Lamorinda Residents Encouraged To Take Part In Evacuation Drill

LAMORINDA, CA — Residents of the Lamorinda cities of Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda are encouraged to take part Saturday in a community-wide virtual evacuation exercise.

The police departments of the three cities, along with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and the Contra Costa County Community Warning System (CWS), will conduct the drill starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10.

Messages will be sent to all the Lamorinda cities and to the Community of Canyon; residents should expect a notification from CWS via phone, text, and/or email sometime between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

"The purpose of the exercise is to test and refine the communication systems that will be used in the event an emergency evacuation is required," the agencies said in a news release. "While we all hope an emergency evacuation will never be needed, preparing for the event is essential."

To ensure they are prepared for an emergency evacuation, Lamorinda residents should:

• Sign up for alerts on your smartphone with the Contra Costa County Community Warning System- https://alerts5.athoc.com/SelfService/CCCCWS/Register
• Know Your Zone! Contra Costa County is divided into evacuation zones. Knowing your zone will allow you to quickly identify your neighborhood’s evacuation status and know when it’s safe to return home. Find your zone here- https://cwsalerts.com/know-your-zone/ Don’t forget to save the information where you can find it in an emergency.
• Know your neighbors- If it’s safe and there is time, go next door and make sure your neighbors received the evacuation message. Your neighbors may also need help to evacuate.
• Include the CWS emergency notification number (925-655-0195) in your favorite contacts so you will receive messages when your phone is set to “do not disturb.” For directions on how to do this visit- https://www.lamorindacert.org/resource/cell-phone-do-not-disturb/
• Review the Lamorinda Resident’s Guide to Wildfire Preparedness and Evacuation here- https://lamorindacert.org/evacuate/documents/LRGWPE.pdf