We’ve made it to week seven of our Wildland Urban Interface Home Project of the Week Campaign. Last week you worked on an emergency plan. Now it’s time to “Be Ready to Act.”

Your “Go Bag” is packed, but how will you know it’s time to go? An essential first step is to sign up for alerts from your city and county. If an emergency in your area may affect you, they will send an emergency message directly to your mobile phone. Here are the links to sign up in the City of Auburn, King, and Pierce Counties.

Auburn –  https://www.auburnwa.gov/city_hall/emergency_preparedness/updates_and_alerts

King County – https://kingcounty.gov/depts/emergency-management/alert-king-county.aspx

Pierce County –  https://www.piercecountywa.gov/921/Pierce-County-ALERT

Follow your city, county, fire department, emergency management agency, and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on social media. Many agencies will post emergency information on Twitter, Facebook, and Nextdoor as well as their websites.

During fire season, especially the hotter summer months (July – September), pay attention to weather reports and air quality alerts.

Finally, follow instructions from local authorities. Evacuate if they tell you to do so.