The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office has a new emergency evacuation tool in its belt. 

Residents across the county now have access to an online map that will show if there are evacuation warnings and orders that impact their area, as well as identify evacuation routes during emergency situations, including fires and flooding. 

EDSO Lt. Troy Morton introduced the website, perimetermap.com, at the Board of Supervisors meeting March 5, spelling out its functions. 

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“It’s just one simple way to see a countywide picture,” Morton said. “In the past you might hear that certain areas are under evacuation order or warning but you wouldn’t know how far that is from you, but you can pull this up and see countywide who is under evacuation order.” 

There are a few dozen designated “evacuation zones” across the county.

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The website has been active since February andshows a map of the evacuation zones.

The website will also show resources available during times of crisis, including sandbag locations, evacuation shelters and other resources such as Food Bank of El Dorado County distribution sites. Road closures and flood zones are indicated on the map as well. 

The website can also be useful to determine if loved ones are under evacuation orders or warnings, Morton added.

“We are hoping it will help people leave earlier,” Morton said. “Say if you live in the Oak Hill zone and you are not under any orders or warnings, but you hear that the Pleasant Valley zone is under an order and you see the one next to that is under a warning, you might think to yourself, ‘I’m not under anything, but I’m at least going to start getting my stuff together.'” 

Morton noted the website does not function as an emergency alert system. He insists residents sign up for EDSO’s emergency notification service RAVE, which one can register for at ready.edso.org.

Going door to door remains EDSO deputies’ priority method of alerting communities to evacuate. 

Knocking on neighbors’ doors, RAVE and Perimeter, will all be addressed in EDSO’s “Know Your Zone” campaign, where sheriff’s officials will seek to inform residents about their “evacuation zones” and evacuation routes.

EDSO officials advise residents to prepare an evacuation kit with essential items such as medications and important documents and to obtain information from sources such as EDSO or local fire and police departments during emergencies.

“If you think you need to leave, just leave,” Morton said. “That’s the message we are trying to push out to people. It seems basic, but when you are waiting for an alert or for someone to tell you what to do, sometimes it’s stressful waiting for directions. That is something we want to put out there.”