Key Takeaways
- Sign up for your county’s emergency alert system today. It’s free and takes about 10 minutes: ECAlert.org in Eagle County, SCAlert.org in Summit County, routtwildfire.org in Routt County, and PitkinAlert.org in Pitkin County.
- Build a go-bag with a week of medications and a written dose list, glasses, hearing aids with spare batteries, mobility aids, copies of your Medicare and insurance cards, water, no-cook food, and a phone charger.
- If you are told to evacuate, take your pets with you. Keep a carrier, food, water, medications, and vaccination records ready, and know in advance where to go with a pet.
- Line up a support network before fire season: people who have a spare key, know where your go-bag is, and can give you a ride if you can’t drive.
- Vintage helps older adults across Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Pitkin, Routt, and Summit counties make an emergency plan and find a ride. Call 970-455-1067 for more information.
The fire season in Colorado has already been difficult and devastating for many mountain communities. While every year brings risk, there are some steps you can take to make sure you’re ready to get alerts and take action should fire risks rise.
A few of those steps look a little different when you’re planning for yourself later in life, or for an older parent or neighbor. Here’s a straightforward place to start.
Sign Up for Your County’s Emergency Alerts
The single most important thing you can do is sign up for your county’s emergency alert system.
Signing up is fast and easy, and these key messages from certified experts help you know how to get ready and when to leave. They are sent straight to your phone, landline, or email. Find yours here:
- Eagle County: ECAlert.org (or the ReachWell app, which delivers alerts in more than 130 languages)
- Summit County: SCAlert.org
- Routt County: sign up through routtwildfire.org
- Pitkin County: PitkinAlert.org
- Grand and Jackson counties: find your local system at dhsem.colorado.gov/emergencyalert
Wireless Emergency Alerts, the loud warnings that buzz every phone in an affected area, arrive automatically with no sign-up needed. But you’ll want to make sure they’re switched on in your phone’s settings.
Pack a Go-Bag You Can Grab in Five Minutes
During fire season, it’s best to keep a bag ready, so you’re not scrambling to gather things in an emergency. Alongside the basics, older adults may want to think about a few specifics:
- Pack a week’s supply of your prescription medications, and a written list of what you take and the doses
- Include extra glasses, hearing aids (and spare batteries), and any mobility aids you rely on
- Add in extra copies of your Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance cards, your ID, as well as any other key documents
- Bottles of water, food that needs no cooking, a flashlight, and a battery or hand-crank radio
- Your phone charger and a backup battery in case you can’t access power
Make sure the bag is light enough to carry, and store it by the door you are most likely to leave through. During fire season, it also helps to keep your gas tank at least half full and your car backed into the driveway.
Make a Plan for Your Animals
If you receive an evacuation order, your pets need to go with you. Leaving them behind puts them, and anyone who might come back for them, at risk.
To make sure your animals are safe, pack a small kit for each. Include food, water, medications, a leash or carrier, and vaccination records. You should also include a photo of the two of you together in case you’re separated.
Because many shelters and hotels don’t take animals, line up a pet-friendly place to stay or a friend outside the area before you need them. And if you keep horses or cattle, plan to move them early. Once an evacuation is underway, there may not be time or trailers to spare.
Line Up Help Before You Need It
Distances are long out here, and neighbors can be a good drive apart, so it’s worth deciding now who you’d call.
Even outside of fire season, it’s a good idea to build a small support network. Having individuals who know where your go-bag is and who have a spare key can make all the difference in a crisis.
If you’re not sure who that would be, that’s exactly the kind of gap we can help you close.
Give Your Home a Fighting Chance
Clearing dry brush, pine needles, and firewood from the area around your home makes it far easier for crews to defend it.
Eagle County residents can book a free REALFire home assessment, and in Routt County, the Wildfire Mitigation Council offers evaluations and rebates for residents.
Not sure where to start? We can help. Call Vintage at 970-455-1067 to speak with someone who can help you sort out a plan, find a ride, or connect you with the right local resource. No paperwork required to begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do older adults in Northwest Colorado sign up for wildfire evacuation alerts?
Sign up for your county’s free emergency alert system: ECAlert.org in Eagle County, SCAlert.org in Summit County, routtwildfire.org in Routt County, and PitkinAlert.org in Pitkin County. Grand and Jackson county residents can find their local system at dhsem.colorado.gov/emergencyalert.
What should an older adult pack in a wildfire go-bag?
Pack a week’s supply of prescription medications with a written list of doses, glasses, hearing aids, spare batteries, any mobility aids, and copies of your Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance cards and ID. Add water, food that needs no cooking, a flashlight, a battery or hand-crank radio, and a phone charger with a backup battery.
What do I do with my pets or livestock during a wildfire evacuation?
Take your pets with you. Keep a kit with food, water, medications, a carrier or leash, vaccination records, and a photo of the two of you together, and arrange a pet-friendly place to stay in advance, since many shelters and hotels don’t accept animals.
Where can older adults in the mountains get help making an emergency plan?
Call Vintage at 970-455-1067. Vintage is the Area Agency on Aging for Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Pitkin, Routt, and Summit counties, the local hub for aging resources in Northwest Colorado. We can help older adults and caregivers develop an emergency plan, arrange transportation, and connect with local wildfire resources.