With the deadly firestorm in Maui and the Bunnie Fire in Ramona that scorched nearly 200 acres and resulted in evacuations last week, wildfires are at the top of mind for most of San Diegans. The fires should remind people to be prepared to evacuate and to take steps to minimize damage to their property in case a wildfire starts in their community. Learn more.
The Indigenous Sovereign Nations Employee Resource Group hosted a celebration of indigenous culture on Wednesday. The event at the County Operations Center featured cultural dancers, a drum group, information booths, food and more. The gathering was held on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
The first bloodhound for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is now on duty.
Albert joined the Sheriff's Department in January of 2022 as a 13-week-old puppy. After more than a year of training, he is now serving our communities as part of the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) K-9 Unit. His special mission is to help find missing and at-risk people. Albert graduated from training at the end of March 2023 and received his badge from Sheriff Kelly A. Martinez. He was donated to the Sheriff's Department by the Honorary Deputy Sheriff’s Association (HDSA).
The back-to-school shopping frenzy is underway! It’s time to shop deals for laptops, notebooks, clothes, backpacks and all the school essentials needed to succeed in the classroom and have the best year ever!
PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers. Go to sdcounty.perkspot.com and shop.
By the Office of Ethics and Compliance
The impact of fraud is felt more at the local level. So, if you see something or have questions or concerns – speak up – put ethical decision making in action.
If you have questions about policies and procedures, you can contact your Manager or Supervisor or other departmental points of contact. In addition to your department, you can contact Department of Purchasing & Contracting, Auditor and Controller, County Counsel, HHSA – Business Assurance & Compliance office, or the Office of Ethics and Compliance.
The County of San Diego also has the Ethics Hotline that is available 24/7.
Ethics Hotline
Online (webform)
Phone: 866-549-0004
District Four voters will have more opportunities to vote early and in person. Starting Saturday, voters can cast their ballot for a new County supervisor at any one of seven vote centers around the district. The centers will be open daily through Tuesday, Aug. 15. See where the vote centers are located.
The days are counting down to the Aug. 15 Special Primary Election. District Four voters who haven’t cast their ballot as of July 26 will soon find a reminder postcard in their mailbox. To avoid lines on Election Day, the Registrar of Voters recommends voting early! Learn more about early voting.
Save the dates! The Department of Human Resources is hosting two virtual presentations to help you plan for retirement. Experts from Social Security and Medicare will discuss eligibility, enrollment and benefits.
The event links below will be active the days of the presentations.
Social Security Session
Wednesday, Aug. 9
Noon – 1 p.m.
Click here for the Social Security session
Medicare Session
Wednesday, Aug. 30
Noon – 1 p.m.
Click here for the Medicare session
For more information, contact the Department of Human Resources Employee Benefits Division at 888-550-2203 or DHRBenefits.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Did you know many County programs involve animals? Some are even employees.
Animals work with many departments from the Sheriff’s department to Library and the District Attorney’s office.
Meet some of your critter colleague that help make San Diego County a great place to live and work.
The Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures has several detector dogs that help inspectors sniff out packages that come through the mail that may contain pests or diseases harmful to local agriculture, landscapes and the environment.
Check out the dynamic duo of Owen and Senior Agricultural/Standards Inspector Melissa Sinkovits. Watch them as they look for pests hiding in packages containing plants, soil, fruits and vegetables shipped to San Diego
The Sheriff’s K-9s are loyal guardians who serve and protect our communities. Their handlers say they are intelligent, driven and reliable. There are currently 27 dogs in the County’s K-9 unit who are trained in protection, detection and putting drug traffickers in the doghouse!
K-9 Milo recently found dozens of counterfeit Oxycodone pills hidden in a car’s fuel tank. See how proud he is.
There’s a lot of training that takes place for a search and rescue team. Especially, if you’re a dog. Volunteer handlers and their K-9s must pass a six month SAR academy followed by one year of additional training for the handler and K-9 to be certified for search and rescue. The K-9 Unit trains once a week to meet or exceed state and federal standards.
Members of the San Diego Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Canine Unit need to go in a moment’s notice when someone goes missing. Also, see this adorable “pup-date” about bloodhound Albert.
Meet Franklin, a park ambassador, who greets guests at San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center. Franklin is just one of a handful of animals at demonstrations hosted by County Parks across the region. There’s also Winnie and Doris, a pair of pigs, and Holly, Pearl and Jam, a trio of goats, who call Los Peñasquitos Ranch House home. And lots of birds with big personalities, including Buster the red-tailed hawk, Tango the Swainson's hawk and Mutah the great-horned owl, serve as park ambassadors. Many of the raptors are housed at El Monte County Park and venture out to special events like Movies in the Park and during “Hawktober”.
Helping kids learn about insects is one of the many ways the County’s Agriculture/Weights & Measures Department helps educate the community. In this video, entomologist Tracy Ellis and her crew brought a collection of creepy crawlers to San Pasqual Union Elementary School.
Want to learn more? In this video, entomologist Dr. Bodil Cass shows off the Plant Pest Diagnostics Lab located at the County’s Agriculture/Weights & Measures Department.
The District Attorney’s Victim Advocate program works with 11 therapy dogs. The dogs, and their humans, meet with frightened or intimidated crime victims and witnesses to provide a calming presence during legal procedures at courthouses. Earlier this year, Ollie, a golden retriever, who goes to work each day with Victim Advocate Magen Queen, was even featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
It’s not all furry friends that work with the County. There are some scaled ones too! The County’s Vector Control Program raises and “adopts” out mosquitofish. This small but mighty fish help control backyard mosquito breeding in fountains, ponds, birdbaths and other standing water sources.
Get your own for free provided by the Vector Control Program at several locations across the county!
Several programs including Love on a Leash, Ruff Readers and Paws for Reading encourage children to increase their reading skills and self-confidence by reading out loud to therapy dogs.
Celebrate International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Join the Indigenous Sovereign Nations Employee Resource Group for an event from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at the County Operations Centers.
There will be crafts, cultural dancers, a drum group, information booths and food in the Commons area.
For questions, email ISN.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov.
See the flyer below.
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