Early one October morning, more than 300 phones rang with the news: Be ready to evacuate.

The call went out at 1:59 a.m. Oct. 11 to alert residents to the fire whipping through Deer Park. Though no mandatory evacuation had been issued, neighbors were warned to be on guard.

The so-called Deer Fire was fully contained two days later after scorching more than 300 acres and destroying one man’s home.

“These types of emergency call systems can save lives,” said Kerry Whitney, Napa County’s emergency services manager.

Napa County agencies now have the ability to issue emergency alerts via telephone. This winter, the system will notify residents if a serious flood threats develop, or if another emergency comes up.

The Wide Area Rapid Notification — WARN — system dials land-line telephone numbers in Napa County with a recorded message.

It is available to emergency responders in Napa, American Canyon, St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville and the Napa County Office of Education. Thousand of calls can go out to hospitals, home care facilities, or specific geographic regions.

“Emergencies don’t recognize jurisdictional boundaries,” Whitney said. “The emergency officials in the county realize that we need one unified system, so first responders and residents alike will have the same experience whether they receive a call at home or on the job within Napa County.”

The alert will explain the emergency and response, and how to get more information.

The emergency system was implemented in the summer to alert a rural neighborhood when a senior citizen went missing. It has also been used to give traffic alerts when President Bush visited Napa County and most recently for the Deer Park Fire in October.

“We’ll be very pleased if we have no reason to