CC SR 20260804 G - Equine Readiness SurveyCITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 08/04/2026
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consider a voluntary Equine Readiness Survey pursuant to City Council Policy No. 2.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1)Approve the Equine Readiness Survey for distribution among the City’s equine
community in accordance with City Council Policy No. 2.
FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed survey will be distributed directly to the equine
community through an online form and printed copies, for an
estimated cost of $200. Sufficient funds are available in the Fiscal
Year (FY) 2026-27 Budget and no additional appropriation is
requested. VR
Amount Budgeted: $1,000
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): 101-400-1430-5103
(General Fund – Emergency Preparedness) – Printing) VR
ORIGINATED BY: Lubna Mohammad, Emergency Management Coordinator LM
REVIEWED BY: Catherine Jun, Deputy City Manager CJ
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A.Draft RPV Equine Readiness Survey (page A-1)
B.City Council Policy No. 2 (page B-1)
BACKGROUND:
Rancho Palos Verdes is home to several hundred horses, many of which are located in
the Portuguese Bend area. Given the area's ongoing landslide activity, the City’s overall
wildfire risk, and other risks that California is prone to, equine emergency preparedness
is an important component of the City's overall emergency planning. Prepared horse
owners are better positioned to care for their animals during disasters and emergencies,
while also supporting safe and efficient community evacuations.
Improving equine readiness is a shared responsibility among horse owners, equine
organizations, partner agencies, and the City. The City's role is to support readiness and
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preparedness by providing information, identifying available resources, and incorporating
the needs of the equine community into broader emergency planning. To do so, the City
seeks to:
•Educate the equine community on readiness and preparedness actions before,
during, and after a disaster
•Better understand the community's existing evacuation capabilities, resources,
and needs during an emergency
•Incorporate the equine community into emergency planning, including evacuation
routes, sheltering options, and available resources
•Strengthen partnerships and identify opportunities to improve coordination among
City and County agencies, equine groups, and the community
The City, in close coordination with the Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC), has
taken the following steps toward equine readiness and preparedness:
•Established the annual Palos Verdes Peninsula (PVP) Equine Readiness Event in
partnership with all four Peninsula cities
•Strengthened coordination with Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control and
conducted an equine evacuation drill in the Portuguese Bend area on March 25,
2026
•Developed an Equine Disaster Resource Booklet and preparedness outreach
materials
•Obtained approval for a State Homeland Security Grant to develop a Palos Verdes
Peninsula Mass Care and Evacuation Plan. Project implementation will begin upon
receipt of the grant award letter (anticipated by September 2026).
Gathering additional information from the equine community will help the City better
understand their existing needs and capabilities to identify where additional emergency
coordination or support may be needed.
DISCUSSION
To improve the City’s understanding of the equine community’s capabilities and needs in
the event of a major emergency, Staff has prepared the RPV Equine Readiness Survey
(Survey) (Attachment A) for City Council consideration. In order to publish the Survey and
begin soliciting feedback from the City’s equine community, the City Council must review
and authorize publishing the survey in accordance with Council Policy No. 2 (Attachment
B).
The Survey was developed by Staff, in coordination with members of the EPC, the Cities
of Rolling Hills Estates, Rolling Hills, and Palos Verdes Estates, the Palos Verdes
Peninsula Horseman’s Association, and Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control.
In developing the survey, members of the City's equine community shared concerns
related to its potential use for future zoning regulations or permit fees. To maintain the
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survey’s focus on public safety and emergency readiness, staff elected not to ask about
the number horses residents own.
The Mass Care and Evacuation Plan will identify anticipated community needs,
evacuation facilities, egress/ingress routes, safe refuge locations, and transportation
resources for residents and their animals. It will also provide clear guidelines for
communication and coordination amongst the Peninsula cities and with regional
stakeholders during emergencies requiring mass care services and/or evacuations. The
results of this proposed Survey will be incorporated into the Mass Care and Evacuation
Plan helping identify the number of horses that will need evacuation and/or emergency
shelter assistance and the current capabilities to address these needs. This information
will also inform future projects and identify potential partners to help buffer up resources
and address gaps.
The Mass Care and Evacuation Plan (Plan) commencement is pending a grant award
letter for State Homeland Security, expected to be received by September 2026 that will
provide $187,000 to hire a consultant for Plan development. The hiring process for a
consultant will likely run through early 2027, with the consultant anticipated to begin plan
development in Spring 2027. Plan development will take approximately two years to
complete.
To avoid delays in needed readiness work that builds upon the recent PVP Equine Ready
event and the RPV Equine Evacuation Drill that occurred in March 2026, once approved
by the City Council, survey distribution is set to begin immediately. The Survey will remain
active throughout the duration of the development of the Plan. Once a consultant is hired,
they will be asked to review the Survey results to determine the need for further outreach
with the ultimate Survey response deadline.
