City of Palm Springs
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Safety
Purpose and Introduction
It is important that the City of Palm Springs maintain and improve programs that effectively address safety and climate change considerations. The Safety Element discusses natural and human-caused hazards that might occur, evaluates how these hazards are projected to change in the future, and presents a comprehensive set of goals and policies to minimize the effects of these hazards.Figure 6-1 Evacuation-Constrained Residential Parcels
Figure 6-3 Liquefaction Potential
Figure 6-4 Landslide Susceptibility
Figure 6-6 Dam Inundation Areas
Figure 6-7 Historic Wildfire Perimeters
Figure 6-8 Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Figure 6-9 Wildland-Urban Interface
Figure 6-10 Airport Compatibility Plan
Figure 6-11 Example of Cascading Hazards
Goal SA1
Establish and maintain a safe, efficient, interconnected circulation system that accommodates vehicular travel, walking, bicycling, public transit, and other forms of transportation.
| SA1.1 | Locate new essential facilities outside of hazard prone areas, including Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, 100-year and 500-year floodplains, moderate to high landslide susceptibility areas, and Alquist-Priolo Fault Zones to ensure that they remain in operation during and after hazard events. |
| SA1.2 | Collaborate with agencies and organizations that own and operate essential structures to ensure, to the fullest extent possible, that in the event of a major disaster, essential structures and facilities remain safe and functional, including but not limited to, retrofitting existing essential facilities to withstand hazardous events. |
| SA1.3 | Incorporate the current Local Hazard Mitigation Plan into this Safety Element by reference, as permitted by California Government Code Section 65302.6 to ensure that emergency response and evacuation routes are accessible throughout the city. |
| SA1.4 | Coordinate disaster preparedness and recovery with other governmental agencies and continue to cooperate with surrounding cities, Riverside County, the State of California, and the various federal and tribal agencies to provide cooperative emergency preparedness and response in emergency situations. |
| SA1.5 | Continue to participate in Master and Automatic Mutual Aid Agreements for long-term fire, police, medical response, public works, building inspection, mass care, and heavy rescue planning and response. |
| SA1.6 | Continue to prepare the community to respond to emergencies by conducting public outreach programs such as CERT. |
| SA1.7 | Enlist the cooperation of the business community to develop its own disaster response plans and have provisions for food, water, first aid, and shelter for employees who may not be able to return home for several days following a major disaster. |
| SA1.8 | Formulate and maintain police, fire, evacuation, hospitalization, and recovery programs in response to all types of natural and human-caused hazards. |
| SA1.9 | Plan for and facilitate the rapid and effective recovery of the city following a disaster, prevent the recurrence of specific problems and hazards encountered during a disaster, and plan for alternative sources of financing for reconstruction. |
| SA1.10 | Ensure interoperability of cellular and radio networks before, during, and after a disaster for emergency responders. |
| SA1.11 | Include procedures for traffic control, emergency evacuations and housing, and security of damaged areas in all disaster response plans. |
| SA1.12 | Evaluate new developments for their ability to provide proper police and fire protection and allow for effective evacuations. Project review should include, but is not limited to, adequacy of internal circulation systems and provision of project directories, street names, and numbering systems. |
| SA1.13 | Ensure that new development does not result in a reduction of law enforcement or fire protection emergency response services below acceptable levels. |
| SA1.14 | Require that all new buildings have at least two points of ingress/egress in project design. |
| SA1.15 | Work with property owners to create at least two points of access for existing development within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone or the Wildland-Urban Interface. |
| SA1.16 | Ensure adequate dissemination of public emergency information to residents and businesses on actions to minimize damage and facilitate recovery from a natural disaster, in a variety of language and formats that are appropriate for the demographics of residents. |
| SA1.17 | Integrate climate change hazards into emergency preparedness and response plans. |
| SA1.18 | Establish a network of equitably located resilience centers throughout Palm Springs and ensure that resilience centers are situated outside of areas at risk from hazard impacts to the extent possible; offer refuge from extreme heat and poor air quality due to regional wildfire smoke or severe wind events; and are equipped with renewable energy generation and backup power supplies. Such facilities should be in easily accessible locations and be available to all community members, with set temperature, air quality, or other triggers for when they will be open. |
| SA1.19 | Identify, assess, and reassess evacuation routes and develop a multi-hazard evacuation plan to ensure evacuation routes remain open and functional during emergencies. Reassess the effectiveness of the evacuation routes with the update of the Palm Springs Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. |
| SA1.20 | Ensure emergency evacuation routes are constructed and maintained to remain open during and after disasters. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 1.1 |
Identify all essential and sensitive facilities that do not have back-up electricity supply and obtain funding to ensure that all essential and sensitive facilities have at least two sources of obtaining electricity. Related Policies: SA1.2 Department: Planning, Engineering, Fire, Emergency Management Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 1.2 |
