Santa Cruz County, with its varying topography, diverse population, and mix of urban and rural areas, is subject to a wide variety of impacts from numerous hazards and threats.

In order to improve our community's emergency response, elevate our disaster awareness, and prepare for increases in extreme weather due to climate change, the Board of Supervisors created the Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience (OR3) in December 2020.

The OR3 goes beyond traditional emergency operations to create a full-service division to help our community prepare for disasters, respond during emergencies, and assist with recovery.

Our mission is threefold:

1. To build the County's resilience for future disasters
2. Serve as the emergency management office for responding to ongoing disasters and
3. Coordinate recovery efforts for disasters that have occurred

The OR3 is committed to strengthening the Community's capacity for effective disaster response and to increasing resilience that will minimize impacts from future disaster events.