Article Source: County of San Mateo - CA

County Leaders Call for Broader Participation in Emergency Preparedness Survey

Low response rates in high-risk areas prompt call to act now

December 1, 2025

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Canepa and Emergency Management Director Dr. Shruti Dhapodkar are urging residents to complete the County's Community Emergency Preparedness Survey before it closes. The anonymous survey will help guide how the County allocates emergency resources, communicates warnings and supports residents during disasters.

Early survey returns show alarmingly low participation in some of the county’s highest-risk areas. Daly City, with more than 100,000 residents and sitting atop the San Andreas Fault, has returned just 40 surveys. East Palo Alto — at risk from flooding from the Bay and local creeks — has returned 23. Coastside communities such as Pacifica and Half Moon Bay — which face tsunami threats, storm isolation and Highway 1 closures — also trail other parts of the county.

Officials say residents from these communities along with others urgently need to respond so emergency plans reflect their needs. "The communities that often face the greatest challenges in emergencies are the least represented in our data," Canepa said. "This survey is your seat at the table when decisions are made about how to protect your family and your neighborhood."

San Mateo County has experienced a wide range of natural disasters In recent years, including tsunami warnings, wildfires, winter storms and earthquakes. The county’s unique geography – Pacific Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the east and bisected by the San Andreas Fault – puts residents at high risk.

The Board of Supervisors has made emergency preparedness one of the County's top funding priorities.

"Every response helps us understand what real families need—where they'll go during an evacuation, how they prefer to receive emergency alerts, whether they have pets or older relatives who need special consideration," Dhapodkar said. "When communities participate, we can tailor our resources, our communications, and our outreach to actually reach them when it matters most."
The survey is completely anonymous — no names, addresses or personal information are collected. It is available in English, Spanish and Mandarin and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Questions are designed to help families think through their own preparedness while providing emergency planners valuable data.

"I know some residents hesitate to engage with government surveys," said Canepa. "But this isn't about personal details or immigration status. It's about making sure that when the next earthquake or storm arrives, emergency responders know how to reach every community, communicate effectively, and support every family. Disasters don't discriminate, but their impacts often fall hardest on communities that were already vulnerable."

County leaders are asking residents to take the survey and share it with neighbors, family members, and community organizations—particularly in Daly City, San Bruno, Millbrae, South San Francisco, East Palo Alto, Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and North Fair Oaks.

Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SMCEM_Community_Assessment

Media Contact

Cari E. Guittard
Department of Emergency Management
(650) 363-4790
(415) 608-0806 c.
cguittard@smcgov.org