Sonoma County kicks off safety communications campaign with November 4 webinar

En español »

County officials and community partners are inviting the public to take part in a webinar on Friday, November 4 at 3:30 p.m. as part of a new safety communications informational campaign. The webinar will focus on emergency communication with an emphasis on when the public should call 911 and when they should use 211. Hosted by Supervisor Susan Gorin, the webinar will feature a panel of experts discussing the resources available for both phone lines, the impact of calling the wrong number during emergencies, and ways the public can obtain help during non-emergency situations.

The briefing will be streamed live on the County of Sonoma Facebook page. Live translation in Spanish can be viewed on the County of Sonoma YouTube channel. Questions may also be submitted in advance to publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org. The public also will be invited to ask their questions during the webinar either by using the Q&A box on Zoom or by posting them in the Facebook comment section.

Who: Supervisor Susan Gorin; Sgt. Juan Valencia of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office; 211 Director Yesenia Gaytan; and Alma Bowen, executive director of Nuestra Comunidad and emergency dispatcher during the 2017 Tubbs fire.

What: Informational session on all the resources provided by both emergency communication lines during emergencies and non-emergencies.

Where: The community may attend the briefing on Zoom using the following link: https://sonomacounty.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0rl0Bl3NQwqRtAT

The webinar will be streamed to the public in English on the County of Sonoma Facebook page. A version of the town hall featuring Spanish interpretation also will be available on the County of Sonoma YouTube channel. An all-Spanish recording of the broadcast will be posted on Monday, November 7.

When: Friday, November 4, 3:30 p.m.

A central purpose of the campaign is to dispel confusion about two widely used public information telephone lines. The 911 line is intended to be used solely for emergency calls by people who need immediate help because of an injury or imminent danger. Meanwhile, the 211 line is a free and confidential service that helps people find the local resources they need, including food, health care and economic assistance.

The campaign aligns with a goal of the Healthy and Safe Communities pillar within the County’s 5-year Strategic Plan, which calls for conducting an outreach and engagement campaign to build and strengthen community and law enforcement relationships, including education on the difference between calling 211 and 911.

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Contact Information: 
Gilbert Martinez, Communication Specialist 
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 565-3040