Evacuation Preparedness in Jefferson County

It’s late afternoon in August, you look out your window and a typical bright summer day is suddenly growing very dark. You step outside and the air is filled with a thick brown haze blotting out the sun, and you can hardly make out your neighbor’s house across the street. The wind is howling, breathing is difficult in the smoke and heat, and you can hear sirens in the distance. You aren’t sure where the fire is, but your nose tells you it’s close. What you do now can be the difference between survival and entrapment. Are you ready?

As the heat of the summer descends upon us, it’s important to understand what an evacuation may look like in Jefferson County, and what actions you should take should one occur. Now is the time to review, or develop, your own evacuation plans, before they are needed. Evacuations are often the deadliest part of a wildfire event, so it is critical to plan for how one may impact you and your family.

Jefferson County has a straightforward process for implementing evacuations, but those processes are dependent upon the ability to safely perform the actions needed given the amount of time available before the arrival of the hazardous condition. Ultimately, it is up to each one of us to decide for ourselves if we feel safe in our current location. First responders will try to reach as many as possible, and as much information will be released as is available, but in some situations, the amount of time and personnel available is overwhelmed by the size of an incident. That said, if time and safety allow, first responders will attempt the following steps if an evacuation may be needed in Jefferson County.

First, public information regarding major incidents will be released on the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, on the County’s low-power FM radio stations, and information may be provided to citizens via the reverse notification system (the system that allows us to call, text, or email citizens in a specific area to notify them of an incident). The way reverse notification systems work, however, requires those with cell phones to sign up for the service. To do so, visit the county website at jeffersoncounty-mt.gov, scroll down, and click on the yellow “Sign up for Emergency Notifications” button.

Second, Sheriff’s deputies or firefighters will, if they have the time and personnel to safely do so, go door-to-door to provide an “Incident Notice” to those who may be in the path of an incident. That notice provides information on how to stay up to date with current incident conditions and preparedness steps to take to be ready for an evacuation should it become necessary. The form also has a small section for those contacted to fill out that provides critical contact information to those managing the incident. It’s important to note that responders may not be able to come back in the event an evacuation is required, so citizens will be urged to follow public information releases closely and to leave early if they need extra help, or are uncomfortable with the current situation near their location.

Finally, in the event an evacuation is required, and again, if time and safety allow, Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters will again go door-to-door in the area of concern to provide an “Evacuation Order” to those who may be in harm’s way. That order also provides incident information sources for those being evacuated, as well as reminders of what to bring with you. The Evacuation Order is the final warning to leave immediately, so it’s very important to be prepared, as you may only have minutes to escape once this order has been given.

When a wildfire occurs and is reported to 911, Jefferson County emergency responders jump into action. Volunteer firefighters, EMS personnel, Sheriff’s deputies, and emergency management officials converge on the scene to fight the fire, protect those in harm’s way, protect each other, and plan for and manage the needs of the incident and those it is impacting. Those dedicated individuals are small in number, so it is common for help to be ordered from neighboring jurisdictions. That help, however, takes time to arrive, organize, and put into action. Unfortunately, more time is the one resource that cannot be ordered. That is why it is so important for everyone to prepare themselves for the day the needs of an incident overwhelm the initial attack available to manage and mitigate it. Make plans now for how you would react if you looked out that window at a darkening sky and do your part in keeping yourself and your family safe.