New fire preparedness tools unveiled by the City of South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There will be another fire in California, but when and where cannot be predicted and is unknown - but what is known is there will be another community that is devastated by wildland fire.

Residents around Lake Tahoe and the Sierra know this all too well and have been talking about concerns of wildfire threats in and around the Tahoe Basin. Those conversations have turned into plans and the City of South Lake Tahoe has just released an interactive website to help both residents and visitors map out an evacuation plan based on their neighborhood.

The Camp Fire, Tubbs Fire and other major fires in the state have taught people several things, with the biggest lesson being "every community needs to prepare for evacuation."

That was the message given by South Lake Tahoe Interim Fire Chief Bruce Martin and South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler Wednesday during an unveiling of the City's new tools in fire preparedness.

The time to prepare is now and reacting without a plan during a fire event just might be too late.

"The time to do something is now," said the City's Communication Manager Chris Fiore.

“Emergency preparedness has always been top of mind and it’s a constantly changing process,” said Police Chief Brian Uhler, “These new tools represent the latest steps the City is taking to make sure everyone has the information they need to know what to do in the event of an emergency.”

What is now available:

An interactive map - The whole city is laid out on a map divided by neighborhoods. Click on the area and find out the first primary and secondary evacuation routes from that home, where the boat evacuation refuge areas are, where primary and secondary refuge areas are located, and more http://www.cityofslt.us/prepare.
Updated alert system - Sign up for text alerts. Text JOIN PREPARE to 30890.

"We want all options available to us no matter what the emergency is, but especially in the event of a wildfire,” said Interim Chief Bruce Martin, “We all saw what happened in Paradise and no one is taking that lightly. These new tools will truly serve as a first line of defense.”

The City has contacted marinas and private boat companies to work out a plan for taking people from temporary refuge areas to safe areas across the lake because, depending on the emergency, cars may not be an option on roads that are clogged and at overcapacity.

"Not every community has a private boat fleet at their disposal," said Chief Uhler. He told of the story of 9-11 where a boat lift operation moved one-half million people off the island of Manhattan since bridges and subways were not available to escape.

There are three key things to remember in an emergency according to Interim Chief Martin:

Pay Attention
Leave Early
Know your temporary refuge areas

Not all emergencies will be the same, so knowing one's surroundings and making a plan is key. Be aware and be safe - sometimes that requires a right turn, other times a left turn, flexible decisions made easier with preparation.

"Early action is the best action," added Martin.

Have family meetings to go over the map and know escape routes from your neighborhood and the city. There is a wealth of information people can make available to themselves for planning.

Know the areas you frequent in South Lake Tahoe and where the closest refuge area would be. Each of the neighborhoods on the interactive map has a pre-evacuation plan, evacuation routes via vehicle, and temporary refuge areas. These sheets can be printed and kept in vehicles or "go bags." Even though Stateline, Nevada is not in the city limit they have several refuge areas to think of: parking garages and casino parking lots.

Since the Lake Tahoe Basin can add an additional 100-200 thousand visitors on holiday weekends it will be important for property managers, lodging properties and others catering to visitors to know how to keep them informed. In the works is a WEA (Wireless Emergency Alert) plan that will target all cell phones in an area, no matter their area code.

One important note: Many turn off the ability for their phones to receive spam phone calls and texts - these emergency notification systems may use numbers that appear as spam. Check with your provider on how to handle these calls and texts if blocking spam.

The "go bag"

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

Water - one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
Food - at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
Flashlight
First aid kit
Extra batteries
Whistle to signal for help
Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Manual can opener for food
Local maps
Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

Additional items -
Prescription medications
Non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids or laxatives
Glasses and contact lense solution
Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream
Pet food and extra water for your pet
Cash or traveler's checks
Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container
Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
Complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate and sturdy shoes
Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper to disinfect water
Fire extinguisher
Matches in a waterproof container
Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils
Paper and pencil
Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

If asked to evacuate know where your go-bag is and where the items you had previously identified to take with you are located.

For more on being ready with the go-bag and other tips, visit - https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit.