TL;DR: San Bernardino County opened the first of three digital open houses for its 2027 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan update and extended the public survey deadline to Sept. 30.

County opens first digital open house

The San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services is inviting residents, businesses, local organizations and other interested community members to take part in the first of three digital open houses for the 2027 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan update, according to Welcome to San Bernardino County.

The announcement was posted on Sept. 10, 2026. The notice describes the digital format as a way for people across the county to learn about the update and to share experiences that can inform the plan.

The first session focuses on background. It provides background on hazard mitigation, why the plan is being updated, and how the planning process will help the Office of Emergency Services and participating communities identify and reduce risks from future hazards.

County officials framed participation as a direct contribution to the document. Residents can help shape the county's Hazard Mitigation Plan by sharing their experiences through the digital open house.

What the MJHMP covers

The Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies hazards that could affect communities across the county and outlines long-term strategies to reduce risks before disasters occur, according to Welcome to San Bernardino County.

The emphasis is on action before an event. The plan is presented as a tool for identifying county hazards and for outlining long-term strategies intended to reduce risks before disasters occur.

That pre-disaster purpose aligns with how other counties describe similar documents. The Des Moines Area MPO states that the purpose of hazard mitigation is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards.

In Polk County, participating jurisdictions developed a multi-jurisdictional local hazard mitigation plan update to reduce future losses resulting from hazard events, according to the Des Moines Area MPO. The Polk County example shows a plan built to address future losses to the county and its communities.

The San Bernardino County update follows the same multi-jurisdictional model. The Office of Emergency Services is updating the plan with participating jurisdictions, and the planning process is intended to help the Office and participating communities identify and reduce risks.

Why the update affects grant eligibility

The San Bernardino County plan also helps the county and participating jurisdictions remain eligible for certain Federal Emergency Management Agency hazard mitigation grant programs, according to Welcome to San Bernardino County.

Eligibility is a recurring reason counties maintain current plans. The Des Moines Area MPO states that its Polk County plan was prepared pursuant to the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and to achieve eligibility for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Programs.

In Warren County, the updated Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan allows local governments and school districts to apply for federal and state funding in the wake of disasters, according to the Warren County Record. That report notes the plan is updated every five years.

Warren County's experience also shows how adoption works at the local level. The county's six incorporated municipalities approved the draft plan, while three of four school districts had also approved the document at the time of reporting, according to the Warren County Record.

San Bernardino County's notice does not list adoption votes. It states that the current effort is the 2027 MJHMP update and that the update process will support continued eligibility for certain FEMA hazard mitigation grant programs.

Who is invited to take part

The invitation is broad. The Office of Emergency Services is inviting residents, businesses, local organizations and other interested community members to attend, according to Welcome to San Bernardino County.

The audience reflects the county's size and the range of places where hazard impacts can occur. The notice refers to communities across the county and to future hazards that could affect different areas.

The process includes three digital open houses. The Sept. 10 announcement describes the current offering as the first of three digital open houses for the 2027 update.

The first open house introduces the planning effort. It provides background on hazard mitigation, why the plan is being updated, and how planning will help identify and reduce risks.

Four ways to contribute inside the open house

The digital open house provides several opportunities for the public to share experiences and perspectives that can help inform the plan, according to Welcome to San Bernardino County.

Participants can learn more about the hazard mitigation planning process and why the plan matters. That learning step is listed first among the participation options.

Participants can add locations to the Hazard Experience Map where they have experienced or observed impacts from hazards. The map creates a location-specific record tied to personal observation or direct experience.

Participants can share a story describing how a past hazard event affected them, their family, neighborhood, business or community. The story option invites detail about effects on households, neighborhoods, businesses and wider community life.

Participants can explore additional opportunities to provide input throughout the planning process. The notice presents the first open house as one entry point rather than the only chance to comment.

How planners will use the input

Community input is described as an important part of the MJHMP update, according to Welcome to San Bernardino County.

Information shared through the digital open houses and other engagement activities will help the planning team better understand where hazard impacts have occurred. That geographic understanding is one of three stated uses for public submissions.

The same information will help the planning team better understand how hazards affect communities across the county. The focus includes effects felt at the community level, not only damage to individual property.

It will also help the team understand what residents believe should be considered as the plan is developed. That third use gives residents a role in setting considerations for the drafting stage.

The Warren County example shows why local detail matters. Community planner Dawn Mowery told local boards that the plan covers terrorism, hazardous materials, utility disruptions and other hazards, and that action goals identify hazards to address and steps to mitigate effects, according to the Warren County Record.

In that county, Mowery explained that jurisdictions set what are called action goals for hazards that need to be addressed and for steps that can help mitigate those hazards. The San Bernardino County notice does not list its own goals, but it states that public perspectives can help inform the plan as it is developed.

Survey deadline extended to Sept. 30

Community members are encouraged to participate in the digital open house and share their input, according to Welcome to San Bernardino County.

To learn more about the MJHMP update and take the public survey, residents are directed to visit the project website. The notice identifies the project website as the location for plan information and the survey.

The deadline to complete the survey has been extended to Sept. 30. The announcement does not list a year for the deadline, but it was published as part of the Sept. 10, 2026 county update.

That timetable gives households, businesses and organizations additional time after the first open house to submit responses. The notice presents the survey and the digital open houses as related engagement activities.

What happens across a mitigation update

Hazard mitigation updates elsewhere show the work involved in producing a final document. Over the course of 10 months, the Des Moines Area MPO worked with Polk County Emergency Management to update a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, according to the Des Moines Area MPO.

The final Polk County document includes an executive summary, introduction and planning process, planning area profile and capabilities, risk assessment, mitigation strategy and plan maintenance process, along with references, planning process documentation and completed or deleted mitigation actions.

Warren County's update shows the local approval stage. Each participating entity has its own section in the document, and minor changes to wording were made before some boards approved resolutions in support of the plan, according to the Warren County Record.

In Warren County, officials linked participation to funding access. Truesdale Mayor Jerry Cannon said approval makes the city eligible for FEMA grants, and that without approving the hazard mitigation plan it would not be eligible, according to the Warren County Record.

San Bernardino County has not announced a final adoption schedule in the Sept. 10 notice. It identifies the current stage as the first of three digital open houses and encourages continued input through the project website and survey.

Where to find county information

The county update lists the county address as 385 N. Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92415, and lists the phone number as 888.818.8988, according to Welcome to San Bernardino County.

The same Sept. 10 county update page also lists other community items, including mountain preparedness guidance, CERT volunteer efforts, fire operations, homeless outreach, lobbyist registration requirements taking effect Sept. 17, library programs, and community features.

For the mitigation plan itself, the notice points to the project website for details and the survey. Residents, businesses, local organizations and other interested community members can use that site to review the update, add map points, share hazard stories and complete the survey by Sept. 30.

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