Hello Neighbors…
While we are still working on our defensible space with permitted burn piles and free green waste drop off, our May newsletter begins the shift of focus to fire season preparedness. This is the time to do your planning so that you will be fully prepared once fire season is in full swing.
News and Reminders…
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Fire Safe Council. They have been in the news recently for very unfortunate reasons. Because we’ve gotten questions, we feel it’s important to make sure you know that Greenhorn Firewise is not affiliated in any way with that organization. In the past, we have pointed you to some of their resources (which no longer exist). The Firewise USA program, which all Firewise Communities are part of, is managed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
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Letter/Survey. If you haven’t already, you will soon receive a letter from the GFC board with information about the work we’ve done since being recognized by the NFPA almost 7 years ago. We’d love to hear from more people in the community, so please complete and return the included survey, or save a stamp and complete it on line.
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Free green waste disposal. Free green waste disposal events continue every Monday through Memorial Day at McCourtney Rd. Transfer Station from 9-3.
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Burn piles—remember, it’s permit season! Nevada County’s Burn Permits page provides all the information you need about safety, permits, and more.
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Log your time and expenses. Help us keep our recognition from the NFPA (which qualifies you for an insurance discount). Logging your time and expenses regularly is easier than waiting until the end of the year.
Prepare Now for Fire Season Alerts
Later in the summer, when you see a smoke column on the horizon or hear something about a fire in the vicinity, you will want to quickly know whether it’s something you need to be concerned about. Now is the time to make sure you are signed up for text alerts and that you “know your zone” for evacuation announcements.
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Know Your Zone! In the event of an emergency, authorities will use Zone numbers in emergency alerts, on the Ready Nevada County Dashboard, and on social media to notify residents which areas are under an evacuation warning or order. The County uses a system called Genasys Protect to manage these zones. Genasys Protect also has a mobile app that provides updates on your home zone and allows you to follow other zones. This could be important if you have family living, working, or in school in a different zone from your home. You can also turn on your location in the app to get notified about situations when you are away from home.
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Sign up for Nevada County Alerts. Nevada County Alerts has replaced CodeRED for “opt-in” emergency alerts. There will be a system test on May 28, so sign up soon! Visit the County’s Emergency Alerts page to sign up and learn about the other alert systems in place.
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Watch Duty. This web app (both phone and computer versions) has quickly become the go-to source for wildfire information. Watch Duty is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and nongovernment organization focused on disseminating public safety information in real-time from verified sources. The service is powered by real people–active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders (not crowdsourced).
Evacuation Planning
This is also the time to think about what you will do if you need to evacuate. The time to plan is BEFORE an emergency happens.
Make sure that you “find your five” and share your plan. This document identifies what should be in your plan (see below for things to think about), as well as who to share it with. You should have people on your list that live close to you, but have at least one contact that lives out of the area.
Key things to consider for your evacuation plan are:
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Where will you go? Do you have friends or family outside a likely evacuation area that you can stay with? Or will you need to be staying in an emergency shelter location? Or heading to a hotel? This impacts what you will need in your go bags.
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How will you get there? What are the routes away from your home as well as your workplace? There is only one primary route out of Greenhorn. Are there private roads or off-road options that you can take? Your route out will depend on which direction a fire is coming from. It will be up to you to determine the best way out.
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What do you need to take with you (go bags)? This is the time to start getting your “go bags” ready, including important papers. Nevada County has go-bag checklists for what you need to pack for yourself, your family, and your pets.
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How will you connect with family who may not be with you when an evacuation happens? Family members may be at work or school, or out running errands. Children may be home alone or with a caregiver.
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Do you have livestock? Pets require planning too, but livestock much more so. Visit the Nevada County Veterinary Disaster Response Team website for more information.
And as always, PLAN TO LEAVE EARLY if possible. Ways out are limited and will be crowded.
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Over the next couple of months, we will be looking at these topics in greater depth, but you can start planning (or reviewing your existing plan) now!
Have Questions or Concerns?
If so, contact your Section Representative or email us at greenhornfirewiseboard@gmail.com.