Pursue funding to implement the City’s LHMP and Safety Element actions as such revenues become available. Related Policies: SA1.3 Department: Planning, Fire, Emergency Management Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 1.3 |
Integrate the most current LHMP mitigation actions into the City’s Capital Improvement Plan. Related Policies: SA1.3 Department: Finance and Treasury, Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 1.4 |
Continue to conduct public outreach efforts to prepare the community and provide them with guidance on how to respond to natural disasters. Related Policies: SA1.6 Department: Emergency Management, Neighborhood Involvement Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 1.5 |
Develop a program to train employees of hotels and restaurants and other places of public assembly in providing first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Related Policies: SA1.7 Department: Planning, Emergency Management, Neighborhood Involvement Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 1.6 |
Implement the Emergency Operations Plan adopted by the City incorporating the following three emphases: hazard mitigation, disaster response, and self-sufficiency/mutual support of residents, business, and industry. Related Policies: SA1.8 Department: Fire, Police Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 1.7 |
Exercise and upgrade the City’s disaster response plans and, at least annually, conduct earthquake- and disaster-response exercises using the adopted emergency management system to evaluate their practicality and effectiveness. Related Policies: SA1.8 Department: Fire Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 1.8 |
Continue to implement a fire safety and emergency evacuation program for multistory structures. Such a program should include evacuation exercises and educational programs for those living in multistory structures. Related Policies: SA1.8 Department: Fire, Police Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 1.9 |
Develop an evacuation assistance program, in coordination with SunLine Transit Agency, paratransit, and dial-a-ride agencies to help those with limited mobility or lack of access to a vehicle evacuate safely. Related Policies: SA1.8 Department: Planning, Fire Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 1.10 |
Establish a standing committee for disaster recovery to provide contingency planning for the rapid and effective reconstruction of the City of Palm Springs following a disaster. The committee shall include representatives of the City Council, Planning Commission, Economic Development Commission, and appropriate City staff. Related Policies: SA1.9 Department: City Manager, Emergency Management Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 1.11 |
Implement disaster recovery guidelines for the exercise of emergency authorities for such purposes as:
Related Policies: SA1.9 Department: City Manager, Planning, Emergency Management Timing: Mid |
| IM-SA 1.12 |
Update the Palm Springs Municipal Code to require new developments to have at least two ingress and egress routes, accounting for existing and proposed traffic evacuation volumes at buildout. Related Policies: SA1.15 Department: Fire Timing: Mid |
| IM-SA 1.13 |
Ensure the availability of both the Safety Element and City emergency-preparedness plans, such as the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and Emergency Operations Plan, to employers and residents of Palm Springs on the City’s website and hard copies at public libraries. Related Policies: SA1.16 Department: Communications, Library, Emergency Management Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 1.14 |
Train multilingual personnel to assist in evacuation and other emergency preparation and response activities to meet the community need. Related Policies: SA1.16 Department: Emergency Management, Fire, Police, Public Works Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 1.15 |
Continue to keep the City’s public awareness programs on natural-disaster management and emergency preparedness up-to-date on current hazards and issues and seek public participation in the development of hazard mitigation and disaster recovery programs. Related Policies: SA1.16 Department: Emergency Management, Communications, Planning Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 1.16 |
Update the Emergency Operations Plan to integrate climate change hazards, such as windstorms, wildfire, extreme heat events, and flooding, into the City’s emergency response framework. Related Policies: SA1.17 Department: Emergency Management Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 1.17 |
Pre-identify emergency shelters, cooling centers, and resilience centers that meet the access and functional needs guidance from FEMA. Related Policies: SA1.18 Department: Emergency Management Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 1.18 |
Identify existing facilities to serve as resilience centers and cooling centers that are open during emergencies or specific temperature triggers for residents to go to seek refuge from extreme heat days or emergency shelter. Related Policies: SA1.18 Department: Emergency Management Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 1.19 |
Identify, assess, and reassess evacuation routes and develop a multi-hazard evacuation plan to ensure evacuation routes remain open and functional during emergencies. Reassess the effectiveness of the evacuation routes with the update of Palm Springs Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Related Policies: SA1.19 Department: Emergency Management, Police, Fire Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 1.20 |
Develop an evacuation plan for all hazards and reassess the effectiveness of the evacuation routes with the update of the Palm Springs Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Related Policies: SA1.20 Department: Emergency Management, Police, Fire, Planning Timing: Short |
Goal SA2
Minimized physical and environmental effects of seismic hazards in the city.
