Sign up, and update: Deschutes Alerts provides vital evacuation, other info in case of wildfires, other emergencies

(Update: Adding video, comments from Deschutes County Sheriff's office)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- At the peak of wildfire season, it's more important than ever to stay informed. In the event of a fire or other emergency, there's a way to be notified via phone calls, text messages or email. I's called Deschutes Alerts, and nearly 50,000 people use it.

"Central Oregon has a real strong history of working together and collaborative relationships around not only response and planning for response," Deschutes County sheriff's Sgt. Nathan Garibay, the county's emergency manager, said Friday.

When it comes to getting wildfire information out to the public fast, notifications are sent through social media, and Deschutes Alerts. 

"We encourage people to sign up for Deschutes Alerts here in Deschutes County, which allows you to put in a number of different contact options, your address of your home and your work," Garibay said.

If you sign up, you'll receive phone calls, an email or text messages about emergency evacuations, natural disasters and neighborhood emergencies. As for sending out an alert, law enforcement, fire agencies, public health and ODOT work together to gather information.

The sheriff is the one who would approve an evacuation based on the Deschutes County evacuation system.  It has three categories: Level 1 is "Get Ready," and means to be prepared for potential evacuation. Level 2 is "Get Set" -- be set to evacuate and prepared to leave at a moment's notice. Level 3 is "Go Now" - evacuate now.

Garibay urged that alert recipients "at least once a year go in and update their profile, make sure that their address is still correct, that their contact information, their phone numbers, email address is still current. And then that increases our opportunity and our ability to get hold of you during an emergency."

An emergency kit is another essential in making sure you're prepared.

"The things you want to consider is would be, you know, 72 hours' worth of food, water, clothing, important paperwork," the sergeant said. "Make sure you don't forget your pets, important medications, some cash."

If your phone line is busy, the alert system will redial your number three times. And if you have an answering machine or voice mail, an emergency message is recorded.