News & Alerts

Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.

September is National Preparedness Month. National Preparedness Month is a time to prepare yourself and those in your care for emergencies and disasters. A disaster isn’t always a large incident, it can be personal event as well. Home fire, a gas leak, pipe bursting, vehicle breaking down, medical emergency, lost child, and loss of power for long periods of time, just to name a few.

These things happen on a regular basis, they may not be a community disaster, but they can easily turn into a personal disaster. Is your household prepared? Answering these questions may help you get started:

• Does everyone know where the emergency shut off values are located in your home or business?
• Do you have a working fire extinguisher handy and does everyone know how to operate it?
• Does everyone have access to a phone, does it have a password?
• Does your child know what do if an adult is not able to help?
• Have you established a meeting location if you are separated or if your home isn’t safe to return to?
• Do you have extra must-have medications on hand?
• Do you have pets or large animals that you will need supplies and transportation for?
• Do you have back up power, extra heat source, extra water and non-perishable food for the household?
• If traveling or exploring, do you have a backup plan if your cell phone fails?
• Do you have a basic tool kit or survival supplies in your vehicle or hiking bag? Did you checked the weather before you leave?
• Do you know your child’s school emergency plans? Where they will go, how you will communicate with them?
• Do you have family in a nursing home? Do you know their emergency plan?
• Do know someone that needs assistance to evacuate? Do they have a plan?
• **Have you and your loved ones registered with the (Code Red) Emergency Notification System through the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office? If not this is the link. http://www.ycsoaz.gov/community/emergency-preparedness/.

Throughout the month of September Emergency Management will be posting preparedness information on http://www.regionalinfo-alert.org/ and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YCOEM to help you get started.
Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today. Log into http://www.community.fema.gov/ and join the nation for National Preparedness Month.

It’s Too Late, When Told To Evacuate!

Prescribed Burn Planned on the Bradshaw Ranger District
September 13th – 17th
 

Fire managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District are planning to begin two previously announced prescribed burns south of Prescott, Tuesday September 13th through Saturday September 17th; if conditions are favorable.

• Crooks prescribed fire is a 381 acre maintenance burn located 3 miles south of Prescott and adjacent to Ponderosa Park. Vegetation consists of chaparral and ponderosa pine. Night time smoke impacts could occur within the Ponderosa Park area and the Hassayampa River drainage. (T13N, R2W, Sec 29)

• Ponderosa prescribed fire is a 422 acre maintenance burn located 3 miles south of Prescott and adjacent to Ponderosa Park. Vegetation consists of ponderosa pine and chaparral. Night time smoke impacts could occur in Ponderosa Park and the Hassayampa River drainage. Major roads impacted could include Highway 89 and Ponderosa Park Rd (County Road 101). (T13N, R2W, Sec32)

Prescribed fires are one of the most effective tools available to resource managers for restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. These fires mimic natural fire by reducing forest fuels, recycling nutrients and increasing habitat diversity. Each prescribed burn is designed to meet specific objectives. Benefits from these treatments help to reduce hazardous fuels adjacent to the wildland urban interface and increase ecosystem and community resilience. Prescribed fires are managed with firefighter and public safety as the first priority.

All prescribed fire activity is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, weather forecasts, fuels moisture levels and conditions that minimize smoke impacts as best as possible and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov).

The public can obtain additional prescribed fire information via the following:
• Prescott NF Fire Information Hotline: (928) 777-5799
• Prescott NF Forest Website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/prescott/
• Local Ranger Stations: Bradshaw Ranger District, (928) 443-8000; Chino Valley Ranger
District (928) 777-2200; Verde Ranger District (928) 567-4121

Due to the IRS Scam Epidemic, YCSO will issue a “Code Red”
Emergency Notification Alert tomorrow Wednesday, September 7, 2016, at 11AM.

Even with successful media and community outreach campaigns by YCSO and our local law enforcement partners regarding the IRS impersonation scam, YCSO continues to receive reports from residents victimized by these scammers. In just the past few days, a 32-year-old Prescott resident lost $4,000 dollars in the scam when she bought several ITunes gift cards in order to settle a so called “tax debt.”

Many Yavapai County residents who have contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report scam calls, indicate that because of the educational bulletins they knew to hang up on the scammers. Unfortunately, there is still a segment of our community that is not getting this information. As a result, Sheriff Mascher has authorized the use of the Code Red Emergency Notification System to warn residents throughout the county.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 7, 2016, at 11AM, a ‘Code Red’ alert will be sent to all subscribers. The 35 second message will provide a reminder that the IRS will NEVER call to demand tax payment by way of gift cards, ITune cards, or similar payment methods. Those receiving these calls will be urged to simply hang up.
YCSO will also encourage current “Code Red” subscribers to share the message with those who have not signed up for the system and urge them to consider subscribing for future “Code Red” alerts.

If we can prevent even one victim from losing thousands of dollars by way of the notification, the effort will be a success.
YCSO has also been in contact with the IRS Public Information Office in Phoenix and they endorse our outreach effort. The IRS also recommends that anyone receiving these impersonation tax scam calls should take the time to fill out an online form found here: https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml. This allows investigators to track these crimes and develop leads to identify suspects and how they operate.

And finally, we would like to urge business owners who sell gift cards and handle money orders to educate their employees about this scam. Your employees have the opportunity to stop this scam in its tracks through a polite inquiry with a customer purchasing large amounts of gifts cards in one transaction. Most of the victims will be of senior age and display some sense of urgency as they attempt such a purchase. We have had several reports from victims who were extremely appreciative when alerted to this scam during contact with a proprietor which in turn prevented the loss of thousands of dollars.

