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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – This September, Santa Barbara County partners join in highlighting National Preparedness Month with a countywide theme of “Preparedness Starts With You.” Community members of all ages are encouraged to take simple, proactive steps to protect themselves, their families, pets, and communities before disasters strike. Throughout September, the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management along with our partners will highlight a new preparedness focus every week, offering practical tips and resources to help everyone become better prepared for all types of emergencies.
In addition to weekly themes, a new tool launched during at the onset of the Gifford Fire in August will be highlighted throughout the month, the emergency zones map . Public safety partners have been working for over two years to bring this system to Santa Barbara County. The new tool, powered by Genasys, includes an internal map-based system intended to support rapid cross-agency emergency coordination and decision-making, in addition to the emergency zones map for the public.