Sonoma County’s SoCo Alert System Blasted

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Firefighters in California now believe they have turned the tide in containing the Thomas fire, which has burned for two weeks. The wildfire broke out December 4, near Santa Paula and has now blackened 270,500 acres, making it the third largest in California history, reported Noozhawk.

But earlier fires in Sonoma County in October still cause officials concern. The emergency alert system, SoCo Alert, failed to connect with 54 percent of telephone numbers in the government database, reported The Press Democrat. That means over half of the alert messaging didn’t get through to the public, with many people’s first warning coming from neighbors.

According to Chris Helgren, the county’s emergency services manager, the system was hindered by damaged cell phone towers and burned utility lines. “During disasters, it’s not uncommon to have lower success rates,” he said. “You’re not going to have the same kind of numbers you would when the system is whole.” 

The data detailing the imperfect emergency communication system during the first week of the fires was released by the county after requests by media and news outlets. It’s noted that the first alert broadcast from SoCo was four hours after the fires first broke out. Over the next 24 hours, emergency officials placed 171,724 automated warning calls, sent 2,782 emergency emails, and 3,558 text messages to residents via SoCo Alert, records show.

Additionally, emergency officials placed another 55,091 calls. However, records indicate that the warnings failed to reach 54 percent of those targeted, reported The Press Democrat. The data released also shows the decline in the accuracy of the warning system as the fires raged on.

As for the comparison of landlines versus cell phones, the split is unknown because the system does not distinguish between the two, Helgren said. The wildfires killed 24 people and destroyed more than 5,130 homes in Sonoma County.

December 19, 2017                               

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