The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury says the county lacks the necessary staff to be ready for disasters.
Its report contends that the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management is understaffed. The office currently has six positions, but the report says the agency needs 12 full-time employees.
According to the report, Santa Barbara County is in the top one percent for overall disaster risk among 311 counties nationwide. Since 2014, 40 major emergencies from wildfires to oil spills have occurred.
The Grand Jury also says the emergency management office must expand a training program for disaster relief workers.
