Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1367431
11 high-stress, high-stakes environment of the last two years. In this new normal, the impor- tance of cross-sector collective preparedness planning is crucial. Funder and Service Provider Action after the Wildfires The Napa-Sonoma private funding community raised over $140 million dollars to assist in the response to these fires in a very short period of time. This rough amount excludes national, state, and county funding. It is an estimate, and not an exact amount. While an enormous feat, such funds nonetheless did not nearly address the full range of community recovery and resilience needs. Deploying the relief and recovery portions of these resources quickly took extraordinary effort and coordination. In Napa County, where community leaders had learned from their experience in the 2014 earthquake, Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and Continuity of Operations (COO) plans between the Community Foundation and CBOs were already in place to help deliver the funds in the most strategic way. 5 In Sonoma County, volunteers and CBOs flooded County EOCs and LACs with the goal of supporting immediate relief and recov- ery, an entire Office of Recovery and Resiliency was established, and multiple collaborative efforts to lead all phases of response (ROC Sonoma, VOAD to COAD) were initiated. In both counties, funders reacted quickly, saw needs and gaps and worked to fill them. CBOs embraced a high level of collaborative engagement with one another, and where they could work closely with public outreach agencies they did. The pressure on local CBOs was immense; these trusted organizations were not only serving the needs of their current clients and beneficiaries, but now the needs of an expanded group of vulnerable individuals. For example, food pantries that were accustomed to serving a specific group of food insecure and homeless were suddenly charged with a much larger population, with the same infra- structure and resources as at the start. In the two years that have passed, County government agencies, foundations, and CBOs have all made major strides to improve communications, planning and strategy with regard to disaster response. Public Health and Human Services agencies in both counties respond- ed quickly, fulfilling immediate needs of their usual populations and serving an expanded group affected by the fires. They worked with CBOs and provided a variety of mental health supportive services. Permitting, Planning and Environmental Services agencies have worked diligently to remove tons of debris and get residents permits for rebuild. In Sonoma County, for example, in December 2017, the Office of Recovery and Resiliency was formally created and tasked with developing a recovery and resiliency plan. 6 In June 2018, an assessment of the Emergency Management Program preceded additional investment in this agency; various staff development recommendations were made. The assessment recommended 1) that the Emergency Services Manager to be reclassified as Director; 2) the creation of two additional staff positions to develop and manage a comprehensive community alert and warning program, and 3) the addition of two staff positions to develop and manage an individual and community preparedness program and provide support to Voluntary 5 Mulligan, T. (2019, August 12). Phone Interview; Abdo, A, and A. Twitchell. (2018)."The Role of On the Move and UpValley Family Centers in the Local Response to the 2017 Napa County Wildfires: Lessons in Disaster Recovery". 6 Office of Recovery and Resilience, "Sonoma County Recovery & Resiliency Framework". Accessed at https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147567657.