Solvang CEPP

City of Solvang and City of Buellton
COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM

On March 22, 2010 the Solvang City Council approved a consulting agreement between the Fire Services Training Institute (FSTI), the City of Solvang and the City of Buellton for Community Emergency Preparedness Planning. The program is a two year grant from the Orfalea Fund Initiative Aware and Prepare, A Community Partnership to Strengthen Emergency & Disaster Readiness.

Joining the FSTI team to coordinate the project is Tom Walton. Walton has over 30 years of law enforcement experience with an extensive background in field operations as a patrol deputy and field supervisor with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department.  He has over 15 years experience as a supervisor of Ocean Dive Team Operations, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Civil Unrest Operations and Planning, Technology Research and Implementation and as Operational Area Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Operations Section Coordinator. Walton has participated in CalEMA LEMA meetings and has provided Law Enforcement Mutual Aid debriefs, on major wildfire operations. He served as the Department Terrorism Liaison Officer (TLO) and was responsible for the Homeland Security Grants.  Tom has written or assisted in writing plans and guidelines for law enforcement operations in pandemics, civil unrest, wildfire evacuations and flood evacuations. He has participated in the Joint Operations Center (JIC) planning process a at the Operational Area level, including planning for mass fatality events.