Nevada County rolls out Ready, Set, Go and ZoneHaven to sharpen evacuation response

Nevada County emergency staff opened the board workshop by urging residents to prepare now for wildfire season under the Ready, Set, Go framework: Ready (prepare and harden property), Set (heightened readiness during red‑flag weather) and Go (leave when authorities issue evacuation orders). Officials described concrete steps homeowners can take — creating 100 feet of defensible space, using fine‑mesh vent screening, and switching to non‑combustible deck materials — to reduce the chance an ember storm will ignite structures.

The county also encouraged residents to build a neighborhood network — “Find Your 5” — naming at least five trusted people who can check on someone during a crisis and assisting neighbors with mobility or medical needs. Ulysses Palencia of the 2‑1‑1 call center described his team’s role in routing timely county Office of Emergency Services notices to the public and resource centers. “In Nevada County, 2‑1‑1 is available 24/7,” Palencia said, adding that his center relays evacuation center directions and updates about power restoration during incidents.

Officials introduced ZoneHaven as a new mapping tool to assign neighborhoods to evacuation zones. Residents can find their zone at community.zonehaven.com, write it down, and use it to interpret targeted CodeRED or Nixle messages. County staff stressed that ZoneHaven supplements but does not replace opt‑in alert systems: CodeRED will still deliver phone calls, texts and emails, and sirens/vehicle loudspeakers will be used for formal evacuation orders.

Personal testimony at the workshop illustrated the difference preparedness can make. Multiple speakers described narrow escapes during past fires and credited neighbors, near‑by family members, and prior planning with saving lives. Several speakers with medical equipment emphasized planning for power outages: if CPAP machines, oxygen concentrators or nebulizers are needed, residents should prepare battery backups, generators or portable power solutions.

County leaders closed the session by directing residents to county resources — Fire Safe Council contacts, 2‑1‑1, and Office of Emergency Services pages — and by asking the public to adopt the Ready Nevada County campaign message. The county said outreach will continue through social media, town halls and local community partners.

The next steps: sign up for CodeRED and Nixle, look up your ZoneHaven evacuation zone, build a 72‑hour go bag, and join or create a Find Your 5 neighborhood support network.