Unfortunately, there are some large scale public threats that cannot always be anticipated such as wildland fires, hazardous materials spills, riots, etc. Bernalillo County’s Office of Emergency Management, in coordination with Public Safety (Fire and Law Enforcement), routinely plans for such events and bases its response on several crucial factors: the type and location of the threat, the direction the threat is moving, and which part of the population is most likely to be affected. Quick decisions must be made to protect public safety. Some require people to seek shelter while others require evacuations. In each case, it is important for the public to receive clear and concise instructions. The following is a basic outline of which steps we will take in each instance: 

Shelter in place:

• Notification of the event
  
• Notice of what to do with instructions on how to secure your home
  
• Notice of how to monitor for further instructions 

Evacuation:

• Notification of the event
  
• Notice of which route to take and which areas to avoid
  
• Notice of where to go (collection points)
  
• Notice of how to monitor for further instructions 

There are five ways the Emergency Management Office is able to provide these instructions.

 First, is through the media. Television, radio, and newspapers will receive timely updates and will relay the information to the public through news reports. Second, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on local TV and radio stations will be deployed. Third, an auto dial emergency phone system allowing the Bernalillo County Emergency Communications dispatch center to call several hundred homes per minute will be activated. Fourth, a home emergency alert will be issued by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on all hazard/weather alert radios.  In large scale events, every method will be used. As a last resort, law enforcement officers will be sent to the disaster area to conduct house-to-house notifications. For more information on how to prepare for a large scale threat go to  www.READY.gov,  or  www.FEMA.gov.