CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE: Are You Ready to Go? #Ready-Set-Go #CaFire

Thursday, July 18, 2013

CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE: Are You Ready to Go? #Ready-Set-Go #CaFire

Are You Ready to Go?

Family Evacuating From SBF Mountain Fire 7-17-13

As we have seen on the news recently, wildfires, tornadoes or floods can strike at any time.

Survival can be predicated upon who was prepared in advance of the disaster.

So what can you do today to help prepare you and your loved ones?

Creating a Family Disaster Plan is the first step in preparing for a disaster, any kind of disaster that you may find yourself facing. Whether you are at home, at school or at work you must be prepared at all times.

It is important that every member of your family understands what to do in the event of a disaster such as a wildfire in your area.

Practice this plan on a regular basis so that each member of your family knows their role and what they need to do; keep a copy of this written plan in an accessible place so that you can refer to it quickly and easily.

Important things to include in your Family Disaster Plan are:

Meeting locations away from your home, communication plans and evacuation plans for your family and your pets.
Identify where your gas, water and electrical shut-offs are and how to use them.
Plan several evacuation routes in your neighborhood and drive them so you are familiar with them day or night.
Assemble emergency supply kits and have them ready for yourself, family and animals.
Don’t forget to include a portable radio and/or scanner so you can stay updated on critical fire information
Preparing and practicing your Family Disaster Plan are critical. Being READY for wildfire season is your best defense. Preplanning for a disaster can save your life and the lives of the ones you love

“Ready-Set-Go” website at www.ReadyForWildfire.org
Photo Credit: Stuart Palley ‏@stuartpalley

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CFN - California Fire News 2013

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Thursday, July 18, 2013