Evacuation Process In Gallatin County

Gallatin County utilizes the two step process outlined below in situations where an incident is affecting people.

Warning

When ever possible we will provide a warning to those who might be affected by the ongoing incident.  This is typically a law enforcement official who will contact you and make sure you are aware of the current situation.  They will provide you information on the situation and what steps you should be taking.  In many situations you may also receive a phone call or other automated notification in addition to the law enforcement official.

This is your opportunity to figure out what your family’s plan will be if the situation gets worse.  Think along the lines of where you will go and what you would need to take with you.  This is also your notice that you should be paying attention to the incident.  In some cases if you have special needs or can’t leave quickly, you may consider leaving before it gets to the point of being asked to evacuate.

If at any point you feel uncomfortable with the situation, then leave.  Do not wait for someone to tell you to leave if you feel uncomfortable and think you should leave.

Evacuation Order

If the situation gets worse and local officials feel it is unsafe for you to remain, you will be asked to evacuate.  Again, we will make every attempt for a law enforcement officer to contact you and advise you to leave.  Keep in mind that sometimes this becomes challenging, so if you feel uncomfortable – leave.  You will also likely receive a telephone call or other automated notification in addition to the contact by the law enforcement officer.

If asked to leave, you should leave.  However, no one is going to force you to leave.  If you do stay we ask that you stay at your house and not leave.  Many people have been injured and killed after changing their mind and leaving after it is too late.  Waiting and leaving during the incident exposes you to risks that you aren’t expecting and often hinders emergency responders movement while they try to mitigate the incident.  So, if you are going to leave, please leave early.  If you choose not to leave, then stay put.