Sonoma prepares to COPE

Meeting disaster with the tools at hand – that’s the idea behind an innovative planning program slated for a January debut in Sonoma.
A draft version of SCOPE, or Sonoma Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies, was unveiled at last Thursday afternoon’s meeting of the Sonoma Disaster Council. Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority (SVFRA) administrative acting Capt. Joe Morrison said SCOPE’s strength lies in its open-ended adaptability.
“It’s always going to be a draft [because] we can build on this as we go,” Morrison said. “It’s a really simplified program that we can warp to what we like.”
SCOPE is based on similar effort, COPE, developed more than two years ago when the community of Oakmont seceded from Santa Rosa and found itself in need of a comprehensive safety plan. COPE addresses that need by organizing neighborhoods into self-sufficient units and building on the survival tools they already have. Seventy-eight percent of Oakmont’s 2,800 homes are currently participating in the program, which is also drawing interest from other Sonoma County cities – notably, Healdsburg and Sebastopol.
COPE was co-developed by Santa Rosa genera-services administrator Ed Buonaccorsi, whose presentation of the program at the disaster council’s July meeting was met with general enthusiasm – tempered by a caution against locally launching COPE while the state was battling its worst fire season in living memory. Morrison told the council Thursday he had spent a month comparing COPE to the other current disaster-training standard, CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams). But CERT functions as an auxiliary to fire departments and other first responders, and requires those agencies to furnish training, equipment and direction – which Morrison said works well for a 30-station fire department like San Francisco.
“Unfortunately, we are rather a small fire department,” Morrison said. “In the event of a major disaster, we’re going to be busy.”
Seven steps are involved in making a neighborhood SCOPE-ready, including a census of residents and their special skills, needs and equipment; an individual home survey of gas, water and electric shutoffs and any special fire dangers; and identifying a central meeting location – and any possible escape routes. At his July presentation, Buonaccorsi said the basics can be taught during a two-hour neighborhood block party.
Morrison told the council that he tailored SCOPE to be administered by SVFRA and made available to any interested neighborhoods. These are defined, for organizing purposes, as between two and 20 homes or whatever number the participants can easily manage.
“If they’re not manageable groups, there’s going to be chaos,” Morrison said.
Once a neighborhood completes the first seven steps, the focus would turn to training team leaders in the basics of organization, fire suppression, first aid, disaster supplies and utility control. Morrison said once that’s done, the leaders would train their neighborhood groups.
“Hopefully, we can expand this Valleywide,” Morrison said. “It’s minimal cost – all it is, is training.”
Although the SCOPE training will begin in earnest in January, Morrison said those interested in organizing their neighborhoods could contact him beforehand at the Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority, 707.996.2102.