Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Potential PSPS and Stay Home Order in Effect

Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) notification issued by Southern California Edison for several parts of southern Santa Barbara County, including Santa Barbara, Mission Canyon, Montecito, and Carpinteria; PSPS Outages May Occur as Soon as 9PM Tonight (Monday, December 7)
Potential PSPS map below. Click on map for more details.
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Southern California Edison (SCE) has notified customers of a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). The shutoff may occur as soon as tonight December 7, 2020 at 9:00pm (Monday night) through December 8, 2020 at 6:00pm (Tuesday evening).

Even though SCE has provided a window for when a PSPS is most likely, our Office of Emergency Management is recommending that people be prepared to endure a power outage lasting 5-7 days, which means the following: keeping your cell phone and portable chargers charged, keeping your gas tank full or your electric vehicle fully charged, have flashlights and other lighting devices ready, have a hand crank or battery-operated radio to tune into these listed stations to receive updates, have 5-7 days’ worth of non-perishable food, and one gallon of water per person per day.

We hope that all residents are aware that the state of California has implemented this program which allows utility companies to shut off power in high fire hazard areas that they determine to be at risk due to current weather conditions. In the 1st District our residents receive power from SCE in the South County and PG&E in the Cuyama Valley (PG&E has confirmed that PSPS is not being considered for their service territory at this time). SCE and PG&E make their own determination about where and when to shut off the power. The locations and times can change at any time due to changes in weather conditions.

For more information, and to determine if your home or workplace is being considered for PSPS, go to www.sce.com/wildfire/psps or call SCE at 1-800-655-4555. Stay tuned by signing up for alerts with SCE or PG&E, and at ReadySBC for local government notifications. It is the very best way you can stay informed which can be critical to many residents.

 

IMPORTANT: If you, a loved one, or anyone you know, is dependent on electricity to survive (meaning they require an oxygen tank or any other life saving device), here is critical information:

Individuals dependent on a life saving device that requires electricity need to enroll in their electricity provider’s Medical Baseline Program. This will result in a discount on your electricity bill in the amount that it costs to keep your life saving device going. Enrollment in the program is how both PG&E and SCE will identify those dependent on electricity.

Here is how you sign up for the Medical Baseline Program:

  1. Fill out the application
  2. Take the application to your medical provider (also call your medical provider because they may already have these applications in their office)
  3. Mail the application to the address on the bottom

 

If you live north of the Gaviota Tunnel, your electricity provider is PG&E. South of the Gaviota Tunnel, your provider is Southern California Edison.

Southern California Edison Medical Baseline Application

PG&E Medical Baseline Application

Santa Barbara County Information for Persons Dependent on Electricity

For more information about the Public Safety Power Shutoff program, please visit this library of information:

County of Santa Barbara Preparing for Public Safety Power Shutoff

County of Santa Barbara Public Safety Power Shutoff Bilingual Fact Sheet

Southern California Edison Public Safety Power Shutoff Page (1-800-655-4555)

PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff Info Page (1-866-743-6589)

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) De-Energization (PSPS) Page

 

Red Flag Warning Information

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Santa Barbara County coastal areas, foothills, and mountains effective Monday, December 7 at 2pm through Tuesday, December 8 at 12pm (noon). A Red Flag Warning means warm temperatures, very low humidities, and strong winds are expected and combined can contribute to increased risk of fire danger. Red flag warnings is the highest alert for extreme fire risk and it is critical that every person avoid hazardous activities that may cause sparks or start a wildfire. This means: no mowing or timing dry grass on a Red Flag Warning Day and avoid any open flame outdoors, such as a BBQ or campfire. More information is available at https://weather.gov/lox/. For more reminders and safety tips, visit: https://www.fire.ca.gov/programs/communications/red-flag-warnings-fire-weather-watches/

I have a staff person dedicated to working on this issue – Esmeralda Estrada – who you can connect directly with questions. You can reach Esmeralda at 805-568-2155 or email at esestrada@countyofsb.org. She will be happy to get back to you on my behalf, and will keep me informed about your concerns. As always, if you would like to share your thoughts directly with me, please email me atsupervisorwilliams@countyofsb.org.
COVID-19 Regional Stay Home Order
The Regional Stay-at-Home Order for Santa Barbara County took effect on Sunday, December 6, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. and is expected to remain in place for at least three weeks before re-evaluation by the State the week of December 28, 2020.

The State health officials notified Santa Barbara County Public Health Department that the Southern California Region had fallen below 15% ICU capacity triggering the Regional Stay-at-Home Order for the County of Santa Barbara.

Following the new state regional framework, Santa Barbara County is required to move into a new Stay-at-Home order when the Southern California region drops below a 15% ICU bed capacity. According to the new framework, any region with less than a 15% ICU bed capacity will be required to enter this order.

It should be noted that for our County specifically has 38% ICU bed capacity and 36% hospital bed capacity in general. Our adjusted case rate is 10 per 100,000 residents and our test positivity rate is 4.4%. We continue to be in a situation that is among the best in our region and that is because of the precautions have been taking and continue to take. You can always keep up with our local data with our dashboard here.

As of December 6th at 11:59 pm and for the next three weeks, the following industry sectors were required to close:

  • Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
  • Indoor recreational facilities
  • Hair salons and barbershops
  • Personal care services
  • Museums, zoos, and aquariums
  • Movie theaters
  • Wineries
  • Bars, breweries, and distilleries
  • Family entertainment centers
  • Cardrooms and satellite wagering
  • Limited services
  • Live audience sports
  • Amusement parks

The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing:

  • Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. This includes gyms and fitness studios. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
  • Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
  • Shopping centers: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
  • Hotels and lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.
  • Restaurants: Allow only for take-out, pick-up, or delivery.
  • Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
  • Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only.
  • Entertainment production including professional sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.

 

The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible with appropriate infectious disease preventative measures including 100% masking and physical distancing:

  • Critical infrastructure
  • Schools (no new schools may open)
  • Non-urgent medical and dental care
  • Child care and pre-K