Emergency Management
The Emergency Management Division of the Department
of Emergency Services is responsible for the planning, coordination
of response, recovery, and mitigation activities related to county-wide
emergencies and disasters; serving as the primary coordination point
for emergency management's communication flow between the Federal,
State, and local levels; developing emergency operation plans for
the county, cities, and districts; conducting training and educational
outreach programs related to emergency preparedness; and sponsoring
emergency management training.
Organization
The Division of Emergency Management in the Department of Emergency
Services is the lead agency for the Sonoma Operational Area. The
Sonoma Operational Area consists of nine incorporated cities (Cloverdale,
Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol,
and the Town of Windsor), Sonoma State University, the Sonoma County
Junior College District, and other special districts within the
county's geographical boundary. Under the State of California's
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), the Operational
Area is the primary level of coordination for response and recovery
activities following an emergency or disaster. SEMS is a management
system that provides an organizational framework and guidance for
operations at each level of the state's emergency management system.
It provides the umbrella under which all response agencies may function
in an integrated fashion.
The division's staff includes:
- Emergency Services Coordinator
- Deputy Emergency Services Coordinators
This staff is responsible for all emergency management services
in the Sonoma Operational Area. A Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) was
signed in 1954 designating this Division as the lead agency. This
agreement was revised in 1996 to adopt the Standardized Emergency
Management System (SEMS) and implement the Operational Area concept.
The County/Operational Area staff has many years of experience
and training. The Sonoma County/Operational Area Emergency Council
meets twice a year to develop policy and provide guidance. The Emergency
Coordinators Forum, consisting of local city and special district
personnel, meets quarterly to develop and coordinate preparedness
procedures and guidelines for the County/Operational Area. Continuity
and standardization are the goals of this forum as well as other
working groups formed in the County to address emergency management
issues. One example is the standardization of Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) procedures and materials to be utilized in the County/Operational
Area EOC and the city EOCs.
A proactive stance is maintained with regards to
the exchange of information between various organizations. Public
outreach is a priority mission for this agency with products being
developed and/or distributed.
An aggressive program of individual and team training
& exercising continues to maintain the high state of emergency
management readiness in Sonoma County. Various courses are offered
each year with a high level of attendance from city and County personnel
and also supporting community and volunteer organizations that play
an important role in emergency response and recovery.
There is strong political support from the County
Board of Supervisors, the County Administrative Officer, the various
city councils and city managers, school and fire boards, and special
district associations. Recent events continue to maintain a heightened
level of awareness in regard to emergency management and preparedness.
Major Threats
Sonoma County is threatened by a multitude of
potential disasters including flooding, winter storms, earthquake,
urban/wildland fires, landslides, hazardous material incidents,
drought, freeze, dam failure, tsunami, terrorism, as well as isolated
events that could affect the tourism, agricultural, dairy, and fishing
industries. In the last 20 years the County has experienced all
these events except for dam failure, and tsunami. The major threats
include:
- Earthquakes - the two major fault lines in Sonoma
County include the San Andreas and the Healdsburg/Rodgers Creek.
Soil composition in the Santa Rosa Plain where the majority of
the population exists is prone to liquefaction and heightened
shaking intensity. Notably, the 1906 earthquake caused more fatalities
in Santa Rosa due to building failure than in San Francisco -
this remains the deadliest per capita earthquake disaster ever
to befall an American city.
- Floods/Winter Storm - Sonoma County's Guerneville/Russian
River Area has one the highest repetitive flood loss rate in California.
Recent floods have occurred in 1986, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998 and
2002.
- Landslide - large sections of the County, especially
the western half, are susceptible to landslide and/or debris flows.
The Rio Nido slide of 1998 destroyed 3 homes, damaged many others
which resulted in a significant part of the community having to
be relocated.
- Wildland/Urban Interface Fires - wildland/urban
fire hazards are especially pronounced in areas of high structure
densities with high vegetative fuel loading. These include communities
such as Fitch Mountain, The Sea Ranch, Montecito Heights, the
Trinity/Cavedale Road and Western Russian River areas, and other
areas within incorporated city limits.
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