Getting ready is half the battle — at least when it comes to fire preparedness.

"It's having a way out, of planning ahead or being aware of what to do and where to go ahead of time," Cameron La Combe, the planning and preparedness coordinator for Bonner County Emergency Management, said. 

Before an emergency, that means getting ready. Do you have a plan on what to do and where to go in the event of an emergency. Do you have a three-day supply of water with enough for each person? Do you have a three-day supply of high-energy, non-perishable food? 

Those are just a few of the questions each person should ask themself before an emergency strikes, La Combe said. 

Checklists detailing key items for "go bags," or on a more practical front, totes that can be filled with all items needed for an emergency that can be quickly and efficiently loaded into a car. 

"Our objective (in emergency management) is just increasing awareness of wildfire home protection, awareness of emergency services and understanding evacuation levels," La Combe said. 

Preparedness for possible fire also means preparing the area around your home to minimize the fire danger. While no home is fireproof, La Combe said there a number of things which can minimize damage from limiting the branches between the ground and four or five feet above can limit the amount of fire fuels. 

"It's what referred to as ladder fuels," he said. "If you can cut those small branches, if there is any ground fire, it minimizes it going up the tree." 

The same concept works with thinning the small trees around a home. Limiting trees close to the home, limits the amount of fuel that a fire can use to grow. 

While he understands the convenience, La Combe also recommended homeowners keep the bulk of their firewood at least 30 feet from the home, only bringing what is necessary closer. Washing off window screens on a regular basis can remove the fluff and debris that can quickly catch fire from embers blowing from a nearby wildfire. 

In addition, roofs should have a Class A fire rating and include metal angle flashing on the edges. Windows, if possible, should be multi-paned to minimize transmission of heat. 

The goal? Minimizing places where embers can catch or hide, La Combe said. 

Think of the area around your home in zones: The home and the area immediately surrounding the home; the intermediate zone that ranges from 5 to 30 feet away; and the extended zone, the area that extends from 30 to 100 feet from the furthest attached area of the home. 

Each zone has its own preparedness checklist, La Combe said. 

The immediate zone around a home, for example, should have flammable items removed from a carport and crawl spaces should have any combustible materials removed and a 1/8-inch mesh screen installed on vents. 

In the intermediate zone, vegetation should be removed from any large stationary propane tanks and homeowners should create fuel breaks with driveways, walkways, patios and decks. 

In extended zones, those furthest from a home, heavy accumulations of ground litter and debris should be disposed of and any dead plants and trees should be removed. 

Specific checklists for each zone can be found on sites such as the Firewise USA website — firewise.org. A program of the National Fire Protection Association, the program aims to help homeowners identify and track wildfire risks and risk reduction accomplishment. 

"We're trying to create an area of protection around the house or the property," La Combe said. "So if there is a fire, we're trying to minimize the amount of fuel that's around." 

Often, homeowners can contact their local fire district to see if they offer an fire risk evaluation to identify potential problems as well as possible solutions. 

La Combe said being prepared is critical for any emergency, whether its something unpredictable like fire season or a bad storm knocks out power. 

The preparedness coordinator recommended taking it one item, and one step at a time. If you see totes on sale, grab a couple. If there is a deal on bottled water or batteries, same thing. 

Add them to your "go totes" as you have time and funds. Keep a checklist of items you need to include so that, over time, you can compile a comprehensive list of emergency items that are ready to go at a moment's notice. 

"Having some totes handy just to throw some stuff in, or this time of year, when you go to the grocery store, instead of buying two cans of something, buy four cans," he said. 

Another tip he shared was taking pictures inside your home so you know what is there in case the worst happens. Also, back up phone number and keep emergency contacts and backup of important documents in multiple locations in case something happens, you still can get to the information you need. 

"Having that information on a list, like your insurance, your driver's license, all those things are important documents," La Combe said. "It's important to have that available and to put it on a thumb drive because if you lose your phone, you can plug that in and access that information." 

Emergency preparedness officials also recommend signing up for Nixle alerts and other emergency services who send out an alert to subscribers warning of everything from an evacuation notice to a missing child. The National Weather Service and local law enforcement agencies also can offer various alerts. 

The big takeaway? 

Take time to plan now. What do you need to get through a day? A couple of days a week? Do you take medicine? Do you have pets? Where would you go if you had to leave your home? Would you take U.S. 95 or U.S. 2?  

"It's kind of one of those things where you might want to game plan what you might need to do, where you might go," La Combe said. "Have that conversation."

By working through the different scenarios when there isn't an emergency allows you to be better prepared for when there is, he said. 

Checklists, such as those offered by his department and FEMA's "Ready, Set, Go" offer a starting point and valuable suggestions on what to include. 

By thinking through the steps you need to take in an emergency, you can prepare now and ensure you don't forget important items in the heat of the moment, La Combe said. 

"What's your Plan A? What's your Plan B," he said. "Where are you going to go? Have you thought about what you might need? Did you check to make sure your supplies are still good?"