Serving the Bridgeport Valley · Eastern Sierra, CA
(760) 932-7353 EMERGENCY: 911
Home / Emergency Preparedness

Are You Prepared?

Living in the Eastern Sierra means being ready for wildfires, winter storms, power outages, and earthquakes. Start here.

Essential

72-Hour Emergency Kit

Every household in the Bridgeport Valley should have supplies to sustain all family members for at least 72 hours. In a remote mountain community, help may take longer to arrive during large-scale events.

Water: One gallon per person per day for 3 days. Store in sturdy containers. Include water purification tablets as backup.
Food: Non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items — canned goods, energy bars, dried fruit, peanut butter, crackers. Don't forget a manual can opener. Replace every 6 months.
Complete first-aid kit, prescription medications (7-day supply), over-the-counter pain relievers, personal hygiene items, hand sanitizer, dust masks, and any required medical equipment (inhalers, EpiPens, glucose monitors). Keep a list of medications and dosages.
Warm clothing layers for each person, sleeping bags or emergency blankets, rain gear, sturdy shoes, work gloves. At 6,800 feet, nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing even in spring and fall.
Flashlight + extra batteries, battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA weather), phone charger/power bank, whistle, multi-tool, matches/lighter in waterproof container, duct tape, and local maps (cell service is unreliable in the valley).
Copies of identification, insurance policies, bank account records, and important family documents in a waterproof bag. Cash in small bills (ATMs won't work without power). Thumb drive with digital copies of key documents.
Safety First

Home Escape Plan

Every family should have a practiced escape plan. Draw a floor plan of your home and identify two ways out of every room. Designate a meeting point outside — far enough from the structure to be safe.

  • › Map two exits from every room
  • › Choose an outside meeting point
  • › Practice the plan twice a year
  • › Teach children to crawl low under smoke
  • › Never go back inside a burning building
  • › Call 911 from outside
Wildfire Safety

Wildfire Defensible Space

California law requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures. Here's how the zones break down.

Zone 1: 0-30 Feet

Remove all dead vegetation, debris, and combustible materials. Use fire-resistant plants. Keep trees trimmed 10 feet from chimneys. Clean gutters and roof of pine needles and leaves.

Zone 2: 30-100 Feet

Reduce vegetation density. Space trees 10 feet apart (crown to crown). Remove ladder fuels — brush beneath trees that lets fire climb. Keep grass mowed to 4 inches or less.

Know Your Route

Evacuation Routes

Bridgeport's primary evacuation routes follow Highway 395 north toward Walker/Coleville and south toward Lee Vining. Twin Lakes Road serves the Twin Lakes corridor. Know your routes before an emergency occurs.

Sign up for Mono County emergency alerts to receive evacuation orders, warnings, and shelter information via phone, text, and email. Contact Mono County OES for enrollment.

Emergency Contacts

911
ALL EMERGENCIES
(760) 932-7353
BFPD NON-EMERGENCY
(760) 932-7549
MONO COUNTY SHERIFF
(760) 924-1802
MONO COUNTY OES

Download the Checklist

Print this preparedness checklist and keep it with your emergency kit. Review it with your family every six months.

Print Preparedness Guide