After the Catastrophic Montecito Debris Flow, A New Partnership Team Installs Geobrugg Nets in Canyons to Protect Lives from Future Debris Flows

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - March 17, 2022 - PRLog -- The Partnership for Resilient Communities Santa Barbara executive director, Pat McElroy, and team accepted the 2021 ReadyCommunities Partnership National Service Award in Montecito, California on March 13, 2022.

As a result of the tragic losses suffered by the community in the 2017 Thomas Fire and the 2018 Montecito Debris Flow, a local team formed, determined to mitigate harm in case of a future similar incident.  The Partnership for Resilient Communities Santa Barbara was formed and proceeded to design, fund, obtain the requisite permits, and install six Geobrugg nets in nearby canyons while respecting the sensitive habitat.

Co-sponsored by the Corporate Crisis Response Officers Association (CCROA) & the Community Institute for Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (CIPRR), the National Service Award was co-presented by ReadyCommunities Partnership advisory board members; LTG Russel L. Honore', US Army (Ret.), CIPRR Prepared Nation Initiative Co-Chair; Dr. Michael G. Schmidt, MUSC; and Dr. Rosalie J. Wyatt, CCROA.

Known for his unwavering commitment to readiness, LTG Honore' addressed the ceremony attendees and challenged today's youth to look at the big picture, take the mantle, and address the problems we can see and prepare for those we can anticipate.  He applauded the team for its commitment to public-private collaboration for community resiliency and said "Be your own First Responder.  Be Prepared for a Resilient Community."

Those who committed time and resources to the Montecito mutual mission include Joe Cole, Susan Elledge, Les Firestein, Elizabeth Fowler, Alison Hardey, Hillary Hauser, Hollye Jacobs, Gwyn Lurie, Alixe Mattingly, Brett Matthews, Bruce McRoy, Pat McElroy, Jerry Oshinsky, Jessica Peak, Mary Rose, John Storrer, Damon Taugher, Stewart Welch, Access Limited Construction, David Salter Engineering, and South Coast Habitat Restoration.

ReadyCommunities Partnership National Director Dr. Rosalie J. Wyatt remarked, "The Santa Barbara Partnership's net installation is an exemplary achievement, indeed a mutual mission of local public-private community leaders who are planning ahead to keep their communities secure during the next large-scale crisis."

Since 2007, RCP/CCROA National Service and Sacrifice Awards have acknowledged responders and organizations for their extraordinary service and contributions to the resiliency of America's strategic communities in the first 72 hours of a large-scale or national crisis.  Overall, the National Service and Sacrifice Awards help support community development through collaboration and foster a culture of resiliency for economic and national security.

ReadyCommunities Partnership is a non-partisan initiative and project of the Corporate Crisis Response Officers Association and the Community Institute for Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.  For additional information, please visit http://www.ccroa.org or email drrjwyatt@ccroa.org/.

Contact
ReadyCommunities Partnership/CCROA
Rosalie J. Wyatt, PhD, MBA
***@ccroa.org
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