Evacuation Zone FAQ
What is a Zoned Evacuation?
Think of a zone evacuation as a phased evacuation, each portion of the County was broken down into zones, so they can be called to evacuate, preferably one at a time. It will be used in conjunction with the "Ready, Set, Go!" model of evacuation that we currently use. It's simply a label for your area, it won't tell you where to go, your emergency alerts, announcements and other first repsonse services will do that. With these evacuations zones in place our hope is that it will prevent incidents such as the Camp Fire in Paradise, California. When that occurred, everyone evacuated at once, instead of by a designated zone, clogging roads and further endangering lives and needlessly destroying property. This would assist not only our citizens in safely escaping the danger, but also assists our first responders when responding to those areas. Keep in mind the zone evacuations don't only apply to fires. It can be used for a myriad of disaster related incidents, shelter in place, hazardous materials, etc.
Where do I Go?
That depends on the incident. The zone maps simply label your zone to prevent mass evacuation, clogging roads, or delaying evacuations. No one knows where the next disaster will come from or where an evacuation center might be in relation to the incident. For example, fires, or a hazardous material spills may move or spread to a different area thus changing the zones to be evacuated first.
How Will I Be Notified to Evacuate?
If an evacuation or ready, set, go! order is given. You will recieve that message through several mediums. Broadcast TV, NOAA Radio, Cell Phone, both "opt-in" and "force or push notifications" e-mail, social media, even loud speakers from responders on the ground.
Do I Need to SIgn Up for Alerts to Recieve an Evacuation Message?
NO. See our alerting page for more information on Alert Santa Fe and Smart 911. We strongly encourage all our residents to sign up for Alert Santa Fe and create a Smart 911 profile.
Why Are Some Zones Different?
When the zones were being created, our GIS department and Fire Department used incident history, population models, and traditional fire travel when designing these zones along with road design. Additionally, we needed the zones to be scale-able for population growth. While we can't predict when or where the next disaster might happen, we can however, prepare with what we know, and what history has taught us.
I Live in Santa Fe City Limits, What's my Zone?
We are currently working with the City of Santa Fe to integrate our County evacuation maps to the City's evacuation zones, which are available on their website.