The Virtual Evacuation Drill that was postponed last month due to the wildfires, will take place Saturday, September 26, starting at 7:30 a.m. Utilizing the Community Warning System (CWS), the Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Emergency Preparedness Commission, Lamorinda CERT, and Con Fire will be conducting a virtual evacuation drill throughout the City of Lafayette this Saturday.
The City has an Evacuation Plan that has divided the City into different geographical zones. In a real emergency, evacuation orders will be issued for specific geographical zones and will only be issued when there is extreme danger to an area. Residents should evacuate immediately. The September 26 exercise begins at 7:30 a.m. and involves a virtual fire that ignites and begins to spread into Lafayette. Based upon the computer- generated fire model, virtual evacuation orders will be issued to geographic zones that are threatened by the virtual fire.
As with a real emergency, all evacuation orders are issued via the Community Warning System (CWS). CWS is the only source for this information. Nixle will not be used for evacuation messages but may be used to provide other information. You should subscribe to both services. Have discussions with your family about what to do if an evacuation is ordered. You should only take one car and bring important papers, wallets, phones and pets that can be grabbed quickly. For more information about what to take and how to prepare in advance, go to https://evacuate.lamorindacert.org.
On Saturday, September 26, when you receive the virtual evacuation drill notice, gather your family and practice loading into the car. Put a sign in your window that you have EVACUATED or NEED HELP. Knock on the doors of the houses next to you to ensure they received the notice. You’ve completed the virtual evacuation drill! And don’t forget to complete the survey linked to the September 26 CWS alert so that we can evaluate the drill and make any appropriate changes to our procedures. If you do not receive the evacuation alert next Saturday, please contact CWS to troubleshoot your registration, by phone at (925) 313-9622, or e-mail cws-staff@so.cccounty.us. Thank you for participating!