Preparing for fire emergency in Sonoma’s mobile home parks

By Jonathan Farrell —

With fire season upon us and summer-like weather persisting into autumn, residents of Sonoma Oaks gathered to meet with Somoma Valley Fire District Capt. Ben Gulson.

Longtime residents, Ardath MacDonald and Jude Cameron coordinated the October 21 meeting and introduced Capt. Gulson and his team to about 30 people in the Sonoma Oaks Clubhouse. 

Gulson was pleased that Sonoma Oaks residents had gathered to revive and restore their SCOPE – Sonoma Citizens Organization to Prepare for Emergencies program. “Emergency preparedness is very important,” said Capt. Gulson. “I can’t emphasize this enough” 

He also pointed out that having a community or neighborhood that can support and help one another in times of emergency or disaster is vital. “Emergency crews won’t be able to get out to you right away,” he said, “so if you can handle things that are basic and not life threatening that would be empowering for you and help us, too.” 

Basic things according to Gulson are knowing where the gas is and how to shut it off. Knowing there is at least 25 gallons of water in a water heater and that water could be used for bathing if running water isn’t readily available in an emergency. 

Capt. Gulson encouraged residents to be prepared and to take the time to get acquainted with one another. “Just knowing how many people are on your block or in your neighborhood is essential to emergency response in times of disaster or emergencies,” he added. 

Something as common as a power outage can really put a neighborhood to the test. Having a neighbor nearby to help with something as simple as opening a garage door, could very well be an important task as seniors might not have the strength to lift or maneuver a garage door opener system once the power goes out. 

Cameron and MacDonald who organized the meeting that afternoon explained. “We initially put SCOPE together over 11 years ago and since COVID-19 we realized this needs to be updated and revised.” 

Cameron pointed out that Sonoma Oaks is among at least seven mobile home parks in Sonoma and the adjacent Agua Caliente/El Verano area. These parks have mostly seniors as residents, and are often landscaped with wooded paths and dense foliage.

Additionally, getting emergency service vehicles into narrow roads and tight cul de sacs is difficult. “Having a resident or neighborhood group be proactive about getting dead leaves/brush cleared away and trees trimmed on a regular basis is a much needed safety measure,” said Gulson. 

Cameron also noted that getting mobile home park management to help is sometimes difficult.

Gulson agreed as he mentioned that mobile home parks like Sonoma Oaks are adjacent to creeks and open spaces that belong to the county. “Getting the appropriate authorities to help with maintenance can be daunting,” he said. This is why neighborhood cooperation is essential to help ensure safety. 

In addition to the mobile home communities, there are 57 Assisted Living facilities in the Sonoma area. According to the latest statistics, seniors make up 9 percent of the population of Sonoma County. Seniors as defined by the Sonoma County Department of Health Services are people age 75 and older. Seniors are among the vulnerable in the overall community. 

Several of the mobile home parks and Assisted Living facilities are in unincorporated areas of the county. Sonoma County’s unincorporated areas are home to 146,739 residents. That’s about 30 percent of the total population. 

A significant number of these individuals live in locations that are very rural and geographically remote. The threat of fire is often present, especially as hot weather continues. Which is why Capt. Gulson was persistent about the importance of neighborhood cooperation. 

Sonoma City Councilmember Madolyn Agrimonti attended the meeting. She told the Sonoma Oaks residents that “things regarding mobile homes have shifted.” 

While mobile home parks are governed by the State of California under The Mobilehome Residency Law (the MRL), each county and local authority must handle issues such as zoning permits, rent stabilization ordinances, etc.

Ann Colichidas, chapter rep for the Golden State Manufactured-home Owners League was also in attendance that Friday and said that GSMOL has been working hard to safeguard the rights of mobile home owners and tenants who are often ignored or mistreated by mobile home park management. 

With a County as large as Sonoma, deferring important housing concerns in the hands of local authorities and bureaucracies can be overwhelming. “This is why GSMOL was formed,” said Colichidas. “GSMOL has for 60 years, helped mobile home owners/residents advocate for what they need. Especially for establishing something like SCOPE.”

Pleased with the turnout for the meeting Cameron wants to have a SCOPE program in every mobile home park and senior community in the county.

Cameron said it’s important to revive emergency preparedness efforts, because being a senior in a mobile home park feels isolating. “It’s as if as a people we are put out to pasture,” se said. “said Cameron, “Out of the way, out of sight and out of mind, to some people perhaps. But we are here.”

And, she continued “we are still members of the larger Sonoma community. And we want to ensure that our quality of life remains intact, just like everyone else.”

To learn more about emergency preparedness visit https://www.sonomavalleyfire.org/