As Wildfire Awareness Month wraps up, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is calling on Oregonians to get ahead of the game by prepping for evacuation before wildfire season hits its stride. According to the OEM, last year was a record-breaker for destructive wildfires in the state, and the upcoming season is looking to follow suit. With threats looming, residents are encouraged to take simple preparedness steps to safeguard their lives and properties.
OEM has put together resources aimed at guiding residents through the various stages of evacuation readiness. Oregonians are urged to sign up for emergency alerts at ORAlert.gov, ensuring they're the first to know if an evacuation becomes necessary and following local emergency services on social media can keep them updated, with sites like TripCheck.com providing handy info on evacuation routes and local hazards. If you've got a phone, double-check that those Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are good to go.
When it comes to evacuation planning, Ready.gov/plan is the go-to for creating a solid family emergency blueprint, something the OEM supports with their wildfire evacuation checklist at wildfire.oregon.gov/prepare. A robust plan includes a lineup of emergency contacts, a predetermined meet-up point should family members get scattered, several route options to bug out of home, work, or school, plus provisions for pets and those with disabilities requiring special arrangements. Ready.gov/pets and the Red Cross are valuable ports of call for more detailed info on this matter.
An essential component of this prep work is the assembly of a "go-kit"—a stash of critical items each family member should have, ready to roll when time is short, containing necessities like sustenance, medications, lighting, power sources, extra clothes, and vitally important paperwork. For a thorough kit breakdown, visit Ready.gov/kit or check out the American Red Cross' guidance. Equally useful is familiarizing yourself with Oregon's three-tier evacuation notice system, "Be Ready, Be Set, Go!" so you're alert and in the know when the time comes to actually skedaddle. After evacuating, patience is a virtue; stay put until the word's given that it's safe to return.
Turning an additional eye toward preparation, OEM recommends a slew of extra resources for those wanting to dig deeper into their wildfire game plan, with helpful visuals like the OEM's Wildfire Alert Graphics and their Evacuation Level Graphics at hand. Plus, reviewing your insurance cover with your agent to confirm it covers fires is sound advice; more pointers available from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety or the Division of Financial Regulation, if you're looking for that all-inclusive wildfire prep package.