| SA2.1 | Require geologic and geotechnical investigations in areas of potential seismic hazards such as fault rupture, seismic shaking, liquefaction, and slope failure, as part of the environmental and/or development review process for all structures, and enforce structural setbacks from faults that are identified through those investigations in accordance with the Seismic Hazards Mapping Act. Require subsurface investigations of the Garnet Hill Fault if and as that area of northern Palm Springs is developed. |
| SA2.2 | Coordinate with the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Geologic Survey, and the California Geologic Survey to identify earthquake risks and available mitigation techniques. |
| SA2.3 | Enforce the requirements of the California Seismic Hazards Mapping and Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Acts when siting, evaluating, and constructing new projects within the city. |
| SA2.4 | Disallow the construction of buildings designed for human occupancy within 50 feet of an active fault and prevent new critical, sensitive, and high-occupancy facilities from being located within 100 feet of a potentially active fault. |
| SA2.5 | Require that engineered slopes be designed to resist earthquake-induced failure. |
| SA2.7 | Maintain an ordinance for upgrading unreinforced masonry buildings and removing hazardous or substandard structures that may collapse in the event of an earthquake, in accordance with the Unreinforced Masonry Law that is tailored to the local conditions of Palm Springs. |
| SA2.8 | Ensure that the highest and most current professional standards for seismic design are used in the design of Essential, Sensitive, and High-Occupancy facilities. |
| SA2.9 | Require liquefaction-mitigation measures in the construction of bridges, roadways, major utility lines, or park improvements (e.g., bridges and trails) in potentially liquefiable areas, such as the Whitewater riverbed or at the mouths of canyons. |
| SA2.10 | Encourage the local gas and water purveyors to review and retrofit their main distribution pipes, with priority given to the lines that cross or are near the mapped traces of the Banning and Garnet Hill Faults, in order to maintain essential facilities. |
| SA2.11 | Participate in local, county, and State-sponsored earthquake preparedness programs. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 2.1 |
Require new development to analyze the stability of large temporary slopes prior to construction and provide mitigation measures as needed. Related Policies: SA2.1, SA3.1 Department: Planning, Building, Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 2.2 |
Require new development in areas subject to slope failure, rockfalls, or landslides to prepare a detailed geotechnical analysis to maximize site safety and compatibility with community character. Related Policies: SA2.1, SA3.3 Department: Planning, Building, Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 2.3 |
Participate with surrounding communities and applicable state and federal agencies to maintain maps illustrating the location of seismic and geological hazard zones occurring within the City boundaries and sphere of influence. Related Policies: SA2.2, SA2.3 Department: Planning Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 2.4 |
Conduct a building inventory to locate, count, and identify buildings by structural type and occupancy. Weak structures shall be retrofitted or rehabilitated to current building and fire codes. Related Policies: SA2.6 Department: Building Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 2.5 |
Assess existing essential and sensitive facilities with significant seismic vulnerabilities, and upgrade, relocate, or phase them out as appropriate. Related Policies: SA2.8 Department: Planning, Building, Engineering Timing: Mid |
| IM-SA 2.6 |
Update the Palm Springs Municipal Code as needed in response to new geologic and seismic hazard information and standards developed at the State level. Related Policies: SA2.6 Department: Planning Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 2.7 |
Maintain an educational public outreach program in coordination with local utility companies, the Coachella Valley Water District, the Desert Water Agency, the Palm Springs Unified School District, police and fire departments, and others outlining appropriate action before, during, and after earthquakes and other disasters. Related Policies: SA2.10, SA2.11 Department: Fire, Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
Goal SA3
A city protected, to the greatest extent possible, from geologic hazards.
| SA3.1 | Minimize grading and other changes to the natural topography to protect public safety and reduce the potential for property damage as a result of geologic hazards. |
| SA3.2 | Limit the development of permanent slopes to the inclinations permitted by building codes. |
| SA3.3 | In the areas of Palm Springs susceptible to landslide hazards (see Figure 6-4), require geotechnical investigations that include engineering analyses of slope stability, surface and subsurface drainage specifications, potential impacts of slope failure to downslope properties, and detailed recommendations for fill placement and excavation as part of the environmental and/or development review process for all new or significant alterations to structures. |
| SA3.4 | Prohibit the reconstruction of structures meant for human habitation that are damaged or destroyed by failed slopes unless the applicant can prove that the remedial measures proposed will improve slope conditions and make the site suitable for redevelopment. |
| SA3.5 | Construct protective devices such as barriers, rock fences, retaining structures, or catchment areas in areas susceptible to rockfalls and/or landslides. |
| SA3.6 | Participate in regional programs designed to protect groundwater resources and the regional groundwater basin from the hazard of regional ground subsidence. |
| SA3.7 | Protect slopes from the effects of erosion by directing surface water away from slope faces and planting slopes with drought-resistant, ground-covering vegetation. |
| SA3.8 | Prohibit the construction of hilltop homes or structures above natural slopes at the head of steep drainage channels or gullies. |
| SA3.9 | Ensure that structures placed near the bases of slopes or the mouths of small canyons, swales, washes, and gullies are protected from sedimentation. |
| SA3.10 | Encourage the incorporation of wind barriers, architectural design or features, and drought-resistant ground coverage in new development site designs to mitigate the impacts from erosion and windblown sand. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 3.1 |
Protect slopes within developed areas from concentrated water flow over the tops of the slopes by the use of berms or walls. Engineer all ridge-top building pads to direct drainage away from slopes. Related Policies: SA3.5, SA3.7, SA3.10 Department: Planning, Building, Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 3.2 |
Coordinate with local water purveyors to develop and implement a groundwater monitoring program to combat ground subsidence as a result of groundwater withdrawal. Related Policies: SA3.6 Department: Planning, Building, Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 3.3 |
Initiate a public education program that focuses on reducing losses from geologic hazards, including the importance of proper irrigation practices and the care and maintenance of slopes and drainage devices. Related Policies: SA3.7 Department: Neighborhood Involvement, Fire, Communications Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 3.4 |
Conduct a focused assessment of the effect of debris flow hazards on individual structures located or planned in vulnerable positions, including canyon areas, the toes of steep, natural slopes, and the mouths of drainage channels. Related Policies: SA3.9 Department: Planning, Engineering Timing: Mid |
Goal SA4
Minimized risk to life, property, and essential facilities from flooding and other hydrological hazards within the city.
