The San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services (OES) has unveiled new predesignated evacuation zones. County residents are encouraged to know their evacuation zones to ensure that they are properly prepared for emergency scenarios.
Individuals can now locate their evacuation zone and enroll in emergency notifications at ReadySlo.org.
The new system seeks to effectively communicate to residents if they are under “an Evacuation Warning, Evacuation Order, or other protective actions,” according to a press release published by OES.
This change follows similar actions taken elsewhere in California and was prompted by a need for effective communication between officials, first responders and county residents. In an interview with KSBY, Emergency Services Coordinator Rachel Dion highlighted evacuations caused by wildfires in Santa Barbara as instances that drove the county to initiate this project.
The primary goal of the project, Dion explained, is to function as a tool that “makes it a lot easier and a lot clearer for the public to know whether or not they need to evacuate.”
“Just a minute could save your life,” Dion added. “By going to ReadySlo.org in advance and typing in your address and knowing what zone you’re in, and then writing it down and putting it on your refrigerator or somewhere that’s easy to access during an emergency, you’ll know as soon as an evacuation order or warning is issued.”
The initiative has been in the preparation process for a year and a half following a grant from the California FireSafe Council. It was completed in partnership with the San Luis Obispo County Fire Chiefs Association.
John Owens, San Luis Obispo County fire chief, described the new zones as “the best method right now” to “efficiently and effectively notify the public of a need for an evacuation warning or order.”
The evacuation zones can be used in response to a variety of situations, including “fire, flood, hazardous materials, or any other kind of evacuation warning or order,” Owens said.
Individuals can also enroll in Reverse 911 on ReadySlo.org, which sends emergency notifications to registered cellular devices. Reverse 911 also automatically enrolls all county landlines based on county data. Furthermore, wireless services also automatically provide emergency notifications based on location data.
Owens stressed that knowing your zone is only one step in emergency preparedness. Residents should also heed evacuation warnings and “prepare a go kit and have things ready to go so they don't have to think about what they're going to take when they have to go.”
