The recent fires affecting our neighbors in Boulder County may have us all wondering, what if? Being prepared for emergencies is a partnership. There are steps both you and we (your county government) can take.
What YOU can do:
- Be informed: Sign up for the County’s reverse 911 system, CodeRED, at douglas.co.us/CodeRed. Register every family member who has a cell phone, and tell your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to do the same. Businesses should also register.
- Plan together: Create or update your family evacuation plan, including important items to take, multiple routes out of your neighborhood, a family reunification point outside of your neighborhood, etc. Visit ready.gov for help.
- Check documents: Revisit your homeowner’s insurance to confirm coverage value, catalog items, etc.
- Prepare your home: While the cause of the fires in Boulder is still unknown, it’s always a good idea to evaluate mitigation and defensible space around your home. Visit the Douglas County wildlife mitigation webpage for details.
- Get more information: Download the County’s Disaster Preparedness Guide (PDF) for more helpful tips to prepare you and your family — including your pets and livestock.
What WE are doing:
- Keeping citizens informed: Promoting CodeRED, staying active on social media, and holding Live Town Hall meetings about wildfire evacuations. View previous Live Town Hall recordings online.
- Planning ahead: The FEMA-required Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Douglas County Evacuation Plan were recently updated, and we are in the process of updating the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. In addition, we have a plan to access several wildfire suppression resources including helicopters, hand crews and heavy equipment.
- Practicing: The County’s Emergency Operations Center Team, Incident Management Team and Douglas County Animal Response Team complete several drills every year, including wildfire evacuation drills in communities across the county.
- Preparing our properties: Crews complete wildfire mitigation on open space and County properties regularly, so that an emergency on our property is less likely to impact yours.
For additional information and resources, visit ready.gov