Hidden Meadows Twin Oaks Valley

North Mountain

Borrego Springs

P E R

North County Metro

I A L

LEGEND Dam Inundation Incorporated Area Community/Subregional Planning Area Boundary Subregional Group Boundary Tribal/State/Federal Lands Lakes Rivers

Julian San Dieguito Ramona

Desert

C O

Cuyamaca

U N T

Lakeside
Descanso

Central Mountain

Alpine Crest-DehesaHarbison CanyonGranite Hills Valle De Oro Spring Valley Sweetwater Jamul-Dulzura
Potrero

Pine Valley

Mountain Empire

Lake Morena / Campo

Boulevard Jacumba

Otay

Tecate
E X I C O

DAM INUNDATION AREAS

San Diego County General Plan

Map Date: May 2009 1 Source: SanGIS

0 2 4 6 8 Miles 10

Figure S-6

CHAPTER 7 SAFETY ELEMENT

S9.4

Development in Villages. Allow new uses and development Ahigherlevelofflexibilityfor withinthefloodplainfringe(landwithinthefloodplainoutsideof floodplainencroachmentwithin thefloodway)onlywhenenvironmentalimpactsandhazardsare Villagesisprovidedwherefuture mitigated. This policy does not apply to floodplains with growthisplannedandwhere unmapped floodways. Require land available outside the feweroptionsareavailablefor locatingdevelopmentoutsidethe floodplaintobefullyutilizedbeforelocatingdevelopmentwithin floodplain. afloodplain.Developmentwithinafloodplainmaybedeniedifit will cause significant adverse environmental impacts or is prohibited in the community plan. Channelization of floodplains is allowed within villages only when specifically addressed in communityplans. DevelopmentintheFloodplainFringe.Prohibitdevelopmentinthefloodplainfringewhenlocated on SemiRural and Rural Lands to maintain the capacity of the floodplain, unless specifically allowedinacommunityplan.Forparcelslocatedentirelywithinafloodplainorwithoutsufficient spaceforabuildingpadoutsidethefloodplain,developmentislimitedtoasinglefamilyhomeon an existing lot or those uses that do not compromise the environmental attributes of the floodplainorrequirefurtherchannelization. DevelopmentinDamInundationAreas.Prohibitdevelopmentindaminundationareasthatmay interferewiththeCountysemergencyresponseandevacuationplans.

S9.5

S9.6

GOALS10
Floodway and Floodplain Capacity. Floodways and floodplains that have acceptable capacity to accommodatefloodevents.

Policies
S10.1 Land Uses within Floodways. Limit new or expanded uses in floodways to agricultural, recreational,andothersuchlowintensityusesandthosethatdonotresultinanyincreaseinflood levelsduringtheoccurrenceofthebaseflooddischarge,donotincludehabitablestructures,and do not substantially harm, and fully offset, the environmental values of the floodway area. This policydoesnotapplytominorrenovationprojects,improvementsrequiredtoremedyanexisting floodingproblem,legalsandorgravelminingactivities,orpublicinfrastructure. Use of Natural Channels. Require the use of natural channels for County flood control facilities exceptwherenecessarytoprotectexistingstructuresfromacurrentfloodingproblemandwhere naturalchanneluseisdeemedinfeasible.Thealternativemustachievethesamelevelofbiological andotherenvironmentalprotection,suchaswaterquality,hydrology,andpublicsafety. Flood Control Facilities. Require flood control facilities to be adequately sized, constructed, and maintainedtooperateeffectively. Stormwater Management. Require development to incorporate low impact design, hydromodification management, and other measures to minimize stormwater impacts on drainageandfloodcontrolfacilities. Development Site Improvements. Require development to provide necessary on and offsite improvementstostormwaterrunoffanddrainagefacilities.

S10.2

S10.3 S10.4

S10.5

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GO ALS AND POLICIES

Increasesinvelocitiesandpeak flowratescanresultinflooding, erosion,andotherproblems downstream.Decreasescan deprivebiologicalresourcesofa Additional goals and policies that relate to development in flood hazard neededwatersource.

S10.6

Stormwater Hydrology. Ensure development avoids diverting drainages,increasingvelocities,andalteringflowratestooffsite areas to minimize adverse impacts to the areas existing hydrology.

areaarecontainedintheLandUseElement,includingtherequirementto documentandannuallyreviewfloodwaysandfloodplains.

