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Emergency manager outlines mass-notification apps, evacuation planning for Prescott Valley
Summary
Joel Schieffer, Prescott Valley’s emergency manager, introduced the town’s emergency management programs to the Town Council, highlighted regional mass-notification tools (Rave), recommended three situational-awareness apps, and described ongoing work on evacuation routes, training and outreach.
Joel Schieffer, the town’s emergency manager, told the Prescott Valley Town Council that his office handles “prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, [and] recovery” for incidents and disasters and introduced the town’s emergency-management program in a study session.
Schieffer said the town has adopted a regional mass-notification platform called Rave and urged residents to sign up at prescottvalleyalerts.gov so officials can notify people during evacuations or other emergencies. “Rave is our mass notification public alert system that we’re using,” he said. He also recommended two mobile apps for situational awareness: Genesis Protect (for evacuation-area guidance, with location services) and WatchDuty (for open-source wildfire tracking).
Why it matters: Council members and staff said the region faces wildfire risk, power outages and the possibility of public-safety power shutoffs. The town’s ability to notify residents quickly and to coordinate shelters, food and water is central to reducing harm and speeding recovery.
Most important facts first: Schieffer described the emergency manager role as a support capacity to police and fire during large incidents; he said those events typically shift into a unified command and that his office will act as a single point for information and coordination when requested. Vice Mayor Zircher asked whether the emergency manager would be the contact in major incidents; Schieffer replied that he would be “that sole point of information” but emphasized his support role to fire and police.
Details and supporting context: Schieffer said Rave replaced a duplication of systems (Nixle) and is now a unified regional program shared with Prescott and the regional communications center. On privacy, he said Genesis Protect “does not tell us that you’ve downloaded it, your name, nothing about you is shared.” He described expected community actions—signing up for alerts, attending preparedness workshops, joining local response teams and keeping two weeks of food and water on hand—and noted the town’s work on community evacuation routes, school plans and training with CAFMA, the police department and the sheriff’s office.
Discussion versus direction: The presentation was a study-session briefing; the council asked questions but did not take formal action. Schieffer said staff are working on evacuation-route planning, improving the Genesis Protect integration, outreach to HOAs and youth organizations, and training with regional emergency partners.
What’s next: The town will continue outreach to register residents on Rave and refine evacuation plans; Schieffer asked residents to download the recommended apps and prepare household plans.
