SoCoAlert emergency alert exercise in Sonoma Valley on Saturday

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Sonoma County will be conducting a test of the SoCoAlert emergency notification system at 12 noon on Saturday in the Sonoma area. The County Department of Emergency Management and Sonoma Valley partners including the Springs Municipal Advisory Committee and the Springs Map Your Neighborhood group have collaborated on planning the exercise and conducting outreach in the targeted neighborhoods.

Participants are asked to provide feedback on the exercise through a survey found on www.SoCoTest.org or by calling (707) 565-1369.

”This exercise in Sonoma Valley will be beneficial for the community to learn and experience the County’s alert and warning system,” said District 1 Supervisor Susan Gorin, Board of Supervisors. “Individuals and families should sign up today through SoCoAlert.com and be ready for the exercise on Saturday.”

The SoCoAlert message will be sent to phones and devices within the Sonoma Valley neighborhoods of Glen Ellen, between Arnold Drive and Highway 12 (Zone 6A5), Eldridge between Arnold Drive and Highway 12 (Zone 6A5), and the communities of Agua Caliente, Fetters Hot Springs, Boyes Hot Springs and El Verano East of Arnold Drive (Zones 6E1, 6E2 and 6F2.) Residents in the area who are not registered with SoCoAlert may still receive an alert because the alert system uses phone numbers from utility records and other public sources.

The exercise is targeted to specific evacuation zones of Sonoma with the goal of testing emergency alerts in Spanish speaking neighborhoods with the opportunity for the community to provide feedback on their experience.

While all SoCoAlerts are sent in English and Spanish, this will be the first exercise targeted to predominantly Spanish speaking neighborhoods.

“It is critical that our emergency response capabilities include access to life- saving alerts for all residents. This exercise will showcase one tool in the toolkit, available to notify residents of an imminent threat in one of our largest Spanish speaking communities,” said District 4 Supervisor James Gore, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We all have a place in the chain of emergency response and this exercise will serve as a valuable opportunity for the community of Sonoma Valley to engage and practice for real-world scenarios.”

If you live in the Sonoma Valley and would like to participate in the exercise, please sign up with SoCoAlert at SoCoAlert.com. Registering for SoCoAlert is important for all community members. In a real emergency, an alert would be sent to phones or emails registered with SoCoAlert.

More information about the exercise in Sonoma Valley and the post-exercise survey: www.SoCoTest.org.

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Media Contact:
Sylvia Lemus, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3040
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403