Evacuations
In a rapidly developing event, there may not be time to issue an evacuation warning. When in doubt, GET OUT!
Jefferson County issues two types of public messaging via the Lookout Alert (formerly CodeRed) system:
- Advisory messages provide information but do not require any action on your part.
- Instructions provide information and require you to take some action to be safe.
You must sign up in advance to receive evacuation notifications with your local sheriff’s department. Lookout Alert is Jefferson County’s reverse 911 system (learn more about how Jefferson county uses Lookout Alert).It automatically includes the traditional landline if you have one at your residence. To be sure you receive notifications via all possible communication methods, you should register VoIP landlines, cell phone numbers and email addresses.
In an evacuation, our office staff will also evacuate. Do NOT call the office for emergency information. Do NOT call the Genesee Fire Department. Use the twitter and blog links noted above to get emergency information.
3 Levels of Evacuation Instructions:
1. Shelter in Place
- There is a hazard in your area and you should remain or go indoors, not stay or go outdoors, and not evacuate the area. This may be the safest strategy for hazardous materials, law enforcement activity, or other incidents when an evacuation could actually increase the danger to you.
2. Pre-Evacuation
- There is a hazard in your area that may require you to evacuate in the near future. Everyone should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. If you feel you are in danger and want to leave, do so. If you need additional time to evacuate, you should consider leaving without delay. If you need to arrange for transportation assistance, you should do so immediately.
- Be sure your Go-Bag is ready. Consider collecting other items you want to take with you and load them into your car in anticipation of an order to evacuate.
- Review your emergency evacuation plan and be sure everyone residing in your home is familiar with it. Park your cars facing toward the street with keys in the ignition (if it’s safe to do so).
- If the hazard is a wildfire, review the list of things to do to protect your home from wildfire threat. If you have time, here are things you can do to prepare your house.
3. Evacuation
- There is a hazard in your area and you have been ordered to evacuate immediately. If you need assistance evacuating call 911. You will be provided the safest escape routes known, so make sure you follow the instructions because other routes may be closed or unpassable. You will also be told the location of an evacuation point where you can get updated information about the emergency and the location of an evacuation shelter if you have nowhere else to go. Do not delay – evacuation means you need to leave immediately! You should not expect that emergency personnel will rescue you if you ignore the evacuation notice.
- The Lookout Alert system is geographically targeted. If possible, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office personnel will also knock on doors in the evacuation zone. If you think your home should be included but you didn’t get an alert, err on the side of safety and evacuate.
- If you are not at home when an evacuation order has been issued, you will not be allowed access to your home until the evacuation order has been lifted.
*In the event of an evacuation, Jefferson County sheriffs will instruct you about the specific routes to use. DO NOT choose your own evacuation route – you have no way of knowing if you are putting yourself at greater risk.
How to Get Information about an On-Going Emergency
- You MUST sign up in advance to receive emergency notifications from your local sheriff’s department. You can find emergency information from our Jefferson County Sheriffs’ Office via Twitter feeds (Jeffcosheriffco) or their emergency blog and their Emergency Communications Center Blog.
- You can sign up for automatic notification of changes in fire restriction status or call the JeffCo Sheriff’s Fire Information Hotline at 303-271-8200.
- You can also access emergency information on the Genesee Fire Rescue Website from their home page click on “get emergency information”
- DO NOT CALL THE GENESEE OFFICE. In an emergency, the Genesee office does not receive information from our local emergency organizations.