Goleta residents will soon have a new way to stay informed during emergencies, following a unanimous City Council vote this week to partner with Santa Barbara County by using a new evacuation system.
The city will begin using Genasys EVAC, a map-based software platform designed to help emergency responders coordinate evacuations more efficiently — and give the public real-time information during disaster such as wildfires, floods or chemical spills.
The system uses GIS (Geographic Information System) technology to create pre-planned evacuation zones. Starting later this month, residents will be able to visit ReadySBC.org, enter their address and immediately see whether any emergency actions are in place for their area.
"Once they do that, it will identify any current protective actions that are in place for that address or zone," said Associate Director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management. "It'll tell them any open shelters, traffic control points, road closures."
Silva added that the system will also send push notifications for evacuation warnings and orders. The program is expected to launch by the end of June and will be available 24/7. There is no cost to the city for the first two years, though Goleta could eventually contribute about $7,500 annually under a shared funding model with Santa Barbara County.
Officials say the partnership supports regional emergency planning efforts and will help residents make faster, more informed decisions in a crisis.
