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Chelan County explains three‑tier evacuation system, Everbridge alerts and live incident map
Summary
Chelan County Emergency Management outlined level 1–3 evacuation definitions, Everbridge polygon alerts to cell phones and the county’s live incident map that lets residents check their evacuation level by address.
Chelan County Emergency Management outlined how officials plan to notify residents and visitors if wildfire threatens Leavenworth or other parts of the county, and described door‑to‑door checks, sheltering and animal shelter arrangements for high‑threat events.
Rich Magnuson, division of the sheriff’s office and county emergency management, said the county uses a three‑level evacuation system. “Level 1 is to get ready,” Magnuson said. “Level 2 means you need to start packing your stuff … this is when we want you to evacuate if you require more time. Level 3 is our ‘time to go’ level.”
Magnuson said the county uses Everbridge to draw a polygon around an affected area and push level‑2 or level‑3 messages to phones, TVs (EAS) and landlines when those notifications are required. He said the automated system does not replace door‑to‑door notifications, which county staff try to do whenever possible.
The county also maintains a live incident/GIS map that displays active fire perimeters, evacuation polygons and allows users to search by address to see their evacuation level. Magnuson said the county will activate sheltering through the Red Cross when a level‑3 evacuation is in effect and that animal sheltering is part of that setup.
Magnuson cautioned that Leavenworth’s constrained egress routes mean the county will tend to issue evacuations earlier than in areas with more exit options, and urged visitors and seasonal residents to turn on phone location services during fire season to receive polygon alerts. He said deputies will staff roadblocks during level‑3 events and check ID for residents and property owners entering closed areas.
