Evacuation routes can be found at www.venturapd.org.
The City of Ventura encourages residents to be prepared for possible natural disasters. Residents living in and around Thomas Fire burn areas or near flood-prone areas, need to prepare for possible storms in 2018. Police Chief Ken Corney and Fire Chief David Endaya provided a presentation about preparation efforts at the January 22, 2018 Ventura City Council meeting encouraging the community to stay informed and take action by reviewing the following points:
Sign up to receive VC Alert mobile messages by contacting the VC Alert Hotline at 648-9283 or visiting www.vcalert.org. Subscribers will receive emergency notifications such as evacuation notices specific to their neighborhood.
Make sure extra supplies are on hand at home, including: a flashlight, water, food, personal medical supplies and filled prescriptions. Learn how to prepare an emergency kit at www.readyventuracounty.org.
Monitor www.vcemergency.com or call the information hotline at 805-465-6650 during an emergency to stay informed on evacuations, road closures and important emergency information.
Review evacuation routes. The Ventura Police Department has created recommended evacuation routes to help with traffic flow during an emergency. The information will be provided at all Community Council meetings, door to door in impacted areas and online at www.venturapd.org.
Get to know your neighbors! During an emergency public safety resources are limited. Residents are encouraged to help alert neighbors during an emergency and to stay connected to their neighborhood on Nextdoor.com. Nextdoor is a private social network. Over 20,000 Ventura residents are using Nextdoor. It’s also a platform to receive alerts from the City of Ventura and crime and safety information from the Ventura Police Department.
Get connected! Residents are encouraged to attend monthly Community Council meetings. The City of Ventura has seven neighborhood Community Councils. Any resident, business owner or property owner can join their area group. The Ventura Police Department provides a monthly crime and safety update at each meeting and guest speakers provide information specific to the represented council. More information about meeting times and locations can be found at www.cityofventura.ca.gov or by calling 339-4317.
During an emergency listen to the directions provided by public safety officials. Mandatory Evacuation orders are initiated when danger is imminent. Voluntary Evacuations orders are initiated when residents should begin preparing for a potential mandatory evacuation order to be issued. The threat to lives is not yet imminent during a voluntary evacuation. A Shelter-in-Place Order is initiated when conditions exist that may endanger the lives of those in a defined area. Access to the area under a shelter in place order may by restricted by road closures.
Preparing and staying informed can help save lives and property. For questions or more information please contact Ventura Police Department Civic Engagement Specialist Ashley Bautista at 805-339-4317 or by email at [email protected].