| SA4.1 | Evaluate all development proposals located in areas that are subject to flooding for consistency and compliance with the flood damage prevention standards in the Municipal Code to minimize the exposure of life and property to potential flood risks. |
| SA4.2 | Require that future planning for new development consider the impact of increased pervious surfaces on downstream flooding as well as the impact of flood control structures on the environment, both locally and regionally. |
| SA4.3 | Continue to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, the Coachella Valley Water District, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to receive and implement updated flood-control measures and information. |
| SA4.4 | Coordinate with Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to provide drainage controls and improvements that enhance local conditions and are consistent with and complement the Regional Master Drainage Plan and ensure that updated and effective Master Drainage Plans are implemented in a timely fashion. |
| SA4.5 | Provide direction and guidelines for the development of on-site stormwater retention facilities consistent with local and regional drainage plans and community design standards. |
| SA4.6 | Use nature-based solutions and green infrastructure to the extent feasible to design flood-control facilities so that biological impacts are minimized and locally significant habitat is either avoided or replaced. |
| SA4.7 | Discourage the introduction of flood-control measures in the undeveloped areas of Palm Springs at the expense of environmental degradation. |
| SA4.8 | Continue to leave existing watercourses and streams natural wherever possible by developing them as parks, nature trails, or passive or active recreation areas that could withstand inundation and provide for their enhancement as wildlife habitat. |
| SA4.9 | Ensure that design opportunities for enhanced open space and recreation amenities, including habitat enhancement, hiking, and equestrian trails, are fully explored and incorporated when designing and constructing channels, debris and detention basins, and other major drainage facilities, to the greatest extent practical, in coordination with the Coachella Valley Water District and the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. |
| SA4.10 | Require xeriscape in open space areas in new development, provide the maximum permeable surface area to reduce site runoff, and prohibit unnecessary paving. |
| SA4.11 | Continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. |
| SA4.12 | Minimize impervious areas by requiring development to include low impact development and green infrastructure that increase pervious surfaces to absorb impacts from stormwater and flooding. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 4.1 |
Implement the regulations of the City of Palm Springs Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Municipal Code Section 8.68) to minimize public and private losses for properties within 100-year and 500-year flood zone areas. Related Policies: SA4.1 Department: Planning, Building, Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 4.2 |
Continue to work with Coachella Valley Association of Governments to implement all-weather crossings over the major drainage channels: e.g., Indian Canyon Drive, Gene Autry Trail, and Vista Chino across the Whitewater River. Related Policies: SA4.3 Department: Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 4.3 |
With assistance from the Coachella Valley Water District and the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, develop and continually update a Regional Master Drainage Plan for the City, providing these entities with land use and other relevant data and information. Related Policies: SA4.4 Department: Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 4.4 |
Coordinate with Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to update Area Drainage Plans for purposes of funding needed drainage improvements benefiting defined tributary areas of the community. Related Policies: SA4.4 Department: Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 4.5 |
Design underground storm drains serving local neighborhoods to accommodate runoff from a 10-year frequency storm for conveyance to a downstream outlet and locate them in existing or proposed street rights-of-way where possible. Flows exceeding the 10-year frequency storm will be carried within public rights-of-way. Related Policies: SA4.4 Department: Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 4.6 |
Partner with the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to continue to improve flood control structures throughout the city. Retrofit any flood control structures at risk of structural failure to minimize damage from earthquakes. Related Policies: SA4.4 Department: Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 4.7 |
Use the Regional Master Drainage Plans and other regional guidelines to direct the management of runoff and provide for local drainage facilities that tie into and maximize the effective use of regional drainage facilities. Related Policies: SA4.5 Department: Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 4.8 |
Adopt or update local drainage policies and development standards that reduce the rate of runoff from developed lands by increasing permeable surfaces, using green stormwater infrastructure, and implementing low-impact development practices, which are consistent with capacities of public facilities and local and regional management plans, while providing opportunities for open space enhancement and multi-use. Related Policies: SA4.10, SA4.12 Department: Planning, Engineering Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 4.9 |
With assistance from the Coachella Valley Water District, file the appropriate FEMA application materials and secure amendments to Flood Insurance Rate Maps as improvements are made to flood-control facilities or as changes in property elevations occur that warrant such considerations. Related Policies: SA4.11 Department: Engineering Timing: Ongoing |
Goal SA5
Palm Springs residents, business owners, and visitors protected from urban fire and wildfire hazards.
