San Carlos officials urge residents to sign up for SMC Alert and prepare evacuation plans

The fire chief said the department oversees all aspects of fire service and urged residents to develop and practice evacuation plans to keep neighborhoods safe.

"My role as a fire chief, I have oversight of all aspects of the fire service and then ensuring that we have an appropriate plan in place to respond effectively," the fire chief said. The chief framed evacuation planning as "a collective and cooperative effort between the community and the fire service."

An agency official described routine preparedness work, including annual inspections and community outreach, and highlighted the benefit of readiness. "The more you can do to prepare for the event and have things ready, you'll probably be less apt to panic," the agency official said.

Officials emphasized joint training with the department of emergency management to develop community education and response plans. A second agency official said the departments conduct collaborative training to educate residents on how to respond safely to a wide variety of emergencies.

Speakers also urged household preparedness steps. A staff member recommended preparing a "go bag" with essentials and stressed personal readiness while noting the agency’s infrastructure responsibilities.

Officials encouraged residents to sign up for the local alert system and to identify their evacuation zone. "Sign up for SMC Alert and find your zone on Genesis Protect," an agency official said, urging people to register so they can receive official notifications during incidents. The transcript does not specify the exact steps or web addresses to register.

No formal motions or votes were recorded in the remarks. The presentation concluded with a closing note that "San Carlos is always ready to help."