When disaster threatens to strike, plenty of information is floating around that lays out what is going on and what people can do to stay safe.
The key during an emergency, however, is honing in on that information quickly.
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In the face of a wildfire, earthquake, severe weather or other dangerous events, information can be the difference between emerging unscathed and being injured, losing property or worse.
One of the most comprehensive — and advanced — information and warning systems available to Santa Barbara County residents is Aware & Prepare, which the county uses in addition to reverse notification calls through the 9-1-1 system and Nixle.
Aware & Prepare can send out text message and email alerts, but as emergencies become critical, it can also call cell phones and landlines with recorded messages.
For localized incidents, “we can target a community specifically by drawing out an area on a map,” said Robert Lewin, who heads the county’s Office of Emergency Management.
For critical incidents, the system can ask people to reply to determine if they’ve received the information or warning. The system can continue sending out notifications via phone, email or text until confirmation is received.
“The problem we have right now is that we need more people to sign up,” Lewin said.
Fewer than 7,000 people are currently registered, he noted.
Click here to sign up for Aware & Prepare alerts.
The cities of Goleta and Santa Maria also offer alert systems that include not just natural disaster warnings, but information on crimes, power outages and road closures.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and Santa Barbara and Santa Maria police post crime- and safety-related information to Nixle. UC Santa Barbara, Westmont College and Santa Barbara City College all have notification systems for their campus communities.
The American Red Cross of Central California-Pacific Coast Chapter offers phone apps with warnings and information about wildfire, storms, floods, earthquakes, first aid, pet emergencies and shelter locations.
All of these agencies, municipalities and institutions post important emergency information on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and can be followed.
“Our mantra for preparedness is get a kit, make a plan, be informed,” said Jessica Piffero, regional director of public affairs for the Red Cross of Central California.
“That be informed part is so important, whether that means having a wind-up radio in your emergency kit or getting in touch with local media. And social media these days is a really important tool to have.”
Handling weather alerts is the National Weather Service. Watches, warnings and advisories related to all sorts of atmospheric and surf conditions are available for the county and on the forecast page of a city typed into the website’s search bar.
Weather advisories often are picked up by the county Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management and disseminated through their notification systems as well.
More information on emergency alerts and disaster preparation on scales greater than Santa Barbara County can be found at ready.gov and the NWS.
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— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.