| SA5.1 | Support brush removal and weed abatement in developed areas to minimize fire risk, and coordinate with the Riverside County Fire Department Hazard Reduction Office for brush removal in areas outside of the city limits. |
| SA5.2 | Require property owners of existing and new development in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones or the Wildland-Urban Interface, as shown on Figure 6-8 and Figure 6-9, to create and maintain community fire breaks and defensible space around structures that is free from dry brush and other flammable materials and to comply with the 100-foot Defensible Space Requirement in the Public Resources Code (PRC 4291), the 200-foot defensible space requirement of Fire Department Ordinance No.2009, and Government Code (GC 51182) for fuel modification to reduce fire danger. |
| SA5.3 |
Continue to refine procedures and processes to minimize the risk of fire hazards by requiring new and existing development to:
|
| SA5.4 | Encourage owners of unsprinklered properties, especially midrise structures and high-occupancy structures, to retrofit their buildings and include internal fire sprinklers. |
| SA5.5 | Ensure that public and private water distribution and supply facilities have adequate capacity and reliability to supply both everyday and emergency firefighting needs. |
| SA5.6 | Utilize reservoirs, tanks, and wells, as needed, for emergency fire suppression water sources. |
| SA5.7 | Ensure that fuel modification is consistent with any adopted habitat-conservation plans. |
| SA5.8 | Coordinate with Riverside County Fire Department, CAL FIRE, and the U.S. Forest Service to conduct fuel modification projects. |
| SA5.9 | Continue public education efforts to inform residents, business owners, and visitors of fire hazards and measures to minimize the damage caused by fires to life and property. |
| SA5.10 | Analyze the site plan layout for new projects to ensure they provide an adequate amount of defensible space around structures. |
| SA5.11 | Develop an ongoing fire protection water system program that will provide adequate water supply for firefighting purposes within the city. |
| SA5.12 | Require all new commercial and multiple-unit residential development to install fire protection systems and encourage the use of automatic sprinkler systems. |
| SA5.13 | Require all new construction to use noncombustible roofing materials. |
| SA5.14 | Developers of property on or abutting hillsides shall implement, with consultation and approval from the City Fire Department, a safety buffer zone, otherwise known as a fuel-modification zone, between natural open space and planned development to lessen the fire hazard potential in these interface areas. |
| SA5.15 | Obtain a Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Fire Risk Reduction Community designation. |
| SA5.16 | Avoid new residential development in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. |
| SA5.17 | Require new nonresidential development within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and the Wildland Urban Interface to have at least two egress and ingress options, visible street signs that identify evacuation routes, visible home numbering, and adequate water supply for structural suppression. |
| SA5.18 | Require redevelopment after wildfires to meet current California Building Code, California Fire Code, and California Fire Safe Standards to reduce future vulnerabilities to fire hazards through site preparation, layout design, fire-resistant landscaping, and fire-retarding building design and materials. |
| SA5.19 | Coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies to stabilize burned slopes after a wildfire. |
| SA5.20 | Require new development within Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones or the Wildland-Urban Interface to prepare a fire safety plan. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 5.1 |
Continue to assess the need for greenbelts, fuel breaks, fuel reduction, and buffer zones around existing and newly proposed communities to minimize potential losses created by fires. Related Policies: SA5.1, SA5.2, SA5.14 Department: Fire, Planning Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 5.2 |
Regularly evaluate specific fire-hazard areas and adopt reasonable safety standards, covering such elements as adequacy of nearby water supplies, routes or throughways for fire equipment, clarity of addresses and street signs, and maintenance. Related Policies: SA5.3 Department: Planning, Building, Engineering, Fire Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 5.3 |
Develop a fire risk reduction assessment to evaluate new development in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones or the Wildland Urban Interface. The fire risk reduction assessment should identify existing fire hazards on properties, describe proposed projects, and establish design guidelines to reduce fire risks to new developments. Related Policies: SA5.3 Department: Planning, Building, Fire Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 5.4 |
Support State legislative efforts to reduce fire insurance costs and address resident concerns about rising liabilities and risk of dropped policies. Related Policies: SA5.3 Department: City Manager’s Office Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 5.5 |
Conduct a study to identify the types of systems that can be installed in existing commercial and multifamily residential buildings where automatic sprinkler and other fire protection systems do not exist and evaluate their feasibility for implementation. Related Policies: SA5.4 Department: Building, Fire Timing: Mid |
| IM-SA 5.6 |
Coordinate with businesses, local water purveyors, and the Emergency Management Department to review the adequacy of the City’s water-storage capacity and distribution network in the event of an earthquake. Redundant systems should be considered and implemented in those areas of the City where ground failure could result in breaks to both the water and gas mains, with the potential for significant conflagrations. Related Policies: SA5.5 Department: Engineering, Fire Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 5.7 |
Develop fire education and mitigation strategies that focus on the enhanced or higher hazard present in the summer and fall, when dry vegetation and hot, windy weather coexist. Related Policies: SA5.9 Department: Fire Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 5.8 |
Re-evaluate development standards after a wildfire to ensure consistency with the latest regulations and best practices. Related Policies: SA5.18 Department: Planning, Building, Fire Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 5.9 |
Update the Palm Springs Municipal Code to require new development within Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones or the Wildland Urban Interface to prepare a fire safety plan for review and approval by the Palm Springs Fire Department prior issuance of building permit. Related Policies: SA5.20 Department: Planning, Building, Fire Timing: Short |
Goal SA6
Minimized risk of exposure of life, property, and the environment in Palm Springs to hazardous and toxic materials and waste.
