Solano County to launch evacuation resource system in March

In 2023, the Atlas, Nelson, LNU Lightning Complex and other wildfires remain fresh in Solano County residents' minds. For some, that includes the feeling of receiving notifications, frantically packing bags of their most important belongings and taking one last look at their homes, not knowing if they would ever see them again.

The evacuation process is just as much a part of fire season as the efforts to suppress wildfires, and in March, the county will be launching a new software system to make the experience easier for residents.

Starting March 1, Solano County will be using ZoneHaven, a San Diego-based system used to allow residents and first responders to more effectively plan, communicate and execute evacuations, according to an FAQ on the county website. The software is already used in municipalities such as Oakland, San Rafael, Hayward, Orinda and Lake and Napa counties. The partnership will go live March 1 in Solano and all its seven cities.

With this new software comes a platform called ZoneHaven AWARE, which will allow residents to type in their address to find their evacuation zone and view emergency information. These zones have been identified by county law enforcement and fire agencies as well as the Office of Emergency Services after working in tandem to determine these locations.

“Pre-established evacuation zones help first responders and emergency service agencies prepare before an emergency strikes and help to streamline the evacuation process reducing confusion and allowing residents to evacuate quickly,” county officials wrote. “It also ensures that first responders and community members are on the same page with the same information.”

Once residents find the name of their evacuation zone, they are encouraged to memorize it, write it down and post it in hightraffic locations such as on their refrigerators.

The platform will also include timely information by local law enforcement and fire agencies.

The county advises to residents to sign up for AlertSolano, which will not only continue to put out information but also include the names of evacuation zones, which consist of the first three letters of a municipality followed by a unique four-digit code. For example, the Nut Tree Plaza is located within the VAC 2122 evacuation zone.

For more information, go to Solanocounty.com/depts/ oes/evacuation.asp.