Local Emergency Information
Office of Emergency Services
Mendocino County:
(707) 467-6497
www.mendocinocounty.org/government/executive-office/office-of-emergency-services
Lake County:
(707) 262-4090
www.lakesheriff.com/About/OES.htm
Emergency Alerts for Lake and Mendocino Counties:
The best way to ensure that you receive vital emergency information is to register for both systems (Everbridge and Nixle) and register as many communication methods as possible (cell phones, landlines and email).
MendoAlert (Everbridge):
www.mendocinocounty.org/mendoalert
LakeCoAlerts (Everbridge):
https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736729003#/signupt
Nixle:
Generally, Nixle is a secondary notification tool which sends notifications via text message to cell phones.
local.nixle.com/county/ca/mendocino & local.nixle.com/county/ca/lake
Residents can also register for all notifications affecting their zip code by texting their zip code to 888777 or can register for all Nixle alerts sent in the Mendocino County by texting MendoAlerts to 888777.
Get your finances and property ready in case of a wildfire.
MAKE A HOME INVENTORY
Recovery is easier if you have an accurate home inventory. Document the contents of your home before a fire occurs. Use your smartphone to video your belongings. Keep your inventory & photos outside home or in the cloud.
Tip 1: Video or photograph each room of your home.
Remember to document drawers and closets.
Tip 2 :Describe your home's contents in your video.
Mention the price you paid, where and when you bought the item.
Tip 3: Remember to note important or expensive items.
Video your electronics, appliances, sports equipment,TVs, computers, tables.
Tip 4: Save receipts for major purchases.
Store key documents in the cloud or fireproof case. Keep home inventory offsite or in the cloud.
Tip 5: Video the garage.
Don’t forget to video or photograph what is inside your garage.
REMEMBER THE SIX "P'S"
Keep these six “P’s” ready in case immediate evacuation is required:
People and Pets
Papers, phone numbers and important documents
Prescriptions, vitamins and eyeglasses
Pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia
Personal computer hard drive and disks
Plastic (credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards) and cash
INSURANCE
A home is generally your largest asset. Protect it. Insurance is the critical back-up plan enabling you to rebuild your home after a wildfire. Federal catastrophe grants are not enough to rebuild a home. Make sure your family’s financial safety net is in place, in case disaster strikes.
Follow these tips as part of your Ready, Set, GO! wildfire preparedness plan:
Tips 1: Conduct an Annual Insurance Check Up
Call your agent or insurance company annually to discuss your policy limits and coverage. Make sure your policy reflects the correct square footage and features in your home. Consider purchasing building code upgrade coverage.
Tips 2: Know What Your Policy Covers
The details matter. Understand if you have a replacement cost policy that pays to replace all your items at current market price or an actual cash value policy that takes depreciation into account and pays less for aged items.
Tips 3: Update Your Policy to Cover Home Improvements
If you make home improvements, be sure to call your agent or company to update your coverage. Make sure your insurer knows about the changes, so the new countertops, floors or room are covered if you must rebuild.
Tips 4: Maintain Insurance
If your home is paid off, be sure to maintain homeowner insurance. Without insurance, do you have the money to rebuild your home? Check with loved ones whose homes are paid off to be sure they continue to carry homeowner insurance.
Tips 5: Get Renters Insurance
Renters can lose everything in a fire and be left to start over. Many insurers bundle renters insurance coverage with an auto insurance policy at affordable prices.
Ready.gov
Find information on the following: active shooter, attacks in public places, cybersecurity, earthquakes, emergency alerts, extreme heat, floods, home fires, household chemical emergencies, hurricanes, landslides & debris flow, pandemic, power outages, severe weather, extreme cold, thunderstorms & lightning, volcanos and wildfires. www.ready.gov
CAL FIRE
For checklists and to learn what to do before a wildfire strikes and what to do before, during and after evacuations: www.readyforwildfire.org
FEMA
Access FEMA’s National Preparedness Resource Library and information on: national planning frameworks, dam safety, floods, hurricanes and recovery resources. www.fema.gov