Emergency Management

PRESCOTT, AZ, March 20, 2023 - Fire managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District plan to take advantage of the moisture received and predicted to burn debris piles in the Prescott Basin. Ignitions are planned to start tomorrow, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, and continue through Friday, March 31, 2023, as favorable weather conditions allow. Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light and visible from multiple locations including Prescott, Williamson Valley, Chino Valley, and surrounding areas. Pile burning helps to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland urban interface and increases ecosystem and community resilience.

In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burns as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area.

The purpose of this project is to reduce hazardous fuels following thinning and fuelwood removal. Reducing hazardous fuels will help reduce the threat of high-severity, high-intensity wildfire to the public, adjacent private property, and communities. Burning of debris left over from brush crush and thinning projects requires moisture in the surrounding vegetation and typically produces much lighter smoke than broadcast burning.

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

Messages will be posted on social media when managed fires are ignited on the Prescott National Forest:

·       Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PrescottNF/

·       Twitter https://twitter.com/PrescottNF

For fire information please call (928) 925-1111; or stay up to date on Prescott National Forest news by checking the Prescott NF website and following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Another storm is moving in today through Thursday, with more flooding anticipated. Be prepared. 

The National Weather Service reports that periods of heavy rain and snow melt from Wednesday through Thursday will lead to rises in area waterways, contributing to the potential for minor to moderate flooding in some areas along Oak Creek and Wet Beaver Creek. 

The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated for essential personnel since the beginning of the Winter Storm event to support needs throughout the County, including mitigating potential flooding issues and coordinating with local public safety officials.  

Oak Creek and Wet Beaver Creek are expected to exceed the flood stage on Thursday morning at approximately 3 am, with the most significant flood potential in Cornville and Rimrock. Near Sedona, water levels will reach terraces near Tlaquepaque Bridge and several residential and commercial properties near Tlaquepaque Bridge. Near Cornville, significant flooding of the RV Park near Page Springs Road is expected. Water near Rimrock will likely impact ground-level residences along Rim Rock Drive and Beaver Vista. Portions of the Verde River will have elevated flows and may approach flood stages. 

Water levels will not reach that of the 1993 flood event; however, they will be close to the 2019 flood event in some areas.   

Waters are swift running and dangerously cold due to snow melt and runoff. Residents should avoid all waterways. Localized flooding can be expected on streets and may increase pothole activity. Appropriate Public Works Departments continue to address issues as they arise.  Do not drive on flooded streets, washes, or low-water crossings. Obey all traffic, detour, and roadblock signs.  Turn around, don't drown. 

We encourage residents to remain prepared by: 

• Developing a family plan and having emergency telephone numbers available.  
• Assemble an emergency supply kit with enough food, water, and other supplies for at least 72 hours. In addition, include essential medicines and life-saving medical equipment. For a complete list, please visit: www.ready.gov/kit 
• Assemble a go-bag in the event an evacuation becomes necessary. Remember the 5 P’s: Persons/Pets, Personal Items, Important Papers, Prescriptions, and Priceless Items. 
• Sign up for your local Emergency Notification System, including alertYAVAPAI, at www.ycsoaz.gov/ENS and follow reputable and reliable sources for current information.  
• If applicable, consider moving your vehicle to higher ground to avoid flood damage.  

YCOEM will coordinate with the American Red Cross to open an Evacuation Center or Shelter if an evacuation becomes necessary.  

Sandbags are available at various locations. Availability will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. For a list of sandbag locations, please visit the YCOEM website: https://yavapaiaz.gov/publicworks/emergency-management. Expect to fill and transport your sandbags. Please bring a shovel.  

For the 7-Day Forecast, visit the National Weather Service: https://www.weather.gov/fgz/ 

For creek flow updates, visit the Yavapai County Flood Control District website: https://yavapaiaz.gov/ycflood/weather. 

This course is designed to prepare individuals who may be directly affected by a disaster help themselves, their family and other community members. Participants will learn how to develop a family preparedness plan, practice self-rescue, perform search and light rescue techniques, and understand the recovery process. 

Prepare - Survivor vs victim, Community threats, Community response capability, Family preparedness plan

Persevere - Disaster survival, Individual assessment (SALT), Self-rescue, Search and light rescue techniques

Protect - Scene safety and damage assessment, Neighborhood accountability, Interacting with responders,

Recovery and resiliency

Suggested Audience - The target audience encompasses the whole community approach, including, but not restricted to:
• Church Groups
• Volunteer Fire Departments
• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
• Youth Groups
• American Red Cross (ARC)
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)
and members of the general community who may find themselves in the impact zone of an incident and in the absence of emergency responders.
This training does not qualify the participants to serve in an emergency responder role.

Self-registration through the state’s online registration system at dematraining.az.gov is required. Enrollment no later than 14 days prior to the start of the course is recommended. New users will be required to create an account prior to enrollment. Instructions are included on page 2 of this bulletin. For assistance, contact the DEMA Training Branch at 602-464-6225 or training@azdema.gov. This training offering is provided at no cost to eligible participants.

Training Announcement