On Saturday July 31st, the Lamorinda police departments (Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda), Moraga-Orinda Fire, Contra Costa County Fire, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and the Contra Costa County Community Warning System will be conducting a joint virtual evacuation drill.
You can expect to receive a test message via the Contra Costa County Community Warning System (CWS) sometime between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.
When you receive the mock evacuation drill notice, gather your family and practice loading into your vehicle. Then, check in with your neighbors to ensure they received the notice. Once you’ve done this, you’ve completed the virtual evacuation drill!
The exercise scenario simulates a fire that spreads to all three Lamorinda cities and the community of Canyon. During the drill, mock evacuation notifications will be sent out via the CWS based on the geographic zones impacted in the scenario. Saturday’s drill is a virtual drill and participants do not need to leave the area.
Did you know? Each municipality has an evacuation plan that includes specific geographical evacuation zones. In an actual emergency, evacuation messages will be issued for these zones when there is extreme danger to an area. When a real evacuation order is issued, residents should evacuate immediately.
What should you do to prepare for the exercise?
First: Ensure that you are registered for the Community Warning System (CWS) by going to www.cwsalerts.com. CWS calls to your cell phone will display a return number of 925-655-0195. This number is registered to Contra Costa County, which should prevent it from being screened by Spam filters. However, please add this number to your “favorites” to ensure the call is not screened or labeled as “spam” or blocked by nighttime “do not disturb” settings. Please encourage your friends and neighbors to sign up and to participate in the exercise. CWS is the only official source for this information. (Note: During an emergency, Nixle will not be used for evacuation messages, but may be used to provide other information. Residents should subscribe to both services.)
Second: Take this opportunity to have discussions with your family about what to do when a real evacuation is ordered. You should only take one car to reduce your impact on evacuation routes. If you have not prepared for an evacuation in advance or prepared a “Go Bag,” limit the items you bring to your wallet or purse, cell phone, car keys and pets which can be loaded without delay.
For more information about what to take and how to prepare in advance, go to www.lamorindacert.org. Additional information about evacuation checklists can be found at www.firesafemarin.org and about what to pack in a “Go Bag” can be found at www.ready.gov. If you’d like to know which evacuation zones you live in, you can go to community.zonehaven.com and enter your address.
What should you do during the exercise?
On July 31st, when you receive the virtual evacuation drill notice, gather your family and practice loading into your car. Knock on the doors of the houses next to you to ensure they received the notice. Once you’ve done this, you’ve completed the virtual evacuation drill!
If you do not receive the evacuation alert, please contact CWS for help troubleshooting your registration. They can be reached via:
By phone: 925-313-9622
By e-mail: cws-staff@so.cccounty.us
By mail: Office of the Sheriff, 50 Glacier Drive, Martinez, CA 94553
Thank you
Thank you in advance for participating in Lamorinda’s 2021 Virtual Evacuation Exercise and for helping to keep Lafayette safe.
Drills like this help your Fire and Police Departments assess and improve practices in reacting to and notifying residents of emergency evacuation situations. They also help residents ensure we are all prepared to evacuate safely so that first responders can focus on addressing the emergency.
