What is the Safety Element?
The Safety Element of the City of Mission Viejo General Plan is required by State law to identify community safety risks and establish goals, policies, and programs to safeguard residents and businesses from those risks. Safety risks posing the greatest local threat include fire hazards, geologic risks, flooding, and climate change. Other topics addressed in the Safety Element include emergency preparedness, hazardous materials and waste, and evacuation constraints. The Safety Element was last updated by the City in 2009.
Why update the Safety Element?
The City is mandated by Government Code Section 65302(g)(3) to update the Safety Element in conjunction with any Housing Element update, or upon the update of the next Hazard Mitigation Plan. The City updated its Housing Element in January of 2024 and updated its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan in October of 2024.
The Draft Safety Element is available for public review here.
The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved the draft Safety Element on January 13, 2026.