By Gordon Williams  

If the phrase “ready, set, go” makes you think about kids’ foot racing, fire authorities would rather you associate it with staying safe in a region where wildfires are a frequent and worrisome danger.

Counties all across the Red Cross Northwest Region are adopting the Ready, Set, Go (RSG) program, which rethinks how the authorities train you to defend your home against fire and find shelter when approaching flames make it necessary to flee. 

The latest Washington county to adopt RSG is Kitsap, which includes Bremerton and the vast Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Already on board are 13 other counties, including King (Seattle), Snohomish (Everett), Pierce (Tacoma) and more.

By adopting RSG, these counties agree to develop and teach the best fire safety practices. That includes developing better ways of preparing communities to defend against wildfires and better ways of preparing individuals to evacuate when that becomes necessary.  

The more individuals are trained in fire safety best practices, the lower the risk of fires breaking out in the first place. The more communities train to fight fires, the greater is the likelihood that existing fires can be kept small and under control. The more that both fire authorities and residents improve the way they carry out evacuations, the less the risk of wildfires leading to fatalities.  

As to how RSG works, the “ready” phase sounds obvious. It involves staying alert to the danger of wildfire, preparing your property so it does not support fire, and making some basic plans of how to respond if fire becomes a danger.  

You know all about keeping go-bags close at hand, filled with all the essentials you would need if you were evacuated to a shelter. But have you prepared a go-bag, and are you sure you know what should go inside it? What about extra doses of essential medications, lists of vital phone numbers, and cash to be used if there are no ATMs near your shelter? Do you know at least two different routes to take to evacuate from where you live? Especially important if flames are threatening one of them.  

The “ready" phase of RSG gives the standard advice: beware of danger in your area and prepare to evacuate if necessary. But it adds something else -- the need to do your own assessment of the dangers you face -- and the realization you might have to run for safety before any evacuation order comes down.

“Leave if you feel unsafe,” says a Kitsap County release. “Do not wait for an official evacuation order.” That puts more of the need to assess your own fire risk squarely on you.  

If you have been diligent with your “ready” phase planning, then your “set” phase should just involve cleaning up and listening. Double check your property for anything near the house that could burn—trash, lumber piles, cast-off furniture, and the like. Keep tree branches trimmed and high above the ground so any fire that does reach your property doesn't spread. Keep plants and grass trimmed low to the ground. Never rest hot gardening equipment on anything that could burn.   

Stay alert to all warnings from local authorities. Have a radio with plenty of batteries and make sure it is monitored around the clock. Make sure your house is well lit, and the house numbers are clearly visible from the street. Check weather reports frequently so you don't miss any warnings about fire danger. Have a hose long enough to reach everything within 100 feet of your home and have it plugged in and ready to use if a flying ember sets something ablaze.   

The “go” phase means just that. Don't wait, just go. Embers can spread a fire by a mile or more in a twinkling, while you search for things that should have been collected while danger was still a distance away. Keep your car facing down the driveway so you can just pull out and go.  

Make the most of RSG training and share what you learn. Your own fire safety depends on how well your neighbors have prepared. The more members of your community understand the RSG model, the safer the whole community will be. Most important is to have the self-confidence to act when the time comes.