The City of Sonoma operates in one of California's highest-risk emergency management environments — wildfire, earthquake, flood, PSPS, and cyberattack are all credible, recurring hazards. Sonoma had plans on paper. But they hadn't been tested, updated, or exercised in any systematic way.
The city needed more than a plan refresh. They needed a consistent presence — someone who would show up year after year, train the same staff, run the exercises, keep the plan current, and still be there when the next City Manager arrived. TLR was brought on retainer to be that partner.
Over multiple years, TLR has served as Sonoma's prime emergency management consultant — the city's institutional memory, its exercise program, and its planning infrastructure all at once. The engagement had four consistent work streams:
EOP Modernization. TLR led a full update of the city's Emergency Operations Plan and hazard-specific annexes, developed collaboratively with city staff. The updated plan reflects how Sonoma's government actually makes decisions — not a template adapted from another jurisdiction.
Annual EOC Training. Each year, TLR delivered structured EOC training sessions reaching 25+ city staff. Training was tied to the updated EOP — so staff were learning the plan they'd actually use, not generic procedures.
HSEEP-Compliant Exercises. TLR designed and facilitated four tabletop exercises across Sonoma's primary hazards: wildfire combined with Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), earthquake, flood combined with hazmat, and cyberattack. Each TTX was scenario-specific, evaluated against FEMA core capabilities, and produced an after-action summary with improvement recommendations.
Ongoing Governance Support. TLR facilitated 6+ EOC planning meetings and 8+ Disaster Council meetings — keeping the plan in active use rather than filed away between emergencies.
Sonoma now has a current, tested Emergency Operations Plan — built with city staff, not handed to them. EOC personnel have exercised multiple hazard scenarios and understand their roles in each. The Disaster Council meets regularly and engages with the plan as a living document rather than a filing obligation.
The engagement has grown in scope over successive cycles — a signal that the work is producing institutional change, not just deliverables. The city retains TLR because consistent, senior-led engagement compounds. Small organizations can't afford to rebuild the relationship and context every few years.