VIDEO: The State of Oregon has partnered with the emergency program software Genasys to create maps for residents to see right away when they need to evacuate due to a wildfire in their area. The Oregon Department of Human Services partnered with the program and is providing it to every county in the state to help create timely and safer evacuations for people. Lane County fire departments are using the program to map out effective evacuation routes for areas throughout the county, and include that information with the alerts.
“We’re able to provide an interactive map to go along with our evacuation notices that it helps people understand more quickly whether they are in indeed affected and helps them take the necessary protective action a little faster,” says Lane County spokesperson Devon Ashbridge. People do not need to download another alert system to get the maps; they will come with the Lane County alert system as long as people are signed up for them, she said.
The maps are also helping plan evacuation routes for other hazards such as flooding, tsunamis and earthquakes. “This project with Genasys has just really been about getting one step ahead of the problems,” says Monica Larcom, Lane County Search and Rescue coordinator. hile fire departments are still working on finalizing the maps, they could still be used right now if need be, Ashbridge said.
