Q: What can you do to participate?

If you haven’t, register for SoCoAlert . Only residents who live in the designated Sonoma Valley evacuation zones will receive the SoCoAlert messages on April 30. You may receive an alert if you are not registered with SoCoAlert, but registering will help keep you and your family safe in the event of an emergency and allow you to receive alerts in a variety of ways. Make sure your phones and other devices will let you know when an alert is sent. In addition to registering for SoCoAlert, you can program the alert phone number (866-419-5000) in your cell phone so you will recognize and answer the call. Make sure your cell phone’s sounds are turned on. Be aware that airplane mode or “do not disturb” settings will prevent you from hearing an alert. Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio (NWR). The Non-Weather Emergency Message system also will be used to send a message to ensure the auxiliary alert system is fully functional. The message can be received by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Weather Radios. The Non-Weather Emergency Message portion of the exercise will be broadcast to all of Sonoma County. The transmitter is on Sonoma Mountain, which means some parts of the county will not receive the alerts. Be sure the weather radio you obtain has the “public alert” logo.

Q: Who is participating in the exercise?

Fitch Mountain Fitch Mountain Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies (COPE) City of Healdsburg City of Healdsburg – Police Department City of Healdsburg – Fire Department Cal FIRE American Red Cross North Sonoma County Community Emergency Response Team (NoCo CERT) Horses and Livestock Team Emergency Response (HALTER) Sonoma Community Animal Response Team (CART) Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Camp Meeker/Occidental Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Cal Fire Fire Safe Occidental Fire Safe Camp Meeker Camp Meeker Volunteer Fire Department Occidental Fire Department Gold Ride Fire Protection District Sebastopol Police Department Sebastopol Fire Department

Question 1

Why are you doing this?

Karly Wilson · Accepted Answer

The recent fires in the state are evidence that our residents are in increasing danger from wildfire. Fires are larger, faster moving and burning in more inhabited areas.
If a large, wind-driven wildfire were to impact the County, residents may need to evacuate.
This also gives residents a chance to participate traveling their evacuation routes and become more familiar with their neighborhood.

Question 2

Why do residents need to evacuate in an emergency?

Karly Wilson · Accepted Answer

Evacuation helps first responders meet their primary response priority – Life Safety!
- All other response objectives must wait until the life safety concerns have been mitigated.
  - Life Safety
  - Property Conservation
  - Incident Stabilization
- Early evacuation clears roadways so first responders can work to save homes and property and control the incident.

Question 3

Online Survey

Karly Wilson · Accepted Answer

Complete the survey online

Question 4

What systems/procedures are being tested?

Karly Wilson · Accepted Answer

SoCoAlert (Sonoma County Alert System) alert and warning messages will be sent to assess the capabilities of the alert and warning system provider — CodeRED — to reach residents of Sonoma County with an emphasis on testing the efficacy in communicating with the Spanish-speaking community. CodeRED is the County’s current alert system provider.
The Non-Weather Emergency Message system will be used to send a message to ensure the auxiliary alert system is fully functional. The message can be received by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Weather Radios. The Non-Weather Emergency Message portion of the exercise will be broadcast to all of Sonoma County. The transmitter is on Sonoma Mountain, which means some parts of the county will not receive the alerts.

Question 5

What can you do to participate?

Karly Wilson · Accepted Answer

If you haven’t, register for SoCoAlert. Only residents who live in the designated Sonoma Valley evacuation zones will receive the SoCoAlert messages on April 30. You may receive an alert if you are not registered with SoCoAlert, but registering will help keep you and your family safe in the event of an emergency and allow you to receive alerts in a variety of ways. Make sure your phones and other devices will let you know when an alert is sent.

In addition to registering for SoCoAlert, you can program the alert phone number (866-419-5000) in your cell phone so you will recognize and answer the call.
Make sure your cell phone’s sounds are turned on.
Be aware that airplane mode or “do not disturb” settings will prevent you from hearing an alert.

Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio (NWR). The Non-Weather Emergency Message system also will be used to send a message to ensure the auxiliary alert system is fully functional. The message can be received by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Weather Radios. The Non-Weather Emergency Message portion of the exercise will be broadcast to all of Sonoma County. The transmitter is on Sonoma Mountain, which means some parts of the county will not receive the alerts. Be sure the weather radio you obtain has the “public alert” logo.

Question 6

What will the weather radio alert message say?

