By Ty Conners, Sergeant - Placer County Sheriff's Office
Evacuations are never an easy decision, as they significantly impact communities; but the decision to evacuate residents is carefully considered and communicated between fire and law enforcement.
I am Sgt. Ty Conners, from Placer County Sheriff's Office, and I am assigned to the Office of Emergency Services.
My role involves working closely with our fire partners and local law enforcement to prepare for the upcoming fire season. Depending on the location, evacuation orders are the responsibility of the relevant law enforcement agency.
The decision, however, is made in what we call our “unified command.” Unified command is a collaborative effort between fire and law enforcement working together to determine the best course of action.
The fire agency recommends evacuation areas, and then the law enforcement agency performs the notification process.
There are three evacuation terms we use:
- EVACUATION ORDER: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to the public.
- EVACUATION WARNING: Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate and those with pets and livestock should leave now.
- SHELTER IN PLACE: Go indoors. Shut and lock doors and windows. Prepare to self-sustain until further notice and/or be contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.
If an evacuation is decided, the law enforcement agency has different methods of performing notifications. Placer County Sheriff's Office uses a mass notification system called Everbridge.
The Unified Command creates boundaries for the affected area and generates a map, which is used to send notifications to those within the map boundaries.
The Everbridge system calls all landline phones within the map boundaries, and it's important for owners to register their cell phone information for notifications at www.PlacerAlert.org. Please follow the instructions provided in the notification to ensure your safety.
When it comes to law enforcement and evacuation orders, notifying the public is crucial. An evacuation order is issued when fire behavior poses an immediate threat to life, and we want to ensure homeowners have enough time to evacuate the area.
To accomplish this, Placer County Sheriff's Office takes extra steps beyond just relying on our Everbridge notification system. We use all social media platforms to push out a message and even go door-to-door.
For larger communities, we use all resources available to us to quickly and effectively saturate the area, going to each residence to notify homeowners of the evacuation order.
During the process, we may encounter elderly residents who need assistance, lack transportation or other reasons that may delay evacuation.
When this happens, we relay the information to unified command and work with our Office of Emergency Services and allied law enforcement agencies to develop solutions.
When it comes to a rapidly evolving fire incident, time is of the essence.
Although getting evacuation orders out quickly is crucial, it's also important for homeowners to be prepared. The community plays a critical role in a successful evacuation.
As a homeowner, it's essential to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.
Have you prepared your emergency kit?
Has your family discussed what to do if you must evacuate?
CAL FIRE encourages homeowners to follow READY, SET, GO.
Don't wait until you receive the call, or a deputy is at your door telling you to leave. Have a plan in place ahead of time.
We highly recommend signing up for Placer Alert and bookmarking the Ready Placer Dashboard.
These resources, provided by the Placer County Sheriff's Office and Office of Emergency Services, will provide you with up-to-date information on any incidents in your area.
By being prepared and informed, you can act quickly and safely.
Stay safe and be prepared!
 Firewise communities
By Jacqui Manning, Placer County Firewise coordinator
As we come into the 2023 fire season, we are seeing a surge in residents asking about the Firewise USA program.
Firewise communities in Placer County are steadily rising this year and we hope to see continued interest and participation in the program.
There are currently 77 active Firewise Communities in Placer County. Placer County's Firewise Coordinator is developing an interactive map of the community boundaries that will be released in mid-July.
For more information on the Firewise program, please visit www.NFPA.org.
Placer Burn Association end-of-season celebration
By Cordi Craig, Resource Conservation District prescribed fire program manager
Please join Placer Prescribed Burn Association and our collaborating organizations for a celebration of the season’s accomplishments July 25 at Moonraker Brewery in Auburn from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or new to the community, come learn what we’re all about!
Placer Resource Conservation District will report on the acres completed, upcoming training opportunities for the summer season and responses from landowners on the survey of their own accomplishments.
We look forward to hearing feedback on how we can improve our program.
Representatives from our partner agencies, including CAL FIRE, Placer Air Pollution Control District, and others, will be present to discuss other programs that are available for private landowners in Placer County.
Let us know if you’re interested in attending! RSVP
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Placer Burn Association survey
By Cordi Craig, prescribed fire program manager
If you haven’t already completed this survey or if you’ve taken advantage of the cooler weather before the burn ban is in place, Placer Resource Conservation District wants to hear from you! Even if you have not completed work on your property, we want to know how the RCD can better serve the community.
Please take some time to complete this survey. It should only take between 10 – 20 minutes.
The data from this survey will help Placer RCD demonstrate successes and areas for improvement to our funders and will provide the evidence necessary to secure additional funding for program expansion. Your feedback is important! Take survey
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Society of American Foresters field tour
By Cordi Craig, prescribed fire program manager
The Society of American Foresters has invited Cordi Craig and Chris Paulus of the Placer Resource Conservation District to present on prescribed burning along the North Fork American River shaded fuel break in Colfax.
This event will be held Aug. 12 at 8:30 a.m.
Tour attendees will be meeting at the parking lot at 99 Railroad St. in Colfax.
Following the field trip, lunch will take place at Dine and Dash Restaurant located at 1516 South Canyon Way, Colfax.
Lunch costs $25 (includes coffee/tea, tax and tip).
Please RSVP for both the field trip and the lunch by Aug. 4, to Jon Jue at jonora@sbcglobal.net.
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