Medford, Ore. — Wildfires can spread quickly and in a matter of minutes, pose a danger for nearby property. So how can you stay on top of it all? There are several ways you can stay up-to-date with evacuation notices, should a fire spark near your home.
The bottom line – if agencies in Jackson or Josephine Counties can’t reach you, they can’t alert you. While several agencies will go door-to-door during an evacuation, they said not to rely on it as your first source.
“Once a policeman is at your door telling you to evacuate, usually that means you only have seconds,” said Lt. Mike Budreau, Medford Police Department.
Which is why local law enforcement is urging everyone not to wait for officers to come to your door.
“If that area is too dangerous or too close, we’re not going to put ourselves in danger to evacuate,” Lt. Budreau said.
Instead, they ask you to be proactive and sign up for Citizen Alert.
“Citizen Alert will call people on the phone, send them text messages, send them emails,” said Sgt. Julie Denney, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
That way you’ll be informed whether you have a landline or a mobile device.
“You want to be signed up for citizen alert so you can get that immediately and you won’t be so rushed,” Lt. Budreau said.
Signing up is easy, and takes just minutes. Citizen Alert will ask you to make an account – where you’ll enter your name and choose a username. From there, the website will ask you to type in your address and any phone numbers you’d like to include for notifications. Once you’re signed up, any evacuation notice will be sent directly to your device.
To sign up for the Jackson or Josephine County Citizen Alert, click HERE.
If you are an Ashland resident, the city uses a different program called Nixle, but the signup is very similar. To sign up, click HERE.
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