Karly Wilson · Accepted Answer

As this will be a live test, to prevent the chance of confusion or misinterpretation of alerts causing panic, the only message sent will clearly identify itself as a test alert and will not attempt to convey any information regarding a threat of disaster or actions to be taken. The NWR warning alarm will sound one time, then be followed by a short test message, and then a closing alarm tone. This test message will be transmitted as a Civil Emergency Message and the words “Civil Emergency Message” may scroll across the NWR displays of compatible radios. The NWR test cycle will play through only one time.
TEST TEST TEST The following message is transmitted at the request of the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management. This is a test of the NOAA Weather Radio warning alarm signal in support of Sonoma County. No action is required. Repeat. No action is required. This has been a test of the NOAA Weather Radio warning alarm signal in support of Sonoma County. We will now resume regular programming. TEST TEST TEST

Question 7

Do I need to report receiving an alert?

Karly Wilson · Accepted Answer

For the NOAA Weather Radio portion of the exercise, you can call or email the Department of Emergency Management to report receiving or not receiving the message via your radio and offer other feedback. You can call 707-565-1369 and leave a message. You can email info@socoalert.com. Please include where you live.
For alerts sent to the Sonoma Valley targeted zones, the SoCoAlert system automatically records whether or not the alert was received. County Department of Emergency Management staff will be using the data from those records to do their analysis. If you live in the those areas, you are welcome to provide feedback about the exercise using the same phone number and email.

Question 8

Will you be doing this in other Sonoma County Neighborhoods?

Jeff Deffenbaugh · Accepted Answer

Absolutely. We hope to continue this Community Evacuation Drill program and will plan additional drills in the future.

Question 9

Who is participating in the exercise?

Jeff Deffenbaugh · Accepted Answer

Fitch Mountain

Fitch Mountain Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies (COPE)
City of Healdsburg
City of Healdsburg – Police Department
City of Healdsburg – Fire Department
Cal FIRE
American Red Cross
North Sonoma County Community Emergency Response Team (NoCo CERT)
Horses and Livestock Team Emergency Response (HALTER)
Sonoma Community Animal Response Team (CART)
Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management
Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office

Camp Meeker/Occidental

Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management
Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office
Cal Fire
Fire Safe Occidental
Fire Safe Camp Meeker
Camp Meeker Volunteer Fire Department
Occidental Fire Department
Gold Ride Fire Protection District
Sebastopol Police Department
Sebastopol Fire Department

Question 10

What will you accomplish from conducting the exercise?

Jeff Deffenbaugh · Accepted Answer

We will strengthen collaboration among response agencies and community partners participating in the exercise planning.
After the exercise, residents will be asked to complete a survey so we can learn what worked, the experience of evacuating, and where we need improvement related to evacuation preparedness.
We will conduct an after-action review following the drill where we will highlight lessons learned.
The exercise team will prepare a narrative report summarizing what was done to organize the drill, lessons learned and recommendations for corrective actions to be taken.

Question 11

What systems/procedures are you testing?

Jeff Deffenbaugh · Accepted Answer

Sonoma County Alert and Warning System (SoCo Alert) to notify residents.
Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office will also use the Hi-Lo sirens in neighborhoods as part of the exercise.

Question 12

Why did you choose these communities for this exercise?

Jeff Deffenbaugh · Accepted Answer

These communities have a high risk of being impacted by a wildland fire.
They have an active, organized community group that help facilitate the exercise planning.
The local COPE (Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies) group as well as Fire Safe Councils and residents support emergency preparedness which has been demonstrated in their engagement throughout this exercise planning process; they have been a critical link between exercise organizers and the residents.

Question 13

Why do residents need to evacuate in an emergency?

Jeff Deffenbaugh · Accepted Answer

Evacuation helps first responders meet their primary response priority - Life Safety!
- All other response objectives must wait until the life safety concerns have been mitigated.
  - Life Safety
  - Property Conservation
  - Incident Stabilization
- Early evacuation clears roadways so first responders can work to save homes and property and control the incident.

Question 14

Why are you doing this?

Jeff Deffenbaugh · Accepted Answer

The recent fires in the state are evidence that our residents are in increasing danger from wildfire. Fires are larger, faster moving and burning in more inhabited areas.
If a large, wind-driven wildfire were to impact the County, residents may need to evacuate.
This also gives residents a chance to participate traveling their evacuation routes and become more familiar with their neighborhood.

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