| SA6.1 | Promote the proper disposal, handling, transport, delivery, treatment, recovery, recycling, and storage of hazardous materials in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations. |
| SA6.2 | Require businesses to utilize practices and technologies that will reduce the generation of hazardous wastes at the source. |
| SA6.3 | Confer with Riverside County Environmental Health Department and the California Department of Toxic Substances and Control to determine the need for, and the appropriateness of, developing a permitting process for the establishment of facilities which manufacture, store, use, or dispose of hazardous and toxic materials within the community or adjacent areas. |
| SA6.4 | Follow the response procedures outlined within the Riverside County Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Area Plan in the event of a hazardous materials emergency. |
| SA6.5 | Establish transportation management and contingency emergency procedures and training programs for police, fire, medical, and other organizations that would be involved in an airborne release or ground spill of hazardous and toxic materials or waste. |
| SA6.6 | Ensure Fire Department staff has properly trained personnel and appropriate equipment to handle hazardous materials spills. |
| SA6.7 | Cooperate with the California State Water Board and gasoline station owners and operators in monitoring the conditions of subsurface gasoline tanks, tracking leaks that may occur, and requiring the prompt removal of hazardous tanks. |
| SA6.8 | Coordinate with the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health to regulate and limit the use of herbicides, pesticides, and other hazardous chemicals associated with the maintenance of landscaped areas in the city. |
| SA6.9 | Work with the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health and Riverside County Fire Department, in coordination with the Emergency Operations Plan, to implement effective emergency preparedness and emergency-response strategies to minimize the impacts to health and safety that can result from hazardous materials emergencies such as spills or contamination. |
| SA6.10 | Prohibit the transport of hazardous waste materials through the city except along Highway 111, Interstate 10, and the Union Pacific Railroad. |
| SA6.11 | Continue to partner with the County of Riverside to provide needed programs such as the Household Hazardous Waste ABOP Program to provide disposal of household hazards at no cost to Palm Springs residents and participating agencies. |
| SA6.12 | Prohibit the location of facilities using, storing, or otherwise involved with substantial quantities of on-site hazardous materials in flood zones, unless all standards of elevation, anchoring, and flood-proofing have been satisfied and hazardous materials are stored in watertight containers that are not capable of floating. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 6.1 |
Continue to prepare and disseminate information and instructive education program materials for residents, including direction on the identification and proper management and disposal of household hazardous waste. Related Policies: SA6.1 Department: Emergency Management, Police, Fire Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 6.2 |
Continually update and disseminate maps of the City’s emergency facilities, evacuation routes, and hazardous areas to reflect additions or modifications. Related Policies: SA6.9 Department: Fire, Police Timing: Ongoing |
Goal SA7
Minimized risk to life and property in Palm Springs associated with air transportation.
| SA7.1 | Prohibit land uses in airport influence areas that are incompatible with airport uses or may create potential hazards to aviation. |
| SA7.2 | Continue to coordinate development project review with the Airport Land Use Commission and FAA as required by the Riverside County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. |
| SA7.3 | Maintain an Airport Emergency Operations Plan as required by FAA regulations. |
| SA7.4 | Building heights within the airport clear zones shall conform to runway approach surfaces and ASR critical areas as stated in the Airport Master Plan. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 7.1 |
Secure and maintain open space adjacent to the Palm Springs International Airport for the safety of aviation and the public, as well as for future expansion of the airport. Related Policies: SA7.1 Department: Planning, Aviation Timing: Long |
| IM-SA 7.2 |
Develop zoning regulations, including an “airport protection overlay zone” to safeguard land uses within airport influence areas. Related Policies: SA7.1, SA7.4 Department: Planning Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 7.3 |
Regularly review the Palm Springs International Airport Master Plan to ensure that operational and safety procedures and land use compatibility are up to date and consistent with those provisions. Related Policies: SA7.2 Department: Planning, Building Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 7.4 |
Implement applicable policies and programs identified in the Riverside County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. Related Policies: SA7.2 Department: Planning Timing: Ongoing |
Goal SA8
Develop a system of parking facilities and operations that serve current and future commercial and residential uses and preserve the quality of life in residential neighborhoods.
| SA8.1 | Maintain adequate resources to enable the Police Department and Fire Department to meet response-time standards, keep pace with growth, and provide high levels of service. |
| SA8.2 | Maintain a well-trained, well-equipped police force to meet changing needs and conditions by continually updating and revising public safety techniques and providing for effective evaluation and training of personnel. |
| SA8.3 | Combat crime and increase public safety through community education programs, including active involvement in the Neighborhood Watch Program, and coordinate crime prevention programs at local schools and other meeting locations. |
| SA8.4 | Maintain adequate fire training facilities, equipment, and programs for firefighting and inspection personnel and educational programs for the general public, including fire safety and prevention and emergency medical information. |
| SA8.5 | Maintain and/or upgrade water facilities to ensure adequate capacity to respond to fire hazards. |
| SA8.6 | Require that all buildings subject to City jurisdiction adhere to fire safety codes. |
| SA8.7 | Continue uniform reporting of all fire emergency data, including type and cause of fire alarm, response time, and damage/injury data. |
| SA8.8 | Promote public education regarding fire safety to address issues such as storage of flammable material and other fire hazards. |
| SA8.9 | Continue to regulate and enforce the installation of fire protection water system standards for all new construction projects built within the city. Standards shall include the installation of fire hydrants providing adequate fire flow, fire sprinkler systems, and wet and dry on-site standpipe systems. |
| SA8.10 |
Continue to regulate and enforce the installation of fire protection water system standards for all new construction projects built within the city. Standards shall include the installation of fire hydrants providing adequate fire flow, fire sprinkler systems, and wet and dry on-site standpipe systems.
