Douglas County adopts standardized evacuation terminology, unveils Hi-Lo siren system

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the county Office of Emergency Management announced they have adopted standardized evacuation terminology and unveiled a Hi-Lo siren system to strengthen evacuation notifications across Douglas County, with a joint news release published March 6, 2026, and local reporting beginning March 4. County officials said the changes are meant to cut confusion during high-stress incidents and reach the county’s more than 400,000 residents.

The county will use three defined alert terms, CBS reporting states: an evacuation order, which “indicates an immediate threat to life”; an evacuation warning, which “signals a potential threat to life or property”; and shelter in place, which “directs residents to remain indoors until further notice.” Mike Alexander, director of the Douglas County Office of Emergency Management, said, “These definitions are designed to eliminate ambiguity. Clear language leads to faster action, and faster action saves lives.”

Douglas County is also deploying Hi-Lo sirens as a dedicated evacuation notification tool for wildfires, flash floods, tornadoes and major law enforcement incidents. When activated, the system emits a distinctive Hi-Lo tone followed by a recorded evacuation message, CBS reported, and the county has added the sirens to patrol vehicles so a car driving a neighborhood can signal an immediate and potentially deadly emergency. CBS reported about 180 patrol vehicles have been equipped with the sirens, at a cost of roughly $15,000 total.

Sheriff Darren Weekly framed the system as a response to worst-case scenarios and cited a recent local example to explain the choice: “When we had the tornado in Highlands Ranch, and people were questioning whether or not, ‘why don't we hear tornado sirens?' That's exactly the scenario where this type of emergency notification would be utilized, and we just found, quite frankly, if you got a patrol car on your street with this siren, you know it's a potentially deadly situation.” In a county statement, Weekly added, “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. Our adoption of the Hi-Lo siren and clear, standardized evacuation terminology ensures that when seconds matter, our residents will hear a distinct warning and know exactly what it means. It’s about clarity, speed, and giving our community every possible advantage in an emergency.”

The rollout comes amid officials’ warnings about elevated fire danger after an unusually dry winter; CBS noted county leaders said each day without meaningful snowfall increases fire risk and that dry fuels persist even after recent rainfall. Chief John Curtis of South Metro Fire Rescue said, “Understanding those alerts ahead of time can help families act quickly and make safer decisions if conditions rapidly deteriorate in their neighborhoods. For the fire service, one of the biggest challenges during fast-moving incidents is reaching people quickly.”

County leaders described the Hi-Lo siren as one layer in a redundant alert ecosystem that already includes the opt-in DougCoAlert system, social media, IPAWS, Wireless Emergency Alerts and the Emergency Alert System. Mike Alexander summarized the approach, saying Hi-Lo sirens are one part of a layered system and that clear terminology ensures residents immediately understand what to do when they receive a message.

Douglas County officials also placed the siren rollout in the context of broader public-safety spending: Commissioner Abe Laydon noted 32 percent of the county budget is dedicated to public safety, and recent county coverage cited a $1.5 million investment for year-round aerial firefighting support. Practical contact information listed on the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office site includes the Castle Rock address at 4000 Justice Way, Castle Rock, CO 80109; the Highlands Ranch address at 9250 Zotos Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129; main non-emergency number 303.660.7505; toll-free 800.654.2733; and general inquiries email dcso@dcsheriff.net. The sheriff’s office also posts text-911 instructions: enter 911 in the To field, provide location and type of help, and send the message in simple words.