From the Dispatch Center to the State Capitol: Why Nuestra Comunidad Supported AB 1832

Strengthening California’s Emergency Support Infrastructure Through Community Resilience

This week, Nuestra Comunidad traveled to Sacramento to advocate in support of Assembly Bill 1832 (Ransom), legislation that would strengthen California’s emergency support infrastructure by formally integrating the 2-1-1 system into emergency management efforts.

For many organizations, supporting a bill is simply part of the advocacy process. For Nuestra Comunidad, this effort is deeply personal.

Our support for AB 1832 is rooted in decades of firsthand experience at the intersection of emergency communications, disaster response, and community resilience.

A Perspective Built from the Front Lines

Before founding Nuestra Comunidad, Executive Director Alma Bowen spent 18 years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher serving Sonoma County.

One of the most impactful nights of her career was working during the 2017 Sonoma Complex Fires. As fires rapidly spread across the county, thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, families became separated, and emergency systems were stretched beyond anything many had experienced before.

Throughout the night, calls flooded into the dispatch center. Some callers were experiencing life-threatening emergencies. Others were desperately seeking information, shelter locations, evacuation guidance, transportation assistance, and answers to questions that did not require an emergency response but were nonetheless critical to their safety and well-being.

That experience revealed an important truth:

Emergency response does not begin and end with 9-1-1.

While 9-1-1 serves as the backbone of emergency response, communities also need trusted systems that can provide information, connect people to resources, and support recovery before, during, and after disasters.

That realization ultimately became one of the catalysts for the creation of Nuestra Comunidad.

Building Resilient Communities Across California’s North Coast

Today, Nuestra Comunidad serves communities throughout California’s North Coast, with a particular focus on populations that are often the last to receive resources and the first to feel the impacts of disasters.

The organization maintains physical locations in:

• Windsor, Sonoma County
• McKinleyville, Humboldt County
• Crescent City, Del Norte County

Through disaster preparedness education, resilience hub development, emergency outreach, resource navigation, food distribution, and community engagement, Nuestra Comunidad works every day to strengthen the capacity of individuals and families to prepare for, withstand, and recover from disasters.

This work has increasingly positioned Nuestra Comunidad as a trusted voice in conversations about emergency communications, disaster resilience, and equitable access to resources.

Why AB 1832 Matters

AB 1832 recognizes what emergency managers, first responders, and community organizations have known for years:

2-1-1 and 9-1-1 are interdependent systems.

During a disaster, 9-1-1 must remain focused on life-threatening emergencies where lives and property are in immediate danger.

At the same time, community members need access to:

• Evacuation information
• Shelter locations
• Food assistance
• Transportation resources
• Utility updates
• Disaster recovery services
• Multilingual support and information

This is where 2-1-1 plays a critical role.

A strong 2-1-1 system allows 9-1-1 to operate at its optimum capacity by handling non-emergency requests and connecting residents to trusted information and resources. By doing so, it helps preserve emergency response capacity while ensuring communities receive the support they need.

Simply put:

Investing in 2-1-1 is investing in a stronger 9-1-1 system.
A Vision for the Future

As California continues to face increasingly frequent and complex disasters—including wildfires, floods, severe storms, public safety power shutoffs, and extreme heat events—the need for integrated, community-centered emergency systems has never been greater.

Nuestra Comunidad believes that resilience is built through partnerships.

It is built when first responders, emergency managers, community-based organizations, public agencies, and residents work together to create systems that are accessible, trusted, and responsive to community needs.

AB 1832 represents an important step toward that future.

Leading the Conversation on Community Resilience

Nuestra Comunidad’s trip to Sacramento was about more than supporting a bill.

It was about elevating the voices of the communities we serve and helping shape a future where emergency communications systems work better for everyone.

As a former 9-1-1 dispatcher and now the leader of a community-based organization serving California’s North Coast, Alma Bowen brings a unique perspective to this conversation—one grounded in both emergency response and community resilience.

That perspective is increasingly needed as California continues to adapt to a changing risk landscape.

Nuestra Comunidad remains committed to advancing solutions that strengthen emergency preparedness, improve access to resources, and build resilient communities throughout California.

Because resilience is not built by a single system.

It is built when communities, organizations, and emergency response systems work together.

And together, we can build a safer, stronger, and more resilient California.