mailto:srcity.org/EyacZones*

Due to the topography within Sonoma County, the re-institution of audible alarms such as air-raid sirens could dependably reach residents in remote areas and work as a reliable tried- and-true alarm system. We disagree partially with this finding. The City of Santa Rosa has researched the potential for the installation of a network of outdoor warning sirens within City limits. The City looked at siren technologies, system limitations, potential siren locations, as well as start-up and ongoing maintenance costs. Because the effectiveness of outdoor sirens may be compromised by topography, building materials, wind, time of day, vegetation and urban density this is not a reliable tried-and-true alarm system for City residents. While outdoor warning sirens can be beneficial under certain specific conditions, those conditions don't exist uniformly across Sonoma County, including within the City of Santa Rosa. After careful consideration, the City has determined that outdoor warning sirens are not an efficient, reliable or cost-effective method to alert those within City limits. Further information on the numerous ways the City makes sure to reach as many residents as possible is discussed below in response to R1.

Different evacuation zone designations for the same area (numbers, names, streets, areas, etc.) by the County, cities, CAL FIRE and agencies can lead to confusion for residents during an emergency. We disagree partially with this finding. While different zones for the same area would be confusing, the City has adopted a standard set of evacuation zones that use neighborhood/geographic naming conventions. The geographic borders and names used for the pre-designated evacuation zones within City limits have remained the same and have been consistent since their first publication in August of 2020. 1

Because evacuation zones were not published or known, prior to the recent emergencies, residents were unaware of their evacuation zones. We disagree partially with this finding. The City of Santa Rosa published its evacuation zone maps to its website at <a href="mailto:srcity.org/EyacZones">srcity.org/EyacZones</a> in August of 2020 during the LNU Lightning Complex. The City then sent a postcard Citywide that arrived in residents' mailboxes on or about September 1, 2020, with information on the City's new zones and instructions for residents regarding how to go online to look up their zone by address. Another Citywide mailing, which contained the evacuation zone maps and instructions on how to look up an evacuation zone online or by calling 2-1-1 for assistance, was mailed in phases to all City residents between March and May of 2021. Maps of all the City and County zones were again published in print media as part of a major public outreach campaign in June of 2021. The City has also utilized radio Public Service Announcements, social media campaigns, e-newsletter publications, community meetings and press coverage to continue education on evacuation zones.

Not all police and fire agencies within the County show an Evacuation Map on their website. We disagree wholly with this finding. As of June 30, 2021, all cities and the County have posted all the evacuation zone maps on their respective websites.

Various agencies, cities, and the public rely on the County Emergency Operations Plan for their disaster preparedness and best practices regarding the alerts and warning systems. We disagree wholly with this finding. An Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is a high-level planning document which assigns responsibility for carrying out specific actions to agencies or organizations in an emergency; it sets forth lines of authority and shows how actions, at a high level, will be coordinated through all phases of emergency management. The EOP is not a procedural or tactical document. The City thus does not use or rely on its EOP for alert and warning tasks. An EOP is not the appropriate document for best practices regarding alert and warning systems. Instead, the City has separate well-organized checklists, procedures, manuals and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for alerts and warning systems. These documents are constantly reviewed and updated. 2