About Emergency Preparedness

Heartland Fire and Rescue Serving the Citys of El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon GroveSan Diego County is a beautiful place to live and work. Being in such a wonderful place it can become easy to forget that there are certain hazards we all face. It’s no secret that we live in earthquake country. You may even remember that in 2003 and 2007, huge wildfires burned through dry chaparral at a tremendous rate, destroying thousands of homes along the way. There have been no large earthquakes, no giant wildfires for many years. However, we all know that it’s not a matter of if these things will can happen, but a question of when will they occur again. 

There is no need to fear them, if we are prepared for them. There is a lot of free information on how you, your family and your friends can make yourselves ready for the next emergency. All it takes is a little time and research.

Emergency preparedness starts with you and some small steps that you can take to keep you, your family, and your community safe. This section of the website will provide you with resources and information on how to get prepared.

Resources

  • For resources on how to develop your personal disaster plan, how to put together a disaster supplies kit, and what to do to get informed or involved see the Personal Preparedness page for specifics.
  • For information on how to become involved in our CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) program and received free 20-hour training on topics like how to extinguish small fires, medical triage, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, etc. see the CERT page for specifics.
  • If you are looking for resources specific to young children, see the Kids Corner page for fun interactive sites where kids will learn how to become prepared.
  • Lastly, if you are looking for additional resources, see the Resources page for links to a variety of organizations that also provide emergency preparedness information.

Emergency Preparedness Education

If your organization (school, faith-based organization, service club, community group, etc.) would like to have a representative from our department come out to do a presentation or have a booth at your event, please email Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Andy McKellar.

View a photo gallery of public education events.