The below letter—written jointly by Randy Royal, Chief of the Colorado Springs Fire Department; Adrian Vasquez, Chief of the Colorado Springs Police Department; and Andrew Notbohm, Executive Director of the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management—was first featured as an op-ed in the Colorado Springs Gazette.
As we have watched the fires wreak havoc in southern California this month, we are reminded of how we live with the dangers of wildfire in our community daily. And, in southern Colorado, we know all too well the challenges these California communities now face in their recovery.
These recent fires have generated questions from our community. Among them, is Colorado Springs prepared to face a similar situation?
Yes – and – this preparation never ends. It is a continuous effort by public safety agencies and each of you.
Our firefighters train on battling wildfires. We have created multi-agency response systems, allowing resources in our region to respond where and when needed. We have protected our critical utility infrastructure. We continually leverage technology and advance our planning around evacuations.
We hold regular townhalls to share with residents the best ways to protect themselves against wildfire. Our region annually holds evacuation drills, and we have improved our alerting system, making it regionally focused on El Paso and Teller Counties.
But none of this means wildfire won’t occur. As we’re seeing in California, extreme weather and drought conditions are a formidable combination. We know this as residents who live in and near the mountains—Mother Nature holds the ultimate power.
No amount of water, number of planes or helicopters, or crews will totally stop a fire like this from happening. We must do our best to plan and prepare as a community, but we must also face the reality of what is possible, given our location in the Rocky Mountains.
Knowing that, our primary focus is saving lives. Rebuilding homes and losing possessions is devastating. But it does not compare to the loss of a family member, friend or neighbor. If you receive an evacuation order, please evacuate immediately.
Your public safety agencies work continuously to protect our region from wildfire and to lessen the impacts when we face our next fire, but we can’t do it alone. We need your help to ensure when a wildfire happens our community is prepared together.
First, the easiest and fastest thing everyone can do is sign up for emergency alerts at peakalerts.org. Peak Alerts allows you to receive emergency notifications for your home, work, kid’s school and more, no matter your location and in whatever form you want (text message, email, phone call, etc.). Our sign-up rates for these alerts are too low. Keeping your family safe means receiving accurate, timely information.
Second, make a plan for you and your family in case you need to evacuate. Create a communication plan. Assemble an emergency supply kit and have a go-bag ready. Know what you would need to take with you in an emergency and the evacuation options for you and your family. If you have heightened needs in your family for pets, children or elderly adults, make a plan for them. Connect with your neighbors who may need help evacuating. Consider our residents with disabilities or mobility issues and assist them if you can.
In our present environment, we see red flag warnings and high winds often. That should cause you to be prepared at any moment. If you feel a threat, you can leave before an evacuation order is given.
Third, practice wildfire mitigation tactics on your property and neighborhood. Know if you reside in the Wildland Urban Interface. We have dedicated resources and crews ready to partner with you to advise on how to make your home more defensible and fire resistant. It won’t guarantee your home survives a wildfire. It does, however, lessen the risk.
Some insurance companies offer discounts—or require—this type of work. We’ve advised and helped with mitigation tactics on hundreds of private properties over the last decade. We’ve recently mitigated public lands like Stratton Open Space, Austin Bluffs Open Space and Fishers Canyon. Colorado Springs Utilities has mitigated areas to protect our utilities. Let’s continue this good work together throughout the region to reduce our risk. Some of us have family and friends experiencing direct impacts from these devastating California fires. Our minds, hearts and prayers are with all those affected.
We must work together to ensure life safety when wildfire comes to bear in our region. Preparation is a shared responsibility. Together, we can make our region as resilient as possible against the risk of wildfire. Please visit coloradosprings.gov/WildfireReady to sign up for emergency alerts, preparedness resources, checklists and more.