The County of Sonoma and Sonoma Valley partners will conduct an emergency alert and warning exercise on April 30. The exercise will be comprised of targeted alert tests of the Sonoma County Alert System (SoCoAlert) in specified areas of Sonoma Valley.

The SoCoAlert exercise will let emergency officials assess how the alert and warning system performs in reaching residents in five designated zones of the Sonoma Valley. It will also help residents experience a test of the alert & warning system.

Starting at noon, SoCoAlert messages will be sent to addresses 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.) Exercise activity is limited to participating agencies and communities.

• At 12 p.m. a live alert will be launched in the targeted zones using SoCoAlert.

The SoCoAlert system records receipt/non-receipt automatically and County Department of Emergency Management staff will use the data from that to do their analysis.

What you can do

Residents are encouraged to register to receive SoCoAlerts and learn more about how they work and why they are crucial in an emergency or disaster. Only residents who live in the designated Sonoma Valley evacuation zones will receive the SoCoAlert messages on April 30. Residents who are not registered may still receive an alert in the form of a call because the SoCoAlert database also uses phone numbers from utility records and other public sources. Subscribers to SoCoAlert could get an alert via text, a phone call or an email, depending on their account settings. 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.

Residents of the targeted alert zones in Sonoma Valley need to make sure their phones and other devices will let them 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.

Do I need to report receiving an alert?

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.

What systems/procedures are being tested?

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.