Any type of emergency can occur at any given time, and it’s important to prepare yourself in advance of a crisis with a safe plan of action. The City of San Marcos emphasizes National Preparedness Month every September to motivate community members to strategically plan for all emergencies, with the most frequent threat being fires. The city highlights National Preparedness Month to reduce the amount of injury and loss for the region.
Throughout the year, the city takes necessary precautions outlining how to prepare and respond to emergencies through consistent training and exercises. We are encouraging residents, businesses, schools and community organizations to do the same to prepare for fire emergencies. As natural emergencies become more unpredictable in today’s world, it is extremely important to plan in advance for disaster. When you have materials prepared, it makes your response time safer and quicker.
Here are a few tips you can start today to prepare for any emergency.
Develop an emergency plan and kit
Have an emergency plan outlined and ready for you and your family to use before it is needed. Be sure the plan outlines the specific needs of your family or business. Here are a few helpful questions to begin the planning process.
- What resources will you use to get emergency alerts and warnings?
- What type of transportation will you use to get to a safe location?
- If cell phones and internet is down, how will you get in touch with people?
- Do you have a specific meeting place after the emergency has been cleared?
An emergency kit helps keep community members ready with the materials they need in case they cannot seek immediate help for up to 72 hours. Here is a handy emergency supplies list you can look through to gather your materials. The list below will help you get your emergency kit started.
- Water
- Non-perishable food
- First aid kit and manual
- Non-electric watch
- Cash
- Important documents
- Flashlights
Understand where to go and what to do in a fire emergency
What to do
- Remain calm.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Use your family emergency plan.
- Stay informed. Check radio, TV and City communication channels for updates.
- If an evacuation is ordered, follow the instructions of local officials regarding evacuation routes and the location of shelters.
- If shelter-in-place is recommended, local officials will provide instructions on necessary action.
- Do not leave your sheltered location or return to the evacuation area until it is deemed safe to do so by local officials.
Where to go
During a fire emergency, you may be asked to evacuate to a safe location or shelter in place. Be sure to have your emergency kit handy when you’re evacuating to a certain location. Be sure to review the list of evacuation tips below.
- Monitor local media and the city and county websites for evacuation instructions.
- Officials will determine which areas need to be evacuated and the routes to use. Follow these directions promptly.
- The community will be advised of potential evacuation as soon as possible. Please stay informed and aware. Check the radio (San Marcos 1610) and TV for announcements from public safety officials. Check the city communication channels as well for important updates.
- Do not take shortcuts; they may be blocked.
- During wildfire season, always be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
Stay informed at all times
In the event of a fire or any emergency, always make sure you have multiple reliable resources to stay connected and informed.
- Website: Check the City’s website for important updates in an emergency. The emergency preparedness page on the City of San Marcos website includes resources to help prepare residents and business owners for emergencies.
- Social media: Emergency alerts, including evacuations and incident updates will be posted on the City’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages during an emergency.
- Radio: The City uses local emergency radio station San Marcos 1610 to update the community during a crisis.
- San Diego County website: The County of San Diego Office of Emergency Service’s website is also an excellent resource for updates on regional emergencies.
- Road conditions and closures: Check Caltrans District 11 website for updates on road conditions and closures throughout San Diego County.
- Alert San Diego: Sign up for Alert San Diego, the County’s free reverse 9-1-1 notification system, to receive information directly to your cell phone and email. This does not apply to landline numbers, which are automatically registered.
- San Diego County Emergency App: Download the free regional mobile app “sdemergency,” available at your app store, to receive notifications from the County of San Diego during an emergency.
Make sure to note this list of emergency phone numbers in your emergency plan.
- Emergency (life threatening): 9-1-1
- Electric or gas outages: (800) 411-7343
- Sheriff (non-emergency): (760) 510-5200 (press “1” for dispatch)
- Fire Department (non-emergency): (760) 744-1050
- Regional information line: 2-1-1
Please see below some quick links on additional fire and other emergency preparedness tips.