Remember, the IRS will NEVER -
• Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

Citizens can contact the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office with information or questions at 928-771-3260 or the YCSO website: www.ycsoaz.gov

 
Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office
Scott Mascher – Sheriff
255 E. Gurley Street, Prescott, AZ 86301
Dwight D’Evelyn - Media Coordinator 

Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.

September is National Preparedness Month. Sponsored by FEMA, National Preparedness Month aims to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies.
National Preparedness Month is a time to prepare yourself and those in your care for emergencies and disasters, both large scale and smaller local events. We know that emergencies can happen unexpectedly in communities just like yours, to people like you.

Throughout the month of September we will be posting preparedness information on this site and on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/YCOEM to help you get started.

One easy step to being prepared is making sure you register for emergency alerts. Within Yavapai County you want to register with the Sheriff’s Emergency Notification System (Code Red) at  h  http://www.ycsoaz.gov/community/emergency-preparedness/.

If you or someone you care for has access and functional needs please fill out this informational form to be listed in the Health Departments database. This database is not shared outside the department and helps response agencies know if someone cannot evacuate on their own. http://www.regionalinfo-alert.org/Portals/0/FunctionalNeedsForm.pdf

Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today Log into http://www.community.fema.gov/ and join the nation for National Preparedness Month.

It’s Too Late, When Told To Evacuate!

Traffic Safety in Az - Bluecut Fire- Press Release.docx

Photo by James Quigg/The Daily Press via AP

Current sandbag locations as well as important links that can help reduce the risk of flooding.

Anywhere it rains, it could flood. Even if an area hasn’t experienced a flood in the past, does not mean it can’t happen in the future. Flood risk isn’t just based on history; it can also be based on rainfall, topography, flood-control measures, river-flow and changes due to new construction and development.

Current sandbag and sand locations within Yavapai county: (Must fill your own – Please bring a shovel)
– Yavapai County Public Works yard in Prescott – 1100 Commerce Drive, Prescott
– Yavapai County Verde Valley Public Works yard – 4000 West Cherry Road, Verde Valley
– Prescott Fire Station – 333 White Spar Rd, Prescott
– Prescott Fire Station – 1980 Club House Drive, near the airport, Prescott
– Prescott/Central Fire Station – 1700 Iron Springs Road, Prescott
– Central Arizona Fire Station – 4125 W. Outer Loop Rd, Prescott
– Central Arizona Fire Station PV – 8555 E Yavapai Rd, Prescott Valley
-  Central Arizona Fire Chino Station 61 - 1133 West Road 3 North, Chino Valley
-  Central Arizona Fire Paulden Station 63 - 250 West Sweet Valley Drive - Paulden
– Williamson Valley trailhead 308 – 347 across from Granite Oaks Dr. 7 miles North of Iron Springs Rd
– Yarnell Presbyterian Church – 16455 Table Top Way
– Mayer Fire Station – 10001 South Miami Street, Mayer
– Black Canyon Fire Station – 35050 Old Black Canyon Hwy, Black Canyon City
– Ash Fork – Church off Bullock Rd., Ash Fork
– Seligman Fire – Hwy 66 and 2nd Street
– Verde Valley Fire St 31, 2700 Godard Road, Cottonwood
- Cottonwood Public Works Yard - 1480 W. Mingus Ave
– Verde Valley Fire St. 36 at 895 First South Street, Clarkdale
– Verde Valley Fire St 32, 1120 S. Page Springs Road, Cornville
– Lake Montezuma – Sycamore Park
– Lake Montezuma – corner of Beaver Creek Rd & Lookout Point Rd
– Sedona Fire – Sedona Red Rock High School – 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd, Sedona
– Sedona Red Rock High School, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road
– Sedona Uptown Public Parking Lot, 260 Schnebly Road
– Sedona United Methodist Church, 110 Indian Cliffs Road
– Sedona City Maintenance Yard, 2070 Contractors Road
Please view the links below for more flooding information in Yavapai County. Along with safety tips and a sandbagging handout on how to stack sandbags properly to increase their effectiveness.

Sandbag Document – Sandbagging Handout
Yavapai Flood Control – http://www.ycflood.com
Flood insurance information, Flood Smart – https://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/
Flood Preparation and Safety Handout – In English FloodPreparationSafetyBrochure_F684_062014
In Spanish - Spanish Flood Preparedness

NEVER drive through flooded roadways. STOP! Turn Around Don’t Drown.
• Vehicles can be swept away by less than 2 feet of water.
• The roadbed may be washed out.
• You can lose control of your vehicle in only a few inches of water.
• Do not drive around a barricade. Turn around and go another way!

• Other tips – BEFORE A FLOOD TIPS
To prepare for a flood, you should:
• Build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan. http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan
• Elevate the furnace, water heater and electric panel in your home if you live in an area that has a high flood risk.
• Consider installing “check valves” to prevent flood water from backing up into the drains of your home.

We highly encourage residents to sign up with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Emergency Notification System to be notified during emergency situations at: http://www.ycsoaz.gov/community/emergency-preparedness/ens/

It’s Too Late, When Told To Evacuate!

For more information about being prepared, please contact 928-771-3321 or marcie.slay@yavapai.us

Fire Restrictions lifted for Yavapai County

Effective 8:00 AM, Monday, August 1, 2016, Yavapai County will lift fire restrictions for all of Yavapai County. Yavapai County has received significant moisture, and fire conditions have moderated significantly across the various Fire Ban Zones. Forecast indicates continued and increasing moisture for Yavapai County. Fire Bans are jurisdictional and each fire district may set the limits of their fire ban or stage restrictions. Please check with your fire district prior to burning, and exercise caution while burning.