You are here

Emergency Preparedness

If there is a state of emergency in the city or county where you live due to a hurricane or other major catastrophe and evacuation is recommended by the local government in the city or county where you live, and you choose to evacuate, you MUST do the following:​​​​​​​

  • Contact your U.S. Probation Officer within 24 hours of your departure to advise them of your relocation plan, leaving the address and telephone number of the location where you can be reached.
  • If you are unable to talk with the probation officer, you should attempt to talk to their supervisor or leave a voice mail message to advise of your departure and relocation plan.  Do not endanger your life waiting to talk to or hear back from your probation officer or their supervisor.
  • If the office where you normally report is closed or if the phone lines are down due to the emergency, you should send a text message to your probation officer including your name and information about your evacuation and relocation plan.
  • If there is a family member or friend who regularly provides you shelter in times of an emergency like a hurricane, you should give that information to your probation officer for a ready reference.  The information should include the person's name, address, and telephone number.  You are still expected to advise your probation officer on each occassion when you are planning to evacuate.
  • If you are a registered sex offender and you evacuate to another city or county, you MUST contact the law enforcement authority (state police, sheriff, local police department, etc.) in that city or county within 48 hours of your relocation, advising them of your status, your new location, and the name and telephone number of your U.S. Probation Officer.  If you have evacuated to another city or county outside the District of Maryland, you MUST also contact the local U.S. Probation Office where you have relocated to, advising them of your status, your new location, and the name and telephone number of your U.S. Probation Officer.
  • If you are on location monitoring, prior to leaving your residence, you must leave a message on your location monitoring specialist's phone notifying them that you are relocating due to the state of emergency.  If known, provide a phone number and address of where you plan to relocate.  You MUST take your equipment with you.  Upon arrival at your new location, you must leave a message on your location monitoring specialist's phone confirming the telephone number and address of your new location.  If their voicemail is not functioning, you must send them a text message with your name, evacuation plan, and relocation information.  If possible, remain at this location until you receive further instructions.

REMINDER:  You are responsible for maintaining contact with your probation officer at all times.  Failure to maintain some level of contact, even during an emergency evacuation, may be a violation of your supervision.