Nevada County, CA – Wildfire-Ready Coalition of Nevada County will hold two webinars on evacuation this week:  Emergency Alerts & Evacuation Buddy System, on Wed., June 10, 5:30-6:30 p.m., and Evacuation is Plan A. What is Plan B?, on Thurs., June 11, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

These timely webinars for Nevada County residents address emergency alerts, neighbors helping neighbors needing evacuation assistance, and evacuation alternatives when there is a wildfire approaching and the road out is no longer safe.

Emergency Alerts and Evacuation “Buddy System”

Most people know about Nevada County Alerts, the new emergency alert system used by the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services that was launched in May. CodeRED is no longer used.

“But not everyone knows how to use special features of the new system,” said Jo Ann Fites-Kaufman, president, Wildfire-Ready Coalition of Nevada County. “For example, you can enter locations in addition to your own home, like where your child or elderly parent lives, so you receive alerts for those locations, too.”

The June 10 webinar features OES Director Alex Keeble-Toll covering the new features, including how to add the alert system’s multiple numbers to your contact list so you don’t miss alerts.

The webinar also will address evacuation assistance.

“The people most likely to die in a fire are those who can’t evacuate easily on their own,” said Fites-Kaufman. “The United Way of Nevada County has partnered with Wildfire-Ready Coalition to develop the Buddy Evacuation Team – a buddy system that pairs residents needing evacuation assistance with neighbors who can help them.”

Case Walters, program manager, United Way of Nevada County, will introduce the Buddy Evacuation Team program and share how people can sign up to become a Buddy or request support.

Evacuation is Plan A. What is Plan B?

“In rural Nevada County, many people live on narrow private roads with limited escape options,” said Kristen Cook, You Bet Firewise community leader. “It keeps many of us up at night.”

On the June 11 evacuation webinar, Cook and CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Mickey Chizek will introduce the concept of Temporary Fire Refuge Areas (TFRAs) – described in plain language as “Zones of Last Resort,” and explore what communities should understand when evacuation starts to break down.

Topics include:

  • Why evacuation routes can fail during wildfire
  • What a TFRA / Zone of Last Resort is and is not
  • How residents might identify lower-exposure areas nearby
  • Basic trapped-in-vehicle considerations
  • The difference between evacuation, refuge, and shelter-in-place

Register or join the webinars:

Emergency Alerts & Evacuation Buddy System  Zoom Link. Register to receive additional materials.

Evacuation is Plan A. What is Plan B?  Zoom Link. Register to receive additional materials.

About Wildfire-Ready Coalition
Formed in March 2025, Wildfire-Ready Coalition of Nevada County is a volunteer-driven nonprofit helping residents, businesses, and communities become better prepared for wildfire through education, Firewise Community support, collaboration, and action.

With growing support, the Coalition is looking towards developing a Fire-Adapted Youth Corps to help low-income seniors with basic home hardening and defensible space. See more about us on our Facebook and Instagram pages.