County Security Initiative

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

The San Diego County Security Initiative is the culmination of a collaborative effort to enhance the safety and security of County facilities and employees. In the wake of the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack, the County’s retired Undersheriff, Ed Prendergast, spearheaded a project to begin assessing the vulnerability of County facilities. Recognizing the importance and value of the assessments, the scope was soon expanded to include assessments for all County-owned, controlled or leased facilities, with implementation teams created from across all levels of the County structure, including executive staff, departments and the sites themselves. Ultimately, a formal County Security Initiative policy was adopted and the effort was expanded to include employee training, employee outreach and employee emergency notification.