Public Safety

ELEVATING RESPONSES TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS

North Coastal Station partnered with PERT (Psychiatric Emergency Response Team) clinicians to respond to mental health calls more effectively.

In 2020, 415 calls for service were answered with PERT (Psychiatric Emergency Response Team) dedicated officers.

SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

Public safety continues to be a top priority for Encinitas. In 2020, the City earned the rank of 29th safest city in California, according to the Safewise Safest Cities Report, rising an incredible 24 places since last year.

And in 2020, in a proactive move to address the civil unrest that swept our nation, Encinitas hosted a public safety forum on July 28 to discuss community policing, among other topics. Our officers continued to work with groups like Encinitas4Equality to help educate and mobilize the community to work in allyship, supporting and protecting diversity.

Our Sheriff’s worked to support and educate residents as health orders evolved throughout the pandemic. This included creating a mobile crisis response team that provides assistance in a situation when people need help, but not to the level of a law enforcement response.

FIRE AND MARINE SAFETY

The City’s Fire and Marine Safety Department is committed to serving the community with excellence, no matter the circumstances. Restrictions imposed throughout the county during the Covid-19 pandemic meant finding new ways to provide services and engage with the community, all while maintaining the health and safety of all our employees and residents.

The Fire Department organized and participated in its first ever drive-thru Open House for Fire Prevention Week at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Additionally, our Fire Prevention Bureau implemented a self-inspection program for businesses to comply with both state inspection requirements and ongoing social distancing guidelines.

The Marine Safety Division handed out over 20,000 personal face masks to beach visitors, so they could continue to enjoy our beautiful coastline. The Encinitas Junior Lifeguard program started back up in June of 2021 providing ocean and beach safety education, drowning prevention, and basic first aid skills to children ages 9-17.

Encinitas Fire Department personnel played a key role in helping to vaccinate San Diego County residents against COVID-19 as part of “Operation Collaboration.” Operation Collaboration is a cooperative vaccination effort, under the guidance of SD County Health & Human Services Agency and supported by two dozen fire and EMS agencies in San Diego County.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Fire Department received the 2020

American Heart Association Mission

Lifeline Award. • The Olivenhain Fire Safe Council was created. • One new fire engine was placed into service at Fire Station 3. • Thirteen Marine Safety dive team members received their Public Safety Diver certification • As of March 2020, Fire Prevention is conducting most building permits, plan reviews, and construction inspections electronically.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER

The Fire Department’s Emergency Preparedness Division manages the implementation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is activated during a local emergency or natural disaster. The EOC was activated and operational on-site for 99 days in response to the ongoing pandemic. During this time, the EOC also prepared for possible civil unrest and supported City functions during the April 2020 storms which caused flooding throughout Encinitas.