SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — From earthquakes and flooding to heat and wildfires, California is no stranger to natural disasters. Since a disaster can happen anywhere and at any time, emergency officials say awareness is key.
"There are a number of ways people can receive information during an emergency," said Mary Jo Flynn-Nevins, Chief of Emergency Services with SacOES. "One way is to subscribe to our alert and warning system."
The Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services (SacOES) works to get the word out to the public before, during and after a disaster.
The SacOES manages an Emergency Alerts Notification System, called Sacramento Alert. It's a web-based application that "enables authorized county, city, and special district public safety officials to disseminate public safety information rapidly and efficiently to the residents of Sacramento."
Sacramento Alert provides emergency alerts by email, phone or text in 62 languages.
"If it does not arrive in the exact language that you need, at least you know something is happening, so you can start seeking information," said Flynn-Nevins.
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California is diverse, with more than 200 languages and dialects. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 44% of people speak a language other than English in the state. SacOES aims to keep everyone protected in emergency situations by translating emergency information online in more than 100 languages.
"Some of the top languages in Sacramento County include Spanish, Pashto, Russian, Ukrainian and a number of others that are important to our community members," said Flynn-Nevins. "We try to make sure that our translations hit those communities. One thing that we try to accomplish is to make sure that what we do translate is culturally appropriate and meets the needs of our local community."
SacOES partners with community organizations, like La Familia Counseling Center, to address language barriers and lack of internet access. La Familia Counseling Center is on a mission to "improve the quality of life for at-risk youth and families of diverse backgrounds by offering multicultural counseling, support and outreach services and programs."
La Familia Counseling Center offers several services and programs in different languages, like English, Spanish, Hmong and Vietnamese. The center recently worked with SacOES to be a cooling center and information hub to help people stay safe in extreme heat.
"During the summer, we had workshops for our community members in different languages," said Karen Duenas, program administrator with La Familia Counseling Center. "We were able to offer them water safety and heat preventative tips because a lot of our community works outdoors."
Once you're aware, emergency officials says being prepared is the next step. That includes having an emergency preparedness plan and kit.
"Take time to sit down with your family, friends and neighbors," said Flynn-Nevins. "Talk about what kind of disasters might be impactful to you and things that you can set aside or ways that you can be prepared, individually and as a local community."
To learn more about Sacramento Alert or to sign up for alerts, visit the SacOES website HERE.
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