Monterey Peninsula leaders discuss emergency evacuation plans

More than 60 emergency personnel in Monterey County met today to come up with a local and regional plan for an evacuation in the case of an emergency on the Peninsula.

Fire, police, Monterey County OES, and local military leaders where just a few of the 18 agencies that came together Thursday. The idea for the meeting stemmed from public input and the awareness from recent natural disasters that there needs to be a comprehensive evacuation plan that involves everyone on the Monterey Peninsula.

That was the discussion today at a meeting in Monterey that included more than 60 emergency personnel from different agencies.

“We all have evacuation plans and emergency operation plans but I think we need revisit them improve them and make sure we work together,” Monterey Fire Chief Gaudenz Panholzer said.

Some of the main discussion points addressed where: communication and coordination, a traffic plan, a notification system and training for an emergency situations.

If you live on the on the Central Coast you know leaving the Monterey Peninsula isn’t always easy. Rush hour traffic gives an idea of how difficult it can be to exit the area in an evacuation.

“You can try to get out on 68, that can be kind of tough and the other way you can make your way down to the hill till you get to soledad to get to the highway. So no its not real easy,” Monterey resident Beverly Principal said.

Highway 1 and 68 are the only real ways to get out. So leaders are coming together to create a comprehensive evacuation plan.

“There are a lot of small jurisdictions on the peninsula and we work a lot independently, but this is one area where we need to attack this totally on a regional level,” Chief Panholzer said.

Today was the first step to the ball rolling.

“We’re all in this together and I think its collaborating and cooperating with each other to get this to make it happen,” emergency services planner Pat Moore said.

“The main thing is we need to start putting some things on the calendar, because if you don’t put something on the calendar we keep kicking the can down the road as the saying goes,” Chief Panholzer said.

Residents will get their say in the evacuation plans too. There is a District 5 community meeting January 31 at 6:00 p.m. at Polo Corona Regional Park.