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| SA8.11 | Use percentage of completion goals as the standard for the distribution and concentration of fire crews throughout the city, as recommended in the Standards for Response Cover Deployment Analysis for the City of Palm Springs Fire Department. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 8.1 |
Maintain and update, as necessary, the Community Fire Protection Master Plan. The plan shall include a fire station location plan that provides for a response level of service of five minutes. Require all structures located beyond that response time to build in automatic fire suppression systems. Related Policies: SA8.1, SA8.10 Department: Fire, Police Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 8.2 |
The City shall maintain ISO Class 3 status and strive to improve its rating. Related Policies: SA8.2 Department: Police Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 8.3 |
Develop the capability to place 40 to 50 trained and equipped firefighters on scenes of major fires within 30 minutes of receipt of alarm, through the development of a reserve force, off-duty recall of firefighting personnel, and mutual aid. Related Policies: SA8.2 Department: Fire Timing: Mid |
Goal SA9
A community resilient to climate-change-related hazards.
| SA9.1 | Elevate extreme heat as an important hazard of concern in Palm Springs and respond to extreme temperatures. |
| SA9.2 | Coordinate with SunLine Transit Agency and regional transit providers to identify alternate routes and stops if normal infrastructure is damaged or closed as a result of severe storms or flooding. |
| SA9.3 | Coordinate with Southern California Edison and Desert Clean Energy to incentivize residential and on-site solar systems, especially when paired with battery storage to provide a resilient energy supply for homes. |
| SA9.4 | Coordinate with County of Riverside Public Health to ensure emergency and public health services can meet the needs of the population during extreme heat, poor air quality, and human health hazard events. |
| SA9.5 | Increase the resiliency of City-owned structures to severe storm events and support homeowners and business owners to increase the resilience of their buildings and properties through retrofits, weatherization, and other improvements. |
| SA9.6 | Collaborate with Southern California Edison to underground electrical transmission infrastructure throughout the city, prioritizing high voltage transmission lines and areas in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and the Wildland Urban Interface. |
| SA9.7 | Promote and expand the use of drought‐tolerant green infrastructure, including street trees and landscaped areas, as part of cooling strategies in public and private spaces. |
| SA9.8 | Prepare for more frequent and severe drought events by working with regional water providers to implement extensive water conservation measures and ensure sustainable water supplies. |
| SA9.9 | Encourage businesses that have outdoor workers to allow for shifting in work hours to earlier in the day from May through September to reduce heat-related illnesses among outdoor workers on extreme heat days. |
| SA9.10 | Prepare for more frequent and severe drought events by working with Desert Water Agency and other regional water providers to implement extensive water conservation measures and ensure sustainable water supplies. |
| SA9.11 | Encourage new developments and existing property owners to incorporate sustainable, energy-efficient, and environmentally regenerative features into their facilities, landscapes, and structures to reduce energy demands and improve on-site resilience. Support financing efforts to increase the communities funding of these features. |
| SA9.12 | Where feasible, encourage the use or restoration of existing natural features and ecosystem processes when considering alternatives for the conservation, preservation, or sustainable management of open space. This may include, but is not limited to, aquatic or terrestrial vegetated open space, systems and practices that use or mimic natural processes, and other engineered systems to provide clean water, conserve ecosystem values and functions, and provide a wide array of benefits to people and wildlife. |
| SA9.13 | Collaborate with Southern California Edison, Desert Clean Energy, and organizations such as the Community Access Center to ensure that those who depend on electricity supply for medical devices and refrigerating medication have backup energy supplies during extreme heat and extreme wind events. |
| SA9.14 | Look for opportunities to ensure that workers in outdoor industries have the training and resources to be adequately protected from environmental hazards, including extreme heat, poor air quality, pests, and diseases. |
| SA9.15 | Collaborate with Riverside County Department of Public Health and healthcare providers to prepare for disasters and health emergencies, minimizing disruptions to medical services and facilities in Palm Springs. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 9.1 |
Develop an extreme heat response plan that includes establishment of community cooling centers, weatherization of city buildings, temperature triggers for when cooling centers would open, and cooling strategies for persons engaged in outdoor work and persons experiencing homelessness. Related Policies: SA9.1 Department: Emergency Management, Sustainability Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 9.2 |
Install shade structures, both green and built infrastructure, at parks, schools, and other public spaces to reduce ground surface temperatures. Related Policies: SA9.1 Department: Engineering, Parks & Recreation Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 9.3 |
Coordinate with SunLine Transit Agency and Amtrak to increase shading and heat-mitigating materials on pedestrian walkways, transit stops, and the Palm Springs Train Station. Related Policies: SA9.1 Department: Engineering, Sustainability, Emergency Management Timing: Mid |
| IM-SA 9.4 |
Coordinate with the Riverside County Environmental Health, Vector Control Program to minimize mosquitos, ticks, rodents, and other vectors that may carry or spread human health hazards. Related Policies: SA9.4 Department: Emergency Management, Sustainability Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 9.5 |
Expand participation in programs and services that provide funding for low-income households and businesses to conduct weatherization and structural retrofits to protect community members from severe storms, poor air quality, and extreme heat. Related Policies: SA9.5 Department: Engineering, Emergency Management Timing: Ongoing |
| IM-SA 9.6 |
Collaborate with Southern California Edison to conduct a study evaluating the potential to underground substations within the city. Related Policies: SA 9.6 Department: Engineering, Emergency Management Timing: Mid |
| IM-SA 9.7 |
Update the Noise Ordinance to allow outdoor construction work to shift to earlier in the day between May and September to reduce heat related illnesses. Related Policies: SA9.9 Department: Planning, Emergency Management, Sustainability Timing: Short |
Goal SA10
A community prepared for multiple natural hazards.
