Natural or man-made disasters can strike at any moment without notice. Whether it be an earthquake, wildfire, flood or an act of terrorism, staying composed and knowing what to do during a crisis situation takes PREPARATION and PRACTICE.

Make sure you know how you will be notified of an emergency in your area.

• First and most important is the county's notification system. If your address is being evacuated, you will receive a phone message with evacuation information and instructions. Landlines are automatically part of the date base, but cell phones and email addresses need to be registered. This can be done online in only a few minutes at AlertSanDiego. You can register as many cell phones and emails as you would like.
• Law enforcement will go through neighborhoods advising residents of the evacuation notice.
• San Diego County also has an app that can be downloaded to your phone. SD Emergency provides information on disaster preparedness and current incidents in San Diego County, including push notifications of evacuation orders. The app allows you to customize what information you see and which notifications are pushed.
• During emergency situations, we do our best to provide up-to-date, accurate information on social media. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter (you may wish to consider opting to receive our tweets as text messages). Please note: our accounts are on both Facebook and Twitter are verified. If you don't see the little check next to our name that is not an official account.

Depending on the severity of the disaster at hand, fire and emergency medical services may be delayed, roads may be blocked, and the water supply may be contaminated. You must be prepared to survive on your own until help arrives. The American Red Cross suggests a 3-step preparation plan:

1. Get a Kit
2. Make a Plan
3. Be Informed

More information, including suggested items for your emergency kit and what to include in your emergency plan, can be found on their Preparing for Emergencies page.

Remember, there are many different types of emergencies. Living in San Diego County, wildfires are a constant threat and we should always be prepared. In addition, we should also know what to do if other types of emergencies arise, including:

• Earthquakes
• Tsunamis
• Flooding
• Terrorism