HazardousMaterials

CONTEXT
Hazardous materials are generally defined as any material that because of its quantity, concentration, or physicalorchemicalcharacteristics,posesasignificantpresentorfuturehazardtohumanhealthandsafety or to the environment, if released into the workplace or the environment. Hazardous materials typically require special handling, reuse, and disposal because of their potential to harm human health and the environment. Use of hazardous products is common among households, businesses, and construction activities. However, the quantity, concentration, and/or types, of these products are often not significant enoughtoposeasubstantialrisktohumanhealthandsafetyortotheenvironment;therefore,donotmeet thedefinitionofhazardousmaterials.Insteadtheyareoftenreferredtoashouseholdhazardouswastes, universalwaste,andelectronicwaste. Hazardous materials are more often associated with select commercial, industrial, and agricultural operationsandtheiruseishighlyregulatedbyfederalandStatelaw.Operationsmeetingthedefinitionofa HazardousWasteFacilitymustobtainapermitorgrantofauthorizationfromtheStateDepartmentofToxic SubstanceControl. Sitesthathavebeencontaminatedbyareleaseofhazardousmaterialsalsoposearisktohumanhealthand safetyortotheenvironment.Location,type,andextentofcontaminationmustbeconsideredindetermining theappropriatereuseofsuchsites.Notallsiteshavebeenidentified;therefore,siteassessmentsareusedto determinethepresenceorlikelihoodofcontaminationinareasthataresuspect.

GOALSANDPOLICIES
GOALS11
Controlled Hazardous Material Exposure. Limited human and environmental exposure to hazardousmaterialsthatposeathreattohumanlivesorenvironmentalresources.

Policies
S11.1 Land Use Location. Require that land uses involving the storage, transfer, or processing of hazardous materials be located and designed to minimize risk and comply with all applicable hazardousmaterialsregulations.

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S11.2 S11.3

Industrial Use Restrictions. Restrict industrial uses that store, process, or transport significant amountsofhazardousmaterialtoareasdesignatedasHighImpactIndustrial. HazardsSensitiveUses.Requirethatlandusesusinghazardousmaterialsbelocatedanddesigned to ensure sensitive uses, such as schools, hospitals, day care centers, and residential neighborhoods,areprotected.Similarly,avoidlocatingsensitiveusesnearestablishedhazardous materialsusersorHighImpactIndustrialareaswhereincompatibilitieswouldresult. ContaminatedLands.Requireareasofknownorsuspectedcontaminationtobeassessedpriorto reuse.Thereuseshallbeinamannerthatiscompatiblewiththenatureofthecontaminationand subsequentremediationefforts. Development Adjacent to Agricultural Operations. Require development adjacent to existing agriculturaloperationsinSemiRuralandRuralLandstoadequatelybufferagriculturalareasand ensurecompliancewithrelevantsafetycodeswherepesticidesorotherhazardousmaterialsare used.

S11.4

S11.5

LawEnforcement

CONTEXT
The San Diego County Sheriff is responsible for providing law enforcement services in the unincorporated County and to certain cities under contract. The General Plan Land Use Maps identify where future developmentwilloccur,whichcanbeusedbytheSheriffinconjunctionwithforecastsfromcontractcities, to prepare facility and service plans. As higher density residential and commercial areas typically produce morecallsforservice,theseareashavebeenidentifiedaspreferredlocationsoffutureSheriffFacilitiesinthe unincorporatedCounty.Additionally,CrimePreventionThroughEnvironmentalDesign(CPTED)isrecognized as an effective planning tool to help minimize or deter criminal activity. CPTED consists of four complementary strategies including natural surveillance, access control, maintenance, and territorial reinforcement (or encouraging owners of private spaces to exercise control over their area by challenging intruders). CPTED does not eliminate crime within a neighborhood but it can dramatically reduce the likelihoodoftheftandothercrimes.

GOALSANDPOLICIES
GOALS12
Adequate Law Enforcement Facilities. Timely development of law enforcement facilities in locationsthatservetheunincorporatedareasoftheCounty.

Policies
S12.1 NewLawEnforcementFacilities.Coordinatenewlawenforcementfacilitiesandserviceswithnew developmentinwaysthatsustaintheprovisionofcomprehensiveservicesatlevelsconsistentwith substantiallysimilarareasoftheCounty.

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GO ALS AND POLICIES

GOALS13
Safe Communities. Law enforcement facilities and servicesthathelpmaintainsafecommunities.

