The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office rolled out a new emergency alert system to reach residents during life-threatening conditions amid extreme drought and heightened fire conditions.

The DCSO programmed Hi-Lo sirens into patrol vehicles that emit a distinct, alternating tone, followed by a recorded message: “A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for this area. Please evacuate immediately.”

Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said the system will serve as a warning for life-threatening events.

“If you hear that message, it means there’s immediate threat to life and it is a lawful order to leave the area,” Weekly said at a Wednesday news conference.

The system will only be used in “extreme conditions” and is not a replacement for other county communication tools. In a news release, officials cited recent catastrophic wildfires — including the Palisades in California and Lahaina in Hawaii, where evacuation orders can outpace digital systems.

“This system is designed for worst-case scenarios — fast-moving wildfires, flash floods, major law enforcement incidents, or any critical event where lives are at immediate risk,” Weekly said in a news release.

South Metro Fire Rescue Chief John Curtis said at the news conference the region could be facing a challenging wildfire season in the coming months due to dry conditions and ample fuel sources. On Feb. 24, Douglas County issued an evacuation order for residents near Franktown where a wildfire burned more than 1,000 acres.

“Do not let the recent precipitation create a sense of complacency as conditions around our region remain dry,” Curtis said. “Recent wind events have created elevated fire risk and the potential for critical fire behavior.”

County Commissioner Abe Laydon said the Hi-Lo sirens add a layer of redundancy to the county’s growing investment in emergency services, including a $1.5 million investment in year-round aerial firefighting support and a $5 million commitment to construct a dedicated helicopter hangar in Douglas County.

“We use multiple alert systems in Douglas County to alert citizens of an emergency such as DougCoAlert, IPAWS, wireless emergency alerts, social media, and of course door-to-door notification by our deputy sheriffs,” Laydon said. “During these extreme types of conditions like heavy smoke, damage to towers, overloaded networks, or power shut offs, those systems can and will fail.”

As part of the rollout, Douglas County officials have also standardized the following emergency notification terms:

• Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
• Evacuation Warning: Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock, should leave now.
• Shelter in Place: Go indoors. Shut and lock doors and windows. Prepare to self-sustain until further notice and/or until contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.

“These definitions are designed to eliminate ambiguity. Clear language leads to faster action, and faster action saves lives,” Douglas County OEM Director Mike Alexander said in the release.

Residents are strongly encouraged to sign up for emergency notifications at dougcoalert.com to ensure they receive critical updates.