September marks National Preparedness Month, prompting emergency officials to remind Santa Barbara County residents to take steps now to prepare for wildfires, evacuations, and other emergencies.
For some residents, that means stocking up on supplies that could become difficult to find during an emergency.
“I got generators, water, batteries and dry canned food to last me and the kids a few days,” said Santa Barbara resident Fred Brown.
Fire officials recommend residents keep essential items in an easily accessible location in case they need to evacuate quickly.
“Have it by your front door,” said Mike Gray, a fire captain and public information officer with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. “Any important paperwork, documents, have all that, all your prescriptions, cash, cards. That includes preparing for your pets.”
County officials say more residents have signed up for emergency alerts over the past year. Residents can register for alerts through ReadySBC.org and receive notifications specific to their evacuation zone.
Preparedness is also showing up at local stores.
At Tri-County Produce, shelves are stocked with canned and prepackaged foods that can be stored for emergencies.
“We have a ton of canned goods, prepackaged food, canned tuna, canned chicken,” said Jaime Gonzalez Jr. of Tri-County Produce. “It's important to have everything stocked here, stocked at your home, just in case of an emergency.”
For Brown, preparing is part of his responsibility as a parent.
“It's a dad's job,” he said.
Emergency officials encourage residents to create an emergency plan, assemble supplies, know their evacuation zone, and sign up for local emergency alerts before an emergency occurs.