Policies
S13.1 SheriffFacilityLocations.LocateSherifffacilitiesto best serve existing and planned development and thecorrespondingdemandforservices. Sheriff Facilities in NonResidential Areas. Locate future Sheriff facilities in commercial, industrial, or mixeduse areas; they may also be located within residential areas when other sites are unavailable or unsuitable based on circulation, geography,proximitytodemand,andotherfactorsthatimpactthepracticalprovisionofservices.
FallbrookSheriffsubstation

S13.2

GOALS14
CrimePrevention.Crimepreventionthroughbuildingandsitedesign.

Policies
S14.1 S14.2 Vehicular Access to Development. Require development to provide vehicular connections that reduceresponsetimesandfacilitateaccessforlawenforcementpersonnel,wheneverfeasible. DevelopmentSafetyTechniques.RequiredevelopmentwithinVillageareastoutilizeplanningand designtechniques,asappropriate,thatdetercrime.
Examplesofdesignfeaturesincludethefollowing: Avoidinglandscapingthatmightcreateblindspotsorhidingplaces Centrallylocatingopengreenspacesandrecreationalusessothattheyarevisiblefromnearbyhomes andstreets Designingstreetstodiscouragecutthroughorhighspeedtraffic Installingpavingtreatments,plantings,andarchitecturaldesignfeatures,suchascolumnedgateways,to guidevisitorstodesiredentrancesandawayfromprivateareas Installingwalkwaysinlocationssafeforpedestrians Designinglots,streets,andhomestoencourageinteractionbetweenneighbors Includingmixedlandusesthatincreaseactivitiesonthestreet Sitinganddesigningbuildingsorientedforoccupantstoviewstreetsandpublicspaces

S14.3

CrimePrevention.Coordinatewithappropriateagenciesandthecommunitytoreducecrimeinall neighborhoods by improving communication and relationships with communities and through educationalprogramsthataddressimportantsafetyissues.

AirportHazards

CONTEXT
Aircraft accidents represent a hazard to the areas immediately surrounding airports. Specific areas of potentialaircraftaccidentsarecalledsafetyzonesbecausetheyareestablishedtoprotectpublicsafety.Land

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CHAPTER 7 SAFETY ELEMENT

userestrictionsinthesafetyzonesaredefinedbyeachairportsAirportLandUseCompatibilityPlan(ALUCP). Inadditiontosafetyzones,anALUCPidentifieslandusecompatibilitybyairspaceprotectioncriteria,noise contours,andareasofaircraftoverflight. In addition to State and federal laws and regulations, ALUCPs guide property owners and jurisdictions in determining what types of new land uses are appropriate around airports. As part of the General Plan update,theCountywillcoordinatewiththeSanDiegoCountyRegionalAirportAuthoritytobringitslanduse plans into conformance with the adopted ALUCPs. The Safety Element establishes generalized policies to protectpublicsafetyandensurefuturelandusesremaincompatiblewithairportoperations.

GOALSANDPOLICIES
GOALS15
AirportZoneHazards.Developmentwithinairporthazardzonesthatminimizetheriskofpersonal injurytobothflightoccupantsandpeopleandpropertydamageonthegroundaswellasprotect airportoperationsfromincompatiblelanduses.

Policies
S15.1 S15.2 Land Use Compatibility. Require land uses surrounding airports to be compatible with the operationofeachairport.
Specificconcernsincludeheights ofstructuresnearairportsand activitieswhichcancause electronicorvisualimpairments toairnavigationorwhichattract Hazardous Obstructions within Airport Approach and largenumbersofbirds(suchas Departure. Restrict development of potentially hazardous landfills,wetlands,water obstructions or other hazards to flight located within airport features,andcerealgrainfields).

Airport Operational Plans. Require operational plans for new public/private airports and heliports, as well as future operational changes to existing airports, to be compatible with existingandplannedlandusesthatsurroundtheairportfacility.

S15.3

approach and departure areas or known flight patterns and discourage uses that may impact airport operations or do not meet Federal or State aviation standards. S15.4 Private Airstrip and Heliport Location. Locate private airstrips and heliports outside of safety zones and flight paths for existing airports where they are compatible with surrounding established and planned land uses, and in a manner to avoid impacting public roadways and facilities.

COUNTYOFSANDIEGO

724

GENERALPLAN