Santa Barbara County rolled out a new emergency mapping software this week, coinciding with the massive Gifford Fire.
The county started using Genasys Protect, which gives residents a visual tool to understand fire impacts and receive alerts about their area. People can see where the fire is as well as check evacuation orders, road closures and nearby shelters.
Emergency responders are using the software to see what structures are being threatened by the fire, said Kelly Hubbard, director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management.
The county also is sharing population data with the American Red Cross to help determine evacuation points and what shelters are needed during a major incident.
The software breaks up the county into hazard zones so that emergency responders can see population information for each zone. However, Hubbard said residents don’t need to worry about knowing what zone they’re in.
“We’re still going to describe the boundaries of the area, so they don’t have to know their number or the name of the zone,” Hubbard said. “We’re always going to describe the area, because we want to make sure we’re serving not just our residents, but those people who maybe come in for business or come in for pleasure, and they’re not necessarily going to know what zone they’re in.”
The software won’t give residents designated evacuation routes, and Hubbard said it’s important for residents to know multiple ways out of their neighborhood.
The reason emergency responders don’t designate evacuation routes is because they don’t know what roads will actually be open during an emergency.
“We’re really encouraging residents to know alternate ways to leave their home and know the other side streets, so that if their main route is blocked they can go another way,” Hubbard said.
For residents who have only one way in and out of their neighborhood, Hubbard said they should leave early if there is a nearby emergency.
Emergency responders are also using the mapping software to understand infrastructure and communities at risk during the Gifford Fire.
They can see where the fire is headed, what buildings are at risk and the size of the local population.
“It gives our public safety partners really critical information that they need to help them make decisions on protective actions or concepts that might impact our community members,” Hubbard said.
The biggest issue with the software, however, is the lack of Spanish translation on the public-facing site. The county’s emergency management staff are adding Spanish translation for evacuation orders and warnings, but the website itself is only available in English.
“We are also pushing very hard for the company to have better translation capabilities, not just Spanish but all languages, and to make that change,” Hubbard said. “They’re telling us they’re working on it, but we’re asking for them to prioritize that.”
Users can access the Genasys emergency zones map on the county website or download the app and turn on location services to receive alerts. The app is available for both Apple and Android users.
However, Hubbard said the app should be used as a visual tool, not an emergency alert tool, and residents should still sign up for the county’s ReadySBC alerts.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Gifford Fire was the largest wildfire burning in California. It has burned more than 82,000 acres since starting Friday afternoon.
