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Using Translation

The County of San Mateo has added a translation feature developed by Google Translate to assist web visitors in understanding information on this website in a variety of foreign languages. Please be aware that Google Translate, a free third party service which the County does not control, provides automated computer translations that may not give you an exact translation. The County cannot guarantee the accuracy of translations through Google Translate so translations should not be considered exact and only used as a rough guide. Anyone relying on information obtained from Google Translate does so at his or her own risk. The County disclaims and will not accept any liability for damages or losses of any kind caused by the use of the Google Translate feature.

Always Asking: Can We Do This Better?

Innovation isn’t a department or a project—it’s how we think. Every day, we ask ourselves: Why are we doing this? Does it actually help our community? Is there a smarter way?

We don’t innovate for innovation’s sake. Every new tool, technology, or approach must pass one test: Does this make our community safer and more prepared?

What We’re Building

We’re not waiting for the next disaster to find out what works. We’re testing and developing new approaches right now.

Learning from the World

Great ideas don’t stop at borders. We actively track emergency management innovations and best practices from across California, the United States, and around the world—from how Japan prepares communities for earthquakes to how European cities communicate during crises.

When we find something that works, we ask: How can we adapt this for San Mateo County?

A Culture, Not a Checklist

Innovation is baked into who we are. Our team includes data scientists, social scientists, GIS specialists, and human-centered designers working alongside veteran emergency managers. We bring different perspectives to the table because complex problems require creative solutions.

We embrace a growth mindset: challenges are opportunities, and failures are how we learn. We’d rather try something new and improve it than keep doing something that doesn’t work.

Everything we do starts with one question: What does our community need?