Sonoma residents urged to sign up for emergency alerts

With the onset of an early fire season in the North Bay, Fire Safe Sonoma is urging residents to sign up for notification systems to make sure that they are alerted of a disaster as quickly as possible.

Local options include:

• SoCo Alert: SoCoAlert is the County of Sonoma’s emergency service notification system. Notifications may include evacuation notifications, shelter-in-place orders, boil water advisories, tsunami warnings, and flood warning. Take a moment to sign up for SoCoAlert by creating an account.

• Nixle: Receive email and text messages from local fire and law enforcement agencies that include public safety messages as well as emergency information. Text your ZIP code to 888777 to opt-in or sign up online to receive email or text message with alerts and advisories.

• NOAA Radios: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radios are available for purchase. When properly programmed, the National Weather Service can remotely turn on these radios and send basic alerts, including for wildfire. The message may be accompanied by a warning tone, depending on the model you purchase. Sonoma County residents may tune their NOAA radio to:

– County of Sonoma frequency 162.475

– Northwest Sonoma County frequency 162.550

– Southwest Sonoma County frequency 162.475

• PulsePoint: PulsePoint notifications provide an early heads-up to local threats such as wildland fires, flooding and utility emergencies.