Committee calls for new emergency guidelines

As a member of the Marin Organizing Committee, I know it has a long tradition of advocating on behalf of people experiencing homelessness. We continue our advocacy following the massive “bomb cyclone” storm that hit Marin County on Oct. 24.

Following the county’s commitment to update the emergency guidelines at a Homeless Policy Steering Committee meeting, the committee followed with a letter asking for a date as to when the urgent issue would be addressed. Our request to the county was that new guidelines be developed and presented for review to the committee before Thanksgiving.

The Marin Organizing Committee recognizes the complexity of establishing a set of guidelines to prepare for the fallout from extreme climate change events that will continue to affect Marin: firestorms, air pollution so bad that skies turn orange, bomb cyclones and more frequent days of record-setting heat.

When many of these extreme climate events occur, the Office of Emergency Services issues text and email warnings recommending citizens take action — “stay inside” is the most common recommendation. Most people experiencing homelessness have nowhere to shelter in place. If the new guidelines included a reference to the Office of Emergency Services warnings as a trigger for the emergency shelter, it would give the county the ability to respond to these new, and perhaps now standard, life threatening events.

There is urgency for these new guidelines. The committee is now publicly asking for Marin County to draft, review and implement new emergency guidelines immediately.

— Patricia Langley, San Rafael