Sonoma County Honored With International Emergency Preparedness Award

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management has been selected to receive an international award for a program that introduces local high school students to emergency management.

The county was set to be honored for its Model Emergency Operations Center program Wednesday at the International Association of Emergency Managers conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The IAEM Preparedness Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in preparedness activities and services for constituencies served.

The Model EOC program allowed high school students to spend one week in June at the county’s Emergency Operation Center, learning about hazard risk, emergency operations functions and roles, and emergency preparedness.

Although the date for the model program was set months before, the students’ visit happened as emergency managers responded to the Point Fire, which started on June 16 near Lake Sonoma and burned more than 1,200 acres, destroying 10 structures.

The fire also required evacuations of one area west of Dry Creek Valley. This provided an unexpected real-world scenario for the students to observe.

"The goals of the project were to help students understand critical decision-making in disasters, get them disaster-prepared, and inspire them to careers in emergency management," said Jeff DuVall, director of the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management. "It was also a part of building a more resilient community by having people of all ages integrate disaster preparedness into their lives. When the Point Fire broke out, the students really got to see this in action."

The students spent four days learning how the different EOC roles function, how emergency preparedness can help decrease the effects of disasters, and what happens in a disaster at the EOC. Segments were taught by community professionals with experience as chiefs in the EOC and playing critical roles in emergency management or public service.

Dr. Nancy Brown, community preparedness manager in the Department of Emergency Management, organized the program.