EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Preparing for a Wildfire
Prepare for Evacuation
Maintain an updated, well-stocked emergency kit.
Make a list of valuables you need to grab if ordered to evacuate.
Create a go bag using the 6 P’s of Evacuation:
People and pets
Papers, phone numbers, and important documents
Prescriptions, vitamins, and eyeglasses
Pictures and irreplaceable items
Personal computers and/or hard drives
Plastic (credit cards, ATM cards, and cash)
Know how to open and close your garage door when the power is off. Newer garage door openers are required to have a battery backup, which will allow the door be opened a limited number of times.
Plan where you will go if ordered to evacuate. Talk to family and friends who live outside the neighborhood, and make advance plans to go there if evacuated. You might be able to do the same for them some day!
Familiarize yourself with multiple ways to get out of your neighborhood. The way you come and go on a daily basis may not be open during a fire. Drive those routes before you need them so you’ll be ready when you’re under pressure.
Know your Evacuation Zone. Los Angeles County is broken up into evacuation zones. Emergency services will use zones to determine evacuation areas and will announce in the media which zones are affected and need to be prepared for evacuation, or need to be evacuated immediately. Check your zone here.
Prep Your Home
Some plants burn more readily than others, so landscape with “fire friendly” plants and trees. Check out the Guide to Defensible Space Ornamental Vegetation Maintenance for more information.
Harden your home. Make sure that all eaves and attic vents are fitted with ⅛” wire mesh to prevent embers from entering your attic.
If Ordered to Evacuate
Load your car(s) with everything you need to take.
If you have time, move flammables away from the home. This might include things like lawn furniture, propane tanks, and trash cans.
Leave a note on the door or inside a window letting emergency personnel know you have left and that no one remains in the home. This helps emergency responders work more efficiently and effectively.
Close all windows tightly and tie drapes back away from the windows to prevent fabric from igniting from outdoor heat from nearby fire.
Get out quickly and calmly, and follow your plan for where to go and how to get there.
Do not stay behind and wait until the last minute or try to fight the fire yourself! Firefighters and first responders’ priority is to save lives, then property. If they have to rescue you, they may be forced to allow homes — including yours and/or your neighbors’ — to burn.
The CERT Course
Agoura Hills CERT offers a series of training courses so you can be better prepared for a disaster.
Becoming a Member
If you’d like to help the general community in times of disaster, consider becoming a member of Agoura Hills CERT. The group participates in refresher and supplemental training to keep our skills polished and ready.