The Survey will initially be distributed during equine events, group meetings, and other
informal gatherings via QR code or printed copies. Once the Plan consultant is hired, they
will add in any additional outreach efforts as appropriate.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The other Peninsula cities were invited to create a Peninsula-wide equine readiness
survey but opted not to participate at this time because they are currently conducting their
own equine community data collection. Despite the separate efforts, the four Peninsula
cities are still working closely on equine readiness projects with all independent equine
work expected to coalesce into the Mass Care and Evacuation Plan.
CONCLUSION:
Implementing an equine readiness survey is a critical component of understanding and
addressing the needs of one of our City’s vulnerable groups during a major emergency
or disaster. The City Council is being asked to approve the RPV Equine Readiness
Survey (Attachment A) for distribution to the equine community pursuant to City Council
Policy No. 2 (Attachment B).
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ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative actions are available for
the City Council’s consideration:
1.Identify modifications to the RPV Equine Readiness Survey.
2.Do not authorize distributing the RPV Equine Readiness Survey.
3.Take other action, as deemed appropriate.
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RPV Equine Readiness Survey
In support of Mass Care and Evacuation Planning efforts, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes
developed this survey to understand the City’s equine community's capabilities and needs
during a major emergency or disaster.
The City is NOT attempting to count the number of horses you have, but rather to
understand how many horses may need evacuation support and who in the
community can support neighbors with horse trailering or sheltering during
emergencies or disasters.
Please email filled out forms to: Lmohammad@rpvca.gov or drop them off at RPV City Hall.
You can also submit this survey virtually by clicking HERE or scanning the QR Code
1. Do you have an evacuation plan?
☐No
☐Yes
2. Do you own functioning trailer(s) to evacuate your horses in an emergency?
☐No
☐Yes.
2a. How many of your horses will NOT fit in your trailers? _________________________
2b. Do you have space in your trailers for additional horses, aside from your own?
☐No
A-1
☐ Yes. How many additional horses can you fit in your trailers? ________
3. Have you identified a route your trailer can take to safely evacuate the Palos Verdes
Peninsula?
☐ Yes
☐ No
4. Are all of your horses trained to use a trailer?
☐ Yes
☐ No
4a. How many horses at your property are NOT trained to use a trailer? _______
4b. How many of your horses at a boarding location on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
are NOT trained to use a trailer? _____________
5. Do all of your horses practice trailering regularly?
☐ Yes
☐ No
6. Are all of your horses microchipped?
☐ Yes
☐ No
6a. Are you interested in a microchip clinic?
☐ Yes
☐ No
7. Do you have a location on your property that can be used in a wildfire as a refuge to
keep your horses safe? i.e. a large, secure corral, paddock or arena with sufficient brush and
tree clearance.
☐ No
☐ Unsure
A-2
☐ Yes.
7a. How many of your horses will NOT fit in the safe refuge location? ___________
7b. Does this safe refuge location have space for additional horses?
☐ Yes. How many additional horses can this location shelter? ___________
☐ No
8. Do you have any agreements with your neighbors or local facilities to help evacuate
your horses in an emergency?
☐ No
☐ Yes. Briefly describe the agreement(s) you currently have in place
9. Do you have a location where you can shelter all your horses if they must be
evacuated from the Palos Verdes Peninsula for several weeks during an emergency?
☐ Yes
☐ No. How many horses do you anticipate needing help sheltering in an emergency? _____
10. Do you live in Rancho Palos Verdes?
☐ Yes, and so do my horses
☐ Yes, but I board my horses outside of the City
☐ No, I live in another Palos Verdes Peninsula city
☐ No, I live off the Palos Verdes Peninsula
11. Are there any events or meetings you would like the City to host that is related to
equine emergency readiness? Please be as specific as possible.
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12. Additional Comments or Feedback
Contact Information
Providing your contact information is optional within this survey, but highly encouraged
if you have a resource you are willing to share or would like to stay up to date with
equine readiness efforts in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Name:
Email:
Phone:
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Address:
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CITY COUNCIL POLICY
NUMBER: 2
DATE ADOPTED/AMENDED: 02/04/92
SUBJECT: Questionnaires sent to the public by City Council, Committee/
Commission(s) and Staff
POLICY:
It shall be the policy of the City Council that all questionnaires and/or surveys to
be sent by the city to the general public or special groups, whether generated by
Staff, City Council or Committee/Commission(s), be authorized by the full City
Council at a public meeting.
The City Manager shall be authorized, however, to approve any questionnaires
and/or surveys for information to be sent to other public agencies.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council recognized the need to establish a policy to control
questionnaires and surveys for information that are sent or delivered to the general
public and special interest groups.
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