A new digital radio system has been approved for use during major emergencies. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors have approved the system for a neighborhood effort designed to enhance communication among county officials, community groups, and the public at large for greater efficiencies during disaster response and recovery. Five-hundred handheld radios are being distributed and will cover about 80 percent of the county using a network of 14 repeaters or relays. The repeaters are also being used by community groups including Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies and Community Emergency Response Teams. To date, county officials have trained more than 200 community members on how to use the radios in the communities of Villa Grande, Hacienda, Monte Rio, Rio Nido, Cloverdale, Occidental and Guerneville.