About OES

ABOUT

The Lake County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services ("Lake County OES", "Sheriff's OES" or "OES") is the lead agency for local emergency management for the County of Lake as defined by the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) in Chapter 6, Article I of the Lake County Code. Its mission is to enhance the resilience of Lake County (the Operational Area) in the face of disaster.

The Lake County Sheriff's OES meets its mission through activities focused on mitigation, preparation, response and recovery.

Operational Area

The Lake County Operational Area ("Op Area" or "OA") is defined by the geographical boundaries of the County and is created in accordance with Government Code Section 8605, for the coordination of emergency activities and to serve as a link in the communications system during a state of emergency or local emergency.

Much like FEMA's Whole Community approach to emergency management, Lake County OES seeks to engage the full capacity of private citizens, private sector non-profits and other non-governmental organizations and government partners in order to effectively mitigate, prepare, respond and recover from disaster.

The resilience of Lake County relies on the actions of all Op Area partners - individuals, civic groups, local governments, first responders and visitors. Individual efforts contribute to the success of all. When each partner takes responsibility for their part, the entire County will be more resilient.

Prepare Now

Here are six basic steps to prepare for disaster. For more resources use the menu on the left to visit the OES Disaster Preparedness page. 

1. Get Alerts
   • Register for LakeCoAlerts. The Lake County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and OES send emergency alerts via phone call to your landline or cell phone, text and/or SMS messages, email and via social media.
2. Know Your Zone - Zonehaven
   • Zonehaven is a tool that the public can use to look up their zone number ahead of an emergency. LCSO and OES use zone numbers when sending evacuation orders, shelter in place warnings and other emergency information via LakeCoAlerts. During an emergency, information can be viewed at community.zonehaven.com. Zonehaven does not require an account and is not a service to "sign-up for". There is an option to "subscribe to alerts" when viewing zone information. This will take you to LakeCoAlerts
3. Make a Plan
   • Have a go-bag ready for you and your household. Visit ready.gov/kit for examples of what to include
4. Prepare your home
   • Fire-safe starts with defensible space. Take time now to ensure that your property is clear of dead or overgrown brush, trees, and grass. Contact your HOA, landlord, or local fire department for more information
5. Help your community
   • Individual efforts contribute to the success of all. Talk with your neighbors about being fire ready. Start making plans now - ensuring your neighborhood stays safe and has the help they need. Be sure to tell them to sign up for LakeCoAlerts
6. Remain vigilant
   • Each incident may behave unpredictably and rapidly, and no one should wait for an electronic alert before evacuating if the threat is imminent. If a situation appears threatening, evacuate immediately. Lake County is a resilient community

Thank you for doing your part to prepare, while we do our part to keep you safe!