On January 2, 2023, Merced County entered into a partnership with Perimeter, an all-risk evacuation management platform that supports information sharing and collaboration across disciplines, jurisdictional boundaries, and the public.
Perimeter was activated by Merced County personnel to manage two significant flooding incidents in January and March of this year, where it was used to mark road closures, sandbag distribution sites, and shelter locations for the public. During the January incident, the Perimeter team provided on-site training for Merced emergency management, fire safety, law enforcement, and public works staff.
“Bailey [Farren] and her team provided invaluable support during the emergency and were attentive to all our needs,” Captain Aaron Rosenberg of the Merced County Sheriff’s Office said regarding Perimeter’s activation.
During the Merced activations, the Perimeter Platform aided public safety by publishing critical information, including inundation zones, and evacuation notices to its user-friendly county map. The platform’s evacuation management system also allowed public safety personnel, news agencies, and residents to easily share the most up-to-date information.
“Not only was the Platform easy for us to use, it was easy for the public to use and we never had to worry about our community getting out-of-date information, as the links we provided to the community always contained the most recent updates,” Captain Rosenberg said.
With no sign-up or opt-in required, individuals can visit Perimeter’s public map to see if they are in an impacted area during an incident. The platform will only be updated by Merced County during major incidents, as announced by the Merced County Office of Emergency Services (OES).
Merced was one of numerous counties subject to a series of rainstorms this past winter, resulting in severe flooding and hazardous road conditions. Over 15,000 residents received evacuation warnings, and property damage is still being calculated.
Merced County OES has identified Perimeter as a valuable tool to enhance collaboration between responders as well as communication with the residents they serve.
To learn more about Merced County public safety resources, click here.
By Kelsey McIvor. Questions? Get in touch at kelseymcivor@perimeterplatform.com
