Full Notification

As a reminder, on Saturday August 1st, Moraga Police and Moraga-Orinda Fire will be conducting a virtual evacuation drill throughout the Town of Moraga, with the assistance of the Community Warning System (CWS).  The Town has an Evacuation Plan that has divided the Town into different geographical zones.  Evacuation orders will be issued for specific geographical zones and will only be issued when there is extreme danger to an area.  In a real emergency, when an evacuation order is issued, residents should evacuate immediately, following the instructions provided in the evacuation order.  The Town’s Evacuation Plan can be found on the Town’s website at www.moraga.ca.us.
 
The August 1^st exercise begins at 7:30 a.m. and involves a virtual fire that ignites and begins to spread into Moraga.  Based upon the computer generated fire model, virtual evacuation orders will be issued to geographic zones that are threatened by the virtual fire.  As the virtual fire spreads, additional areas will be ordered to evacuate (virtually).  As with a real emergency, all evacuation orders are issued via the Community Warning System (CWS).  CWS is the only source for this information.  Nixle will not be used for evacuation messages, but may be used to provide other information.  You should subscribe to both services.
 
What should residents 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 0000000000 (ten zeros).  Please add this to your Favorites so that the call is not labeled as “Spam” when you receive it.
 
Second, have discussions with your family about what to do if an evacuation is ordered.  You should only take one car and bring important papers, wallets, phones and pets that can be grabbed quickly.  For more information about what to take and how to prepare in advance, go to https://www.readyforwildfire.org/wp-content/uploads/calfire_set_brochure_LINOweb.pdf  
 
Third, on August 1^st, when you receive the virtual evacuation drill notice, gather your family and practice loading into the car.  Knock on the doors of the houses next to you to ensure they received the notice.  You’ve completed the virtual evacuation drill!
 
Fourth, please complete the survey that you will be receiving so that we can evaluate the drill and make any appropriate changes to our procedures.
 
If you do not receive the evacuation alert, please contact CWS to troubleshoot your registration. They can be reached via:
 
By phone: 925-313-9622
By e-mail: [email protected]
By mail: 50 Glacier Drive, Martinez, CA 94553
 
Drills like this help both our Fire and Police Departments assess and improve our practices in reacting to and notifying residents of emergency evacuation situations.  They also help residents ensure we are all prepared, in the event of a real emergency, to evacuate the area safely so that first responders can focus on addressing the emergency.
 
Thank you in advance for participating in the Virtual Evacuation Drill.  Questions can be directed to Moraga Police at 925-888-7055 or the Moraga-Orinda Fire District at 925-254-4599.