Wednesday, August 22, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Honoring law enforcement...
Being prepared for evacuation
Editor in Chief
When an overheated
electrical cord to a travel
trailer started a fire in the
area of Rabbitbrush Lane
east of Sisters on August 11,
the situation got dire very,
very quickly. The neighbor-
hood had to be evacuated
immediately.
That kind of instant evac-
uation isn’t what we’re used
to in Sisters County. In last
year’s Milli Fire, evacuations
were planned, with trigger
points pre-determined and
notices sent out, along with
door-to-door notification.
Resident’s had time.
In the August 11 fire, there
was very little time at all.
Part of living in wildfire
country involves being ready
— having a plan and prepara-
tions in place to evacuate.
“My personal opinion is
that if you live in Deschutes
County, you should be at
Level One (Be Ready) on
June 1,” says Ben Duda
of Oregon Department of
Forestry.
E m e rg e n c y o ff i c i a l s
strongly advise locals to sign
up for Deschutes Emergency
Alerts. The Deschutes Alert
System (DAS) can be used
to notify the public with
important information dur-
ing an emergency. Alerts can
be sent to cell phones — but
only if your number is regis-
tered. Sign up at https://www.
deschutes.org/911/page/sign-
deschutes-emergency-alerts.
Sgt. Nathan Garibay of the
Deschutes County Sheriff’s
Office, who serves as emer-
gency service coordinator
in Central Oregon, said that
DAS was a vital tool in the
August 11 fire.
“There was no way we
could have done door-to-door
notifications,” he said.
Many homeowners dur-
ing the August 11 fire had
to evacuate horses and other
livestock. Garibay notes
that it is important to have a
plan for such a contingency,
including pre-arranged places
to take your large animals.
There are “official” resources
available for large animal
evacuations, but “sometimes
those resources are three
hours away — and you need
them in 45 minutes,” Garibay
said.
Make arrangements with
friends who have trailers and
space for animals.
Extra advance planning
may also be necessary if you
are dealing with people who
have mobility issues or spe-
cial medical needs.
Planning for evacuation
doesn’t have to be on the
scale of a military opera-
tion — it just requires some
thought and effort when
things are calm.
“It doesn’t take all day to
at least think it through and
come up with a plan,” Sgt.
Garibay said.
The website www.ready
forwildfire.org offers exten-
sive tips for evacuation:
Emergency Supply Kit
Checklist
• Three-day supply of
non-perishable food and three
gallons of water per person
• Map marked with at
least two evacuation routes
• Prescriptions or special
medications
• Change of clothing
• Extra eyeglasses or con-
tact lenses
• An extra set of car keys,
credit cards, cash or traveler’s
checks
• First aid kit
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered radio
and extra batteries
• Sanitation supplies
• Copies of important
documents (birth certificates,
passports, etc.)
• Don’t forget pet food
and water! (The website also
offers extensive tips on pre-
paring for pet evacuation.)
Items to take if time
allows:
• Easily carried valuables
• Family photos and other
irreplaceable items
• Personal computer infor-
mation on hard drives and
disks
• Chargers for cell phones,
laptops, etc.
Always keep a sturdy pair
of shoes and a flashlight near
your bed and handy in case of
a sudden evacuation at night.
Sometimes residents
feel compelled to stay to
try to defend their home.
Firefighters and other emer-
gency personnel strongly
advise against this impulse.
Not only does it put the
homeowner in danger, it
endangers firefighters and
law enforcement personnel at
grave risk, because they are
duty-bound to try to help you
if you’re in danger.
“We don’t want to have
homeowners staying and try-
ing to defend their homes,”
said Sisters-Camp Sherman
Deputy Fire Chief Tim Craig.
“Because that’s when we lose
lives.”
CUSTOM HOMES • RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PROJECTS
Sisters veterans put up flags Friday, August 17, along Cascade
Avenue in support of law enforcement personnel. Deschutes
County Sheriff’s Office was represented by Deputy C. Jones and
Sgt. Grant Johnstone. Black Butte Police was represented by
Officer Kelvin Lettenmaier and Sgt. Rob Schulz. Sisters veterans
thank all law enforcement personnel for their service.
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