Are You Ready & Set to Go?

During the 2016 fire season in western Montana, many residents have been directed to evacuate their homes because a wildfire is fast-approaching. For many residents in the Roaring Lion area near Hamilton, homes were lost completely and our thoughts are with them as we write this letter.

We live in the same communities, and will be there to do our part as first responders in times of need. Like many homeowners all across the country, our families are ready for potential evacuation.

There are some who have not made adequate preparations yet but there is time.

Missoula County has adopted “Ready, Set, Go” as a means to get folks ready and set to go when the time comes.

Folks should get READY before fire is on the landscape. You should be familiar with area roads and all exit routes from your immediate area. Sign up with Missoula County Smart 911 to receive emergency notifications. Call your local fire department and set up a time for a home visit to see how your property might be adapted to lower the risk posed by wildfire.

As a fire nears you, you need to be SET. Complete and practice your personal wildfire action plan. A good template can be found at http://www.wildlandfireRSG.org.

Assemble a “GO KIT” that includes: prescription medications, emergency supplies like water, food, warm clothes and maps for everyone in the family regarding exit routes and what to do if the kids are at school when the notification comes.

Create a contact list that includes your neighbors’ cell phone numbers and friends who may be able to provide support in neighboring communities.

Bookmark http://www.inciweb.nwcg.gov on your smart phone or tablet; many incident management teams update fire information there daily, including maps of the fire perimeter.

If you are told to GO, act early. Get your GO KIT and leave before the fire is at your door or compromises your only accessible escape route.

Use your contact list to alert others of the information you have.

Cooperate with local authorities during evacuation and re-entry processes.

In many cases, you can return to your home from time-to-time to collect belongings or check on the security of your property. If law enforcement calls on you to evacuate, the security of your property is of paramount concern to them, just as it would be if the property were their own.

Just a week ago, a homeowner was told to get SET to evacuate because a wildfire near her property was likely to be very active that afternoon. She told the officers that she was already READY to go.

Each fire season, she gathers up supplies she needs in a container and puts them in the garage should a fire start nearby.

She checks that her address is still clearly marked with reflective tape to be seen at night.

She has photos of her pets and horse in case they run in fear or she is forced to open the gate on the pasture and let the horse free if there’s no time to get the trailer.

She has neighbors who have trucks with the right size trailer ball to get the horse trailer out if she’s not around and she has their cell phone numbers. When she leaves home when a fire is near her place, she calls them to see if they are able to help if needed.

She had worked with her insurance company regarding what documentation would be helpful to have regarding possessions she would have to leave in the home when she had to GO.

Then, the day she’d be dreading actually came. The fire blew up toward her home. She only had a few hours to get SET.

She gathered up the pets in the garage and put the horse in the trailer. She called her neighbor who came and took the horse to his house miles away and out of danger. She got her medications into her overnight bag and put them in the car, making sure she had her car charger for her cell phone. She put her papers, keepsakes and valuables in the truck. Finally, she left her front porch light on to let responders know that her power was still on. She turned her sprinkler system on and let it run to moisten the vegetation around the house.

The sheriff’s deputy arrived at midnight and told her it was unsafe to be there, and that she had to GO. She left with as clear a conscience as she could, with her pets taken care of and her neighbors alerted. It wasn’t easy to GO but it was much easier knowing that she had done all she could have prior to leaving and that means a lot.

She was able to return the next afternoon; the fire was past her place. She was prepared, not fortunate.

Contact your local fire department to see what steps you can take to be READY and SET to GO.