As we work to build more resilient communities, the town of Paradise in Northern California is now on the cutting edge of hazard mitigation. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) coordinated federal, state and local resources to implement Early Warning Sirens (EWS) through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
These Early Warning Sirens will be activated in the event of an emergency necessitating an evacuation, such as a wildfire, flood, extreme weather event or other life-threatening emergency. Following the completion of the project, 21 towers will be located within the town limits, significantly bolstering existing emergency notification systems. These sirens emit the evacuation-ordering Hi-Lo siren, as well as vocal evacuation information.
The Early Warning Sirens are just one part of a community-wide emergency preparedness effort. Paradise also hosts community preparedness events to actively disseminate preparedness materials. Some events also include go-bag giveaways, backpacks full of items that boost resilience during an emergency evacuation.
In addition to preparing community members, town leadership also conducts exercises to bolster response capabilities during emergencies. In the above photo a wildland exercise was being simulated. All the town’s cooperating agencies sent a representative to the temporary emergency operations center, allowing for real time decision making and trust building between representatives.
Cal OES is proud to aid these investments in emergency preparedness to ensure every Californian can respond safely to an emergency.