Nevada County launches ZoneHaven public outreach to speed evacuations

Nevada County emergency officials urged residents to “know your zone” and add ZoneHaven to household planning during a presentation at the Board of Supervisors meeting, describing how the online mapping tool supplements CodeRED and Nixle in an evacuation.

The announcement explained how to use ZoneHaven by visiting community.zonehaven.com, entering an address and recording the zone ID where family members can find it in an emergency. County speakers said ZoneHaven is meant to be used alongside — not instead of — existing alert systems so residents will quickly know whether an evacuation advisory or order applies to their specific neighborhood.

Why it matters: County presenters framed the tool as a straightforward step that reduces confusion during fast-moving wildfires and other emergencies. They said knowing a zone reduces time spent deciding whether to leave and helps first responders target public messaging.

What officials told the board: Emergency staff reviewed the three-tier Ready, Set, Go approach — preparing ahead, moving to a “set” posture on elevated threat days, and leaving when an order is issued — and emphasized household steps such as signing up for CodeRED, assembling a 72-hour “go bag,” securing batteries or backup power for medical devices, and identifying a “Find Your Five” network (trusted people who can check in or help during a disaster).

2-1-1 and local volunteers also described their role. A 2-1-1 representative said the call center is available 24/7 to provide resource and evacuation information, and several speakers described personal evacuation experiences to underscore the importance of planning and a simple neighborhood alert network.

Next steps: County staff said outreach will continue through public information campaigns and community partners, and recommended residents record their zone offline in case of loss of connectivity. No formal action was required from the board.