City offices will be closed on November 27 and 28 for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Emergency services are available 24/7. Upcoming community engagement session for the 350 Merrydale Interim Shelter Project on December 9 at Venetia Valley School from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  

Evacuation Resources

Overview

Everyone plays a role in preparing for and safely evacuating if needed. The City has a variety of iniatives aimed at assuring our responders and residents can be safe should an evacuation be needed. These include our regular vegetation clearance along roadways; access and egress improvements through parking clarifications, emergency alerts, preparedness training, and more.

Marin uses Genasys Protect software (formerly known as Zonehaven) to create evacuation zones and issue evacuations.

Key Evacuation Terms

All of Marin uses the same terminology to communicate critical safety information. These terms include:

  • Evacuation Order: An immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
  • Evacuation Warning: A potential threat to life and/or property. Prepare to evacuate as soon as possible. Leave now if you’re unsafe, conditions change or if you require additional time to evacuate. Those with pets should start preparing them now. If you have livestock, you should leave now.
  • Clear To Repopulate: You may return to your home. Proceed with caution. Be aware of your surroundings and go through the returning home checklist.
  • Shelter In Place: An order to go indoors. Shut and lock doors and windows. Prepare to self-sustain until further notice and/or contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.
  • Normal (White): There is no current knowledge of threats affecting your area and that you can carry on with normal activity.

Genasys Protect

Marin County is divided into pre-established zones that help first responders and emergency service agencies plan, prepare, and carry out evacuation more efficiently. During an emergency, zones may be evacuated as a whole or in smaller sections. The order of evacuation will be strategic, based on the highest risk and the safest evacuation routes available.

To receive evacuation notices by text, phone call, or email, residents must register their address (or a nearby location in their zone) with AlertMarin at emergency.marincounty.gov. Registering ensures you’ll be notified of evacuation warnings, evacuation orders, or shelter-in-place instructions. When a zone is alerted, additional details, such as temporary evacuation points (TEPs) or evacuation routes, will also be posted on the website.

In San Rafael, the first digits of each zone name correspond to the nearest responding fire station. While knowing your zone number can be useful, it’s not required, emergency alerts will always include the relevant location information you need.

You can look up your zone number and boundaries using the map below.

Evacuation FAQ

How will I know I need to leave?

Make sure you are opted into our County Emergency Alerts at AlertMarin.org. If you set your phone to Do Not Disturb or silence your ring tone, make sure you create a bypass for Alert Marin messages. In addition to Alert Marin, have a redundancy, such as a friend or neighbor that will check on you, a NOAA Weather Radio, or check emergency.marincounty.gov for current information. The City may also use door knocks, Hi-Lo Sirens or a portable LRAD to help notify you to evacuate. Stay alert and aware of extreme fire weather days including Red Flag Days. If you receive notice to evacuate and time allows, notify your neighbors and ask them to do the same for you.

Where should I go?

If you are told to evacuate, or feel unsafe where you are, calmly move away from danger. Follow the direction of any public safety personnel and be alert of responding units. In general, during a wildfire you will want to go downhill and away from dense vegetation and combustible structures, including homes. This likely means you will want to travel towards 101, but maybe not. We can not tell you exactly where to go before a fire, because we don’t know exactly what will be safe during any specific incident. For example, wildfire is strongly influenced by wind. On a day with an easterly wind your safest location may be different than on days with a westerly wind.

What if I can’t get to 101?

That’s ok- being on a noncombustible road with well maintained vegetation is a pretty safe, even if scary, place to be during a wildfire. In some cases you may be directed to an area of refuge, like a parking lot, sports field, or other area unlikely to experience high fire intensity.

What if I get stuck in traffic?

Evacuations may be phased to limit the amount of traffic and cars on the road. Take only one car to help reduce traffic. It is possible there will be traffic and confusion during an evacuation. Continue to follow the rules of the road unless otherwise directed by public safety personnel. Staying in your car on pavement, which offers protection from embers, radiant heat, and direct flames is likely the safest place, even if you are stuck in traffic. If you abandon your vehicle in traffic you risk your own life and everyone now stuck behind an inoperable vehicle. If you decide to leave your vehicle, make sure it is out of the travel lanes and leave your keys inside in case someone needs to move it.

What if I need help evacuating?

Make sure you develop a plan today.  It is unlikely that public safety personnel will need to be responding to the incident and will not have capacity to help individuals evacuate. Work with your neighbors, friends, family and professional care givers to develop your plan. If you know you will need extra help evacuating, consider relocating on extreme fire weather days to safer areas. That may mean visiting a family or friend, or staying in a hotel for a few nights to assure you are out of harms way. Marin Center of Independent Living has many resources for people with disabilities.

How do I learn more?

There are many great resources available to you. Mark Brown, Executives Officer of the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority narrates an informational video called Wildfire Evacuation: Make it Downhill Alive. Another video offers an overview of how to plan for an evacuation for yourself, family, and pets. There are many examples and templates to help you create an evacuation check-list.

Learn more about evacuation by visiting Marin County's emergency portal.

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