Emergency Management

The Emergency Management division works closely with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Emergency Management Division, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Health Care Agency, American Red Cross, other county departments and agencies, and surrounding cities in order to provide the highest possible level of preparedness and coordination when disaster strikes.

Disasters can occur quickly and frequently without any advanced warning. Immediately after a disaster or wide-spread emergency, electricity, gas, water and telephone services may not be working. Public safety services, such as fire, law enforcement and health services may be extremely limited or unavailable due to the impact of the disaster.

The City of Laguna Hills encourages residents to join together to protect our families, friends and neighbors in case of an emergency. Here are some ideas on how to get prepared and stay informed:

  • Register for Alert OC, the City's emergency notification system
  • Go to Ready OC to get information regarding emergency kits, planning, and information
  • Go to OCSD Emergency Management tor additional resources for before, during, and after a disaster
  • Go to Keep OC Safe to learn more about Orange County's, "If you see something, say something," campaign to report suspicious activities related to criminal and terrorist activity.
  • Get online preparedness training through American Red Cross

Preparing to Evacuate

Living in southern California means your home might be susceptible to unpredictable disasters including wildfires and earthquakes.  It is important to understand your hazards and prepare accordingly.

Hazard Maps

Have you ever wondered if your home is in the high-fire severity zone or a high ground shaking area in an earthquake?

  1. Wild Fire Evacuation Zones
  2. LH Zone 1
  3. LH Zone 2
  4. LH Zone 5
  5. LH Zone 10
  6. LH Zone 12
  7. LH Zone 13
  8. LH Zone 14
  9. LH Zone 18
  10. LH Zone 19

Evacuation Zone Map – Wildfire Evacuation Zones

Click on the flyer to enlarge and find which zone you are located in.

Wildfire Evacuation Zone (PDF)

LH Evacuation Zone Poster_Page_1

Evacuations

The Orange County Fire Authority’s campaign Ready, Set, Go provides tips to live by when preparing for wildfires and other hazards.

Ready!

Get Ready! Survey your place of residence. Check for any and all possible vulnerabilities your home may have to wildfires. View specific survey criteria.

Create a defensible space. Simply, a defensible space is the outdoor landscape between your home and the approaching fire. Be vigilant in managing and maintaining your outdoor space. Even techniques and practices as simple as planting fire-resistant plants and ridding your yard of dead vegetation are easy ways to help reduce the threat of wildfires to your home. For more detailed information on creating a defensible space around your home, please visit Vegetation Management.

Set!

Get Set! Pack a Disaster Kit and a Go! Bag. You want to keep items in your kits and bags that will you sustain life for 5 to 7 days after potential evacuation. Some key items are prescription medications, important documents, food, clothing, and water. Remember that the kits and bags should be personalized to fit your needs. View more information on potential items and ways to pack your kits and bags (PDF).

Go!

Get Going! If you find yourself in a situation where you have to evacuate, you want to be able to immediately answer a few important questions:

  • When to leave?
  • Where to go?
  • What to take?
  • How are you going to get there?

An escape route is a preplanned route designed to help your family get to a safe area during a wildfire. It’s important to map several routes out of your neighborhood in case roads are blocked or unsafe for travel. See OCFA’s tips for evacuations (PDF). In a disaster, the evacuation routes, shelter locations and all other pertinent emergency information will be relayed to the public via AlertOC, through the City’s Public Information Officer, and by first responders on-scene.