(Napa, CA) ‑-- Napa County is announcing the kick-off to the county’s annual emergency preparedness campaign ahead of the 2022 fire season. At yesterday’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting, Napa County Sheriff Oscar Ortiz, Napa County Fire Chief Jason Martin, and staff from the Office of Emergency Services provided updates on preparations for the upcoming fire season and important emergency preparedness messages for the public. Ryan Gregory, Chair of the Napa County Board of Supervisors encouraged the public to reflect on their emergency preparations. “The beginning of fire season is an important reminder of how being prepared for an emergency can save lives and protect homes and businesses,” said Chair Gregory. “I urge families in Napa County to use available resources and programs to make emergency plans and ensure they can stay safe when disasters strike.”
Napa County public safety officials offered several practical tips and resources for the public ahead of the 2022 fire season, including:
- Know Your Zone: Napa County has introduced a new evacuation support tool that residents can use to receive official notification of evacuation orders or warnings. In 2021, Napa County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies divided the county into more than 250 evacuation zones on an online, publicly available map supported by Zonehaven, a California-based company under contract with Napa County thanks to generous funding from the Napa Valley Community Foundation. All Napa County residents are encouraged to bookmark the Zonehaven website as well as look up the zone number for their home, work, and school and to write the Zone number down in an easy to find place as part of the “Know Your Zone campaign”. In the event of an emergency, law enforcement and other first-responding agencies across the county will update the Zonehaven platform so evacuation routes and other information is timely and localized. Napa County will continue to use Nixle to push official communication to residents during emergencies. Get familiar with Zonehaven and other evacuation communication tools here.
- Request a defensible space consultation: Visit the Napa County Fire Department’s website to learn more about the defensible space consulting program.
- Continue clearing your residential defensible space and sign-up for Napa County’s free chipping program: The free chipper program kicks off in April 2022. Learn more on the Napa County Fire Department’s website.
- Download the Everbridge app to receive mobile app notifications for Nixle alerts and advisories: Find instructions on the Nixle website to keep your account up to date and ensure you receive important emergency communications.
- Stay tuned for emergency preparedness events coming to a convenient location near you! Napa County will host a series of community-based emergency preparedness events and tabling sessions to provide residents with emergency preparedness information and materials throughout Spring and Summer 2022.
Napa County Fire Chief Jason Martin encouraged the public to act now to reduce fire risk on their properties. “Preparing for wildfires is a year-around exercise now,” said Chief Martin. “We know that reducing fuels around your home and having adequate defensible space can truly improve the survivability of your home during a wildfire. Everyone must evaluate their home for defensible space in the spring, not just for you and your family but for the entire neighborhood.”
Napa County Sheriff Oscar Ortiz stressed the importance of getting familiar with communications tools, like Zonehaven. “Zonehaven is still new in Napa County and we plan to do additional outreach in 2022 to ensure the community is familiar with this life-saving new tool,” said Sheriff Ortiz. “We encourage everyone to talk with your friends, neighbors, and co-workers about Zonehaven. The many disasters in Napa County in recent years have taught us how critical it is to connect as a community around emergency preparedness and planning.”
“Sheriff, Fire, and the Office of Emergency Services coordinate closely behind the scenes throughout the year to ensure the safety and resiliency of our community,” said Napa County Executive Officer Minh C. Tran. “Their important work could not be successful without the partnership of countless community members, including residents, businesses, and volunteers. Unity of purpose around preparing for emergencies is how we are strong—it’s how we are Napa Strong.”
If residents are interested in taking their emergency preparedness to the next level, there are a number of community partners active in Napa County that provide training and volunteer opportunities for the public, including:
To learn more, visit the County’s Emergency Preparedness website readynapacounty.org and follow official Napa County public safety agencies’ accounts on social media, including:
CONTACT:
Napa County Public Information Officer
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 707-299-1867