Communities Organized to Prepare for Emergencies

About Us

We are empowering and advocating for our communities

The mission of COPE is to help residents, families, visitors, and neighbors become and remain better prepared to respond to and recover from emergency situations.

In the Fall of 2018, we convened the COPE Leadership Group, a collaboration between COPE Community leaders, fire officials, and representatives from local government and nonprofits that meets monthly to share information and work on projects.

SIGN UP to attend our next online Info Session here!

Contact

contact@copenorthernsonomacounty.org

(707) 404-3161

COPE leader talking with people at table
woman at COPE table talking to visitors

Our Vision

By working together as residents, communities, and local agencies to prepare for emergencies, Northern Sonoma County will be safer and more resilient.

Our Values

Community
Share best practices
Trust
Collaboration
Advocacy
Action

Who we serve

COPE Leaders who represent communities in the 4th District (including our most vulnerable (seniors, Spanish speakers, poor, etc.).

Initiatives

We serve as a California Fire Safe Council and serve our communities as leaders in emergency preparedness.

We promote partnership and collaboration with government agencies, public safety organizations and other organizations.

We also provide monthly Info Sessions for 1-on-1 assistance to emerging COPE Leaders.

We are a public forum to educate, train and encourage additional Northern Sonoma County communities to create COPE programs and prepare for emergencies.

We identify, plan, organize and spearhead projects that lead to increased emergency preparedness.

We advocate for our communities by influencing policy, bureaucratic processes and the allocation of resources for emergency preparedness.

“We just need to make sure that everybody’s OK.

 COPE Board

Dr. Priscilla Abercrombie

Dr. Priscilla Abercrombie

Chair

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Marrianne McBride

Marrianne McBride

Vice Chair

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Rebecca LaLonde

Rebecca LaLonde

Treasurer

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Dr. Donna Schafer

Dr. Donna Schafer

Secretary

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Chief Marshall Turbeville

Chief Marshall Turbeville

Board Member

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Geoff Peters

Geoff Peters

Board Member

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Dr. Nancy Brown

Dr. Nancy Brown

Board Member

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Dyan Urban

Dyan Urban

Board Member

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Coby LaFayette

Coby LaFayette

Engagement Specialist

California native Coby LaFayette is no stranger to emergency services. In fact, she took her very first 1st aid class as a teenager at the American Red Cross in Carmel, CA. Since then, she’s been an EMT and EMT-II on ambulances and in the emergency room. After giving medical school some thought, she about faced and got her degree in Biology with a minor in Stats. She’s worked as a disaster preparedness instructor and responder for the American Red Cross; an emergency services coordinator for Sonoma County Schools; co-founded Prepare-U, a business that taught preparedness and response to school administrators; and consults with Alves & Associates as a SME for schools, an evaluator and safety officer. Coby is a CERT Program Officer and was instrumental in getting state approval for a modified CERT program into Sonoma County schools. An experienced cat wrangler, she claims this makes working with people a whole lot easier and way more fun.