SAN DIEGO -- The City Council Tuesday unanimously accepted a report from the San Diego Regional Emergency Preparedness Task Force on how to improve countywide response and coordination during wildfire and other disasters.

The 70-page report was commissioned by Mayor Dick Murphy and county Supervisor Greg Cox after last October's wildfires.

"Out of this we will be better prepared for the future," said Murphy, who is up for re-election.

The task force, co-chaired by San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Chief Jeff Bowman, was made up of 107 experts in firefighting, law enforcement, disaster preparedness, media, local government, health care and volunteer organizations.

The report recommends:

reviewing and updating building and fire codes;
implementing a countywide community notification system for emergencies;
establishing a media alert system;
improving how information is fed to the public via the news media;
updating regional evacuation plans;
creating a compatible countywide radio system;
providing regional training for fighting wildland fires;
providing law enforcement and fire evacuation training countywide;
developing a computerized inventory of public safety assets;
expanding volunteer resources;
unifying the command center in the event of an emergency;
developing more military aid agreements;
updating the county's Emergency Operations Plan.

Bowman said many of the recommendations have already been implemented, but "there are still many things that need to be done."

He said his priority is to push for new building and fire codes, better disaster notification, expanding volunteer resources and the regionalization of the county's various fire agencies into a single entity.

"The changes we are proposing are truly meant to be countywide," Bowman told the council. "Fires don't understand jurisdictional boundaries."

Bowman said proposed changes to San Diego's building and fire codes are 99 percent complete and will be taken up by the City Council in about 60 days.

The report will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 19.