Emergency Preparedness... Where to Go? What to Take?

Nancy Higginbotham being interviewed by KUSI News. Photos by Forrest Letzring

by Ruth Lepper

What would you take with you in the event of being told to evacuate your home? That answer depends, in part, on how much advance notice you have to get ready.

Many residents in Country Estates were awakened during the night or the early morning hours and told to evacuate. There was no time to pack and very little time to gather the important things.

When the flames are getting closer and closer to where you live, the top priority is your family and pets. And to leave immediately.

Above, evacuees watch airplanes from the Ramona High School. Amy Morales, Stephanie Morales, Heidy Sanchez (left to right) were evacuated from Riviera Oaks where they were staying on vacation.

But where do you go? What will you do?

Local high schools - in every community - are designated evacuation centers. Red Cross and other trained personnel will be there, or on their way, to set up the necessary emergency stations.

Several hundred people took advantage of the open doors at Olive Peirce Middle School and Ramona High School on Oct. 26. Several hundred more were welcomed into the homes of family and friends in other parts of Ramona and the county. And, still others filled the parking lots at local shopping centers, many camping out in their motor homes.

Wherever they were, they felt safe. But now there was time to think about what they should have brought with them. And what they left behind.

Medications, especially prescriptions, are a necessity. Ramona Pharmacy received innumerable calls from people needing their medicines. Pharmacist Bryan Woods was not only filling orders, but keeping in touch with doctors and making sure the prescriptions were being delivered.

Ramona Pharmacy is the main source for Julian residents as well as Ramona. And many evacuees from Ramona had been relocated to Julian Union High School.

"We had an emergency Red Cross delivery to Julian High School," Woods said. "We got their medications to them they did not have."

Rose Whatley, medical equipment manager at Ramona Pharmacy, said air purifiers and face masks were two items in demand. When they ran out, she had those items on order and in stock by the middle of the week.

Many people were depending on local stores to have necessary supplies. If they didn't take it with them, they could buy it later. True. If the stores were open for business. Or didn't run out of specific items.

"We ran out of (dust) masks on Monday," said a spokesperson for Kmart.

The most frequently requested supplies, in addition to the masks, were flashlights, batteries and bottles of water.

Feed stores also were busy keeping supplies on hand for people needing food and supplies for their horses and other pets. Diamond D Feed & Elston's Hay were busy filling orders and coordinating offers of help for hauling horses and other large animals. A list is being kept at the store of the offers of help.

Tom Brammell, Ramona Municipal Water District general manager, said there is enough water to meet the community's needs.

"We have not had any general problems related to water," he said. "We should probably attribute that to a wise job of conservation. Our wastewater treatment plants are both running. That's good news for the citizens of the community."

The water district suffered its own losses when fire swept through the Santa Maria Wastewater Plant in Country Estates. Brammell said a vehicle, storage shed and decorative items in the yard were destroyed by fire.

In years past, Ramona had an Emergency Preparedness Council. Beverly Ragsdale, chairman, said the group has not been functioning for the past couple of years.