ReadyKern Keeps You Informed
When an emergency situation—such as a fire, flood, or earthquake—occurs, how will you find out if you need to evacuate the area? Thanks to Kern County’s ReadyKern program, the answer is as fast as you can answer your phone.
The Kern County Fire Department implemented this emergency notification system, which can reach up to 50,000 citizens in an hour. If an emergency situation occurs, ReadyKern uses data collected to determine addresses and areas that may need to receive notification or even evacuate. For example, if a fire were to occur, emergency operators can select a certain mile radius around the fire’s location and notify these citizens of the need to take safety precautions.
How Do I Sign Up? You can register to receive ReadyKern notifications on the Kern County Fire Department’s Web site. Go to www.readykern.com, where you will be asked for your name and address and then can provide contact information such as your phone number, personal e-mail address, or even the number to a TTY/TDD device for the hearing impaired. You can also mail your registration form or call 211 to have a Kern County Fire Department official sign you up.
Registrants are invited to select the method ReadyKern can best communicate with them—options include via text message, phone call, or e-mail message. If you do not confirm receipt of the message by pressing “1” following the call, ReadyKern can contact secondary numbers in order to ensure you receive important notifications. You can easily go back to the Web site to remove your old information and input new contact numbers if you happen to change your phone number or e-mail address. ReadyKern ensures you and your family receive the most up-to-date information if an emergency occurs. For more information, call 211 or visit www.capk.org/211.
