Sonoma County Supervisors Take Action to Enhance Disaster Preparedness and Responsiveness

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors acted on two important items that will improve the County’s ability to better prepare for and respond to future disasters. They include:

1. Receiving the first official quarterly report regarding disaster recovery efforts. And in addition, transitioning the County’s 2-1-1 system to The United Way of the Wine Country.
2. Holding an Earthquake Disaster Preparedness Workshop.

“We are working to become a model of emergency preparedness and resilience,” said Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, Chair of the Board. “In light of that, the actions taken by our board showed just how serious we view our responsibilities in ensuring the protection and safety of residents, businesses and property.”

Outlined below is a more detailed description of the agenda items:

Quarterly Report and 2-1-1 Transition

The Office of Recovery and Resiliency presented to the board the 2019 Quarter One Report of Recovery & Resiliency Framework Implementation. The report, which is available to the community in English and Spanish, contained progress updates on implementation of the Board’s top ten priority projects, including the development of an alert and warning system, expedited permitting, insurance advocacy, and plans to improve community awareness around disaster and disaster preparedness. The report also contained information on disaster recovery efforts, including rebuilding permits issued; external funding and grant efforts; and relevant legislation. The report includes recovery activity highlights for the five strategic areas of recovery: Community Preparedness and Infrastructure, Housing, Economy, Safety Net Services, and Natural Resources.

As a component of improving public access to information in times of emergency, the Board approved a services agreement to partially fund the transition of Sonoma County 2-1-1 services to The United Way of the Wine Country. Funding will allow 2-1-1 services to be expanded in Sonoma County, while also expanding to serve regional jurisdictions, including Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties. Working collaboratively with regional counties will increase efficiency and expand ongoing funding opportunities. Under the agreement, the County’s initial investment in the 2-1-1 transition is $153,893.

Disaster Preparedness Workshop

The County Supervisors and staff participated in a quarterly workshop to learn first-hand how they can enhance their abilities to respond to a major emergency or disaster. The workshop focused specifically on: 1) An overview of the County’s earthquake hazard and potential impacts; 2) A review of the County’s earthquake mitigation, preparedness and response capabilities; and 3) Discussion about how County government, local jurisdictions and allied stakeholders would respond and initiate recovery for a major earthquake event.