Southern Marin Fire District is asking residents to take four specific steps in September to get ready for wildfire season and other emergencies.

The district's "Ready Southern Marin: Four Weeks. Four Actions." campaign breaks National Preparedness Month into weekly tasks, each with a checklist posted on SMFD's website. The campaign begins Tuesday, Sept. 1, the first day of National Preparedness Month. SMFD previewed the effort on its social media channels Aug. 31.

Week 1, called "Know Before You Go," focuses on emergency alerts and evacuation routes. SMFD asks residents to sign up for AlertMarin, the county's primary emergency notification system, find their SMFD evacuation zone and identify at least two routes out of their neighborhood. The district also wants every household member to understand the difference between an Evacuation Warning, which means be ready to leave, and an Evacuation Order, which means leave immediately.

Week 2, "Give Us an Hour," challenges residents to spend 60 minutes clearing the first five feet around their home. Fire Safe Marin calls this Zone 0, the area most vulnerable to wind-blown embers. The checklist includes clearing leaves and debris from roofs, gutters, decks and stairs, removing dead vegetation, and moving firewood and combustible items away from structures.

Week 3, "Ready. Set. Go.," turns to household emergency plans. SMFD asks families to choose meeting locations, create an emergency contact list that includes an out-of-area contact, and build or refresh Go Bags for every person and pet in the household.

Week 4, "Prepared Together," pushes preparedness beyond individual homes. The district highlights ReadyMarin's Neighborhood Response Group program, which organizes groups as small as a few households. It also points residents toward Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training and Fire Safe Marin's Firewise resources for neighborhood-level wildfire projects.

SMFD said in its campaign overview that preparedness doesn't require tackling everything at once, and that small actions like signing up for alerts or clearing combustible material near a home can make a meaningful difference during an emergency.

Leah Curtis, SMFD's Preparedness and Education Coordinator, said in June, when the district earned California's Fire Risk Reduction Community designation, that the recognition was 'a reflection of the work our community has done together to become more wildfire resilient.'

The campaign runs through Sept. 30. SMFD said it will share weekly updates through community news outlets and district communications. Residents can follow along on SMFD's social media accounts or visit smfd.org for checklists and resources.