San Bernardino County’s Terrorist Attack Legacy Report & Organizational Review created following the December 2, 2015 tragedy won a prestigious California Counties Innovation Award on Monday from the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) and was considered one of the top two projects in the state by CSAC’s judges out of 284 entries.

One report is an organizational review documenting County government’s response to and recovery from the attack. The other is a first-of-its-kind legacy report designed as a resource for other agencies coping with or preparing for a similar incident.

“Our County suffered a terrible tragedy when our employees were attacked on December 2, 2015. There was no guidebook for us to follow to help us deal with an endless array of unprecedented immediate and long-term challenges,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman.  “We hope that something like this never happens again, but we knew that we had a duty to commission these reports to help other public agencies navigate the circumstances no one ever hopes to face. We are deeply honored by this recognition.”

The legacy document can be viewed here and the organizational review is available here. Both reports can be found at sbcounty.gov in the “Where to Find” section under “December 2 Legacy Report and Organizational Review.” The County also provided the reports to leaders at CSAC, the National Association of Counties, the League of California Cities, the National League of Cities, and the International City/County Management Association as a resource to them and their members.

The reports were created by CPARS Consulting which assembled a team of experts in emergency management and response, communications and public information, and human resources and employee services to interview hundreds of County employees and review documents.

CSAC also recognized the San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services with two awards – a Challenge Award for their Mobile Health Outreach – Anatomical Models program which helps educate older and disabled adults on self-examinations and identifying potentially life-threatening health issues; and a Merit Award for their Coordinated Care Collaborative program, which ensures low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, who qualify for both Medicare and Medi-Cal, receive optimal case management services. 

The San Bernardino County Department of Child Support Services also received a CSAC Merit Award for their Service of Process program, which expedites service of summons and complaints for child support and reduces costs by utilizing certified mail for child support customers residing outside of California.

Each year, CSAC honors best practices in county governments in California. This year, CSAC received 284​ entries from counties throughout California. The County of San Bernardino won five CSAC Awards in 2018, four in 2017, four in 2016, three in 2015 and 2014, five in 2013, three in 2012, two in 2011 and one in 2010.

The County has won more than 300 state and national awards for innovative and cost-saving programs since 2010, including 52 awards from the National Association of Counties in May.

“Our County is proud CSAC and other organizations consistently recognize the commitment to public service and work ethic our employees exhibit on a daily basis – whether it be another community impacted by violence, or seniors and children who need and deserve services in our county,” Hagman said.

CSAC will present the awards to the County at an upcoming San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors meeting.