South San Francisco, CA December 15, 2020
“Emergency preparedness depends on the whole community involvement. This new tool will greatly enhance our ability to evacuate our residents and employees but requires everyone to engage and Know Your Zone!” ~Ken Anderson Sr. Emergency Services Manager
The South San Francisco Fire Department has announced the rollout of a new San Mateo County emergency resource, ZONEHAVEN, and encourages all those who live and/ or work in South City to plan ahead by identifying which zone you are located within and to keep that information handy should an emergency arise that would dictate the necessity to evacuate. “We used components of it during the Diamond Fire on Sign Hill,” said Matthew Samson, SSFFD Deputy Chief “A major component of this platform is the public-facing website/portal where residents, workers, and visitors can go to see what evacuation zone they live in and find out how to receive critical evacuation orders.”
To identify your ZONE, the user-friendly website bases the response on your address, and be sure to share your ZONE number with those in your household. Should an emergency hit our area, we can check the site for updates on whether we should be evacuating, and if so, where to go. This is one more step in preparing ourselves for any emergency and sharing this information with family and friends is important, be sure they know their ZONE as well!
{This is a timely opportunity to put in a plug for our SSF Community Emergency Response Team – learn how to join other neighbors to be better prepared to handle emergencies CLICK HERE. To view our past articles on our local C.E.R.T. CLICK HERE }
“This (Zonehaven) platform is used by every jurisdiction’s police and fire departments to better execute large-scale evacuations and it also provides the public a means to check if their zone has been evacuated, is under a warning, or safe to go home to.” Sampson said, “We think it is going to be a very beneficial tool that will greatly increase public safety in South San Francisco and San Mateo County.”
South City’s Emergency Services Manager Ken Anderson Sr, said “Emergency preparedness depends on the whole community involvement. This new tool will greatly enhance our ability to evacuate our residents and employees but requires everyone to engage and Know Your Zone!”
To find your ZONE CLICK HERE
Be sure to record this number where you can easily find it should you ever need it.
Residents are also encouraged to sign up for San Mateo County Alerts CLICK HERE
About SMC Alert System:
SMC ALERT is an alert notification system used to immediately contact you during urgent or emergency situations. You can set alerts to send emergency and non-emergency text and voice messages to your:
- email accounts
- cell phones, smartphones, tablets
- voice messages to landline phones (home & work)
SMC ALERT is free. (Your carrier may charge you a fee to receive alerts on your wireless device). SMC ALERT is available in all cities and towns in San Mateo County. Please read the FAQ’s for more information.
About ZONEHAVEN:
At Zonehaven we provide government agencies and community members with trusted solutions that increase and promote public safety preparedness.
Emergency service agencies are required to make tough decisions quickly. They encounter ambiguous situations with limited information, and take necessary risks to save lives. We’re here to help these first responders by providing essential data and tools that assist with preparation, training, and execution of live omni hazard incidents.
Community members also face many uncertainties during public safety incidents. We provide tools and live evacuation updates from trusted sources before, during, and after these incidents.
About SSF CERT Training:
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program will provide you valuable training on how you can be better prepared, respond to and recover from a disaster. The CERT basic training program is a course given in Spring and consists of five 3 hour sessions and two 8 hour sessions.
The following topics are covered during the CERT basic training course:
- Disaster Preparedness
- Fire Safety and Suppression
- Disaster Medical Operations
- Light Search and Rescue Operations
- Disaster Psychology and Team Organization
- CPR and First Aid Certification
After graduating from the CERT program, you have the opportunity to join dedicated volunteers on the South San Francisco CERT Team. The team meets monthly to train on various skills such as shelter operations, communications and Emergency Operations Center support. HAM Operators are welcomed!