| SA10.1 |
Require that proposed essential, sensitive, and high-occupancy facilities undergo careful seismic, geologic, flooding, and fire review prior to any approvals and that effective post-disaster functioning be a primary concern in the siting, design, and construction standards for essential facilities. |
| SA10.2 |
Minimize the risk to life and property through the identification of potentially hazardous areas, adherence to proper construction design criteria, and provision of hazards information to all residents and business owners. |
| SA10.3 | Where appropriate, designate hazard zones as open space (earthquake fault lines, floodways and floodplains, steep or unstable slopes, areas susceptible to rockfalls and landslides, wildfire prone areas, etc.) and update these areas on the land use map. |
| SA10.4 | Encourage and cooperate with Caltrans to stabilize susceptible slopes and strengthen bridges, elevated roadways, and other structures along state highways that may be subject to failure during major hazardous events, thereby isolating portions of the community from emergency aid and assistance. |
| SA10.5 | Provide protection for roadways and utility lines from all applicable hazard conditions to ensure they remain open for evacuation needs. |
| SA10.6 | Continue to use the Emergency Announcement System to implement hazard warnings and evacuation plans for those portions of the city in flood hazard zones, wildfire- and landslide-prone areas, and seismically active areas that have already been inhabited or developed and for critical facilities such as schools. |
| Action Number | Implementation Action/Program |
| IM-SA 10.1 |
Prepare an assessment of at-risk City-owned buildings to determine their level ability to withstand the impacts of flooding, wildfire, landslides, and seismic activity and conduct structural retrofits where needed. Related Policies: SA10.1 Department: Engineering Timing: Short |
| IM-SA 10.2 |
Develop a public outreach program to inform property owners about the potential for hazards in their area, including potential blocking of access routes to and from their neighborhoods due to flooding, wildfire, landslides, and seismic hazards. Related Policies: SA10.2 Department: Emergency Management Timing: Short |
Glossary
Hazard Mitigation: Actions to reduce or eliminate loss of life and property damage by minimizing the impact of disasters.
Essential Facilities: Facilities whose continued functioning is necessary to maintain public health and safety following a disaster, and facilities where damage or failure could pose hazards to life and property well beyond their immediate vicinity.
Flash Flooding: Occurs during periods of heavy precipitation or snowmelt when rapidly moving high volumes of water flow downward from the mountains into the valley, often carrying mud, sand, and rock fragments.
Sensitive Facilities: Facilities used for manufacturing, storage, or sale of hazardous materials; socially significant facilities such as schools, nursing homes, housing for the elderly, and those with access and functional needs, or have mental health conditions.
High Occupancy Facilities: Public or private structures for housing or assembly of large groups of people (i.e., libraries, auditoriums).
Seismic Shaking: Lateral movement, or acceleration, of the ground during an earthquake.
Surface Rupture: Occurs when movement on a fault deep within the earth breaks through to the surface. Although surface rupture typically results in a small percentage of the total damage in an earthquake, being too close to a rupturing fault can cause severe damage to structures.
Surface Trace: Commonly referred to as a “fault line,” it is the intersection of a fault plane with the surface of the earth.
Sedimentation: The depositing of sand and other earth minerals carried by erosion process.
Master Drainage Plan: Addresses the current and future drainage needs of a given community. The plan includes an inventory of existing and proposed drainage facilities, and an estimate of facility capacities, sizes, and costs. The plan provides a guide for the orderly development of the plan area, provides an estimate of costs to resolve flooding issues, and can be used to establish Area Drainage Plan fees.
Area Drainage Plan: A financing mechanism used to offset taxpayer costs for proposed drainage facilities by which fees are imposed on new development within the plan area.
Wildland-Urban Interface: The wildland-urban interface is made up of three distinct zones:
- Intermix Zone. Housing development or improved parcels interspersed in an area dominated by wildland vegetation subject to wildfire.
- Interface Zones. Dense housing next to vegetation, but not dominated by wildland vegetation, that can burn in a wildfire.
- Influence Zone. Wildfire-susceptible vegetation within 1.5 miles from the wildland-urban interface or wildland-urban intermix zones.
Airport Influence Area: Areas affected by airport operations. Noise, fumes, or hazards to aerial navigation are examples of factors that may define such an area. Generally defined, the airport influence area includes land within two miles of the airport boundary (California Public Utilities Code Section 21675.1 (b)).
Clear Zone: Area off the end of a runway used to enhance the protection of people and property on the ground.
Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR): A radar system that allows air traffic controllers to identify an arriving or departing aircraft's distance and direction from an airport.
Compounding Hazards: Events where more than one hazard occurs at the same time and interact to cause more destructive consequences.
Cascading Hazards: Extreme events that link together hazards over days, weeks, or months, resulting in multiplied effects that cause secondary and sometimes tertiary damage, exceeding the damage of the initial hazard event.