As wildfires continue to burn through California, local officials in Seminole County are working to ensure residents are ready and stay informed as we approach our brushfire season here in Central Florida.
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The fires in California have already killed dozens of people and left countless others without a home.
Now, authorities want communities in Central Florida to be prepared in case something similar happens here.
Reporter Geovany Dias found out that only 10 percent of the population in Seminole County uses the fire alert system.
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This means most people would not be receiving the life-saving messages and communication that come from this emergency management office in Seminole County.
The emergency management office watches everything that happens across the county, and without the alert system active on your phone, they would not be able to alert the residents.
Seminole County officials said, “One of the challenges that can happen here, as well as in California, is our ability to communicate with the public during times of emergency.”
Read: Windy, flame-fanning weather eases up as progress made on LA-area fires
That’s why Seminole County officials are doubling their efforts to keep residents informed.
“We’re not going to notify the entire Seminole County, Orange County, or Osceola County for a wildfire that may be affecting three or four neighborhoods. Instead, we’re going to activate the alert for those three or four neighborhoods. When you register for alert, seminal, or you have a landline telephone, we can geospatially call that location.” Seminole County officials said.
Click here to sign up for the alerts.
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