Atascadero Fire & Emergency Services introduces new emergency evacuation program
–At the City Council meeting held Tuesday evening, Atascadero Fire & Emergency Services introduced a new emergency evacuation program for Atascadero that is designed to help residents and businesses be better prepared for the next evacuation or emergency. As part of this “Atascadero Know Your Zone” campaign, residents are being urged to register their address to learn their zone.
Atascadero residents can go to atascadero.org/fire, click on “Atascadero Know Your Zone” which will take you to the website. Click on the red bar that says “Find your Zone Now” and you will see an interactive map, with twenty-six evacuation zones displayed for our city. When the address of the residence or business is entered, the designated zone for that address will be displayed and from there, residents can subscribe to alerts. Residents should record their zone number and review their zone details before the next emergency. This will help keep everyone better informed and will quickly map the best path to safety if it should be needed.
“The safety of the community is our number one priority and this program, ‘Atascadero Know Your Zone,’ will help in that effort,” said Mayor Heather Moreno. “This emergency evacuation program evolved out of our annual Strategic Planning Session two years ago and we are excited to now see it come to fruition.”
“Our goal is for every resident to know their property’s zone, sign up for emergency alerts, have the information they need when it’s needed and know what actions they should take at the time of an emergency,” said Chief Casey Bryson.
This new emergency evacuation program divides the community into zones based on geographical features, population, and evacuation needs. This information will be used to identify areas that might need to be evacuated during an emergency. Additionally, traffic flow studies will help to ensure that in the event of a necessary evacuation, the traffic will move quickly and safely. Real-time information provided by this program will also allow emergency responders to make the best decisions quickly, enabling them to limit property damage and save lives.
Everyone is urged to become familiar with their zone by looking up their property address and then enroll in the alerts that will provide instant information about any emergencies that may occur within their neighborhood, along with detailed instructions on what steps they should take to safely avoid danger.
To get started, go to www.atascadero.org/fire and click on “Atascadero Know Your Zone!” For assistance, please call Atascadero Fire and Emergency Services at (805) 470-3300.
