When the devastating Tubbs Fire tore through Sonoma County in 2017, Cazadero resident Tony Goodwin found himself unable to communicate with his wife.
The terrifying experience inspired Goodwin to equip his home with General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)and help his neighbors and surrounding communities join the network.
As emergency preparedness came to dominate Sonoma County's discourse, the radio network designed for short-range, portable and rugged two-way radio communication grew. Goodwin has helped set up radio boxes using the GMRS system for locations around the county including at a new communications tower in Cloverdale.
Upon completion, the solar-powered tower will also include a weather station that can measure meteorological conditions including wind speed and report it out in real time.
"It's turning out to be a really, really cool project," said Johannes Hoevertsz, Sonoma County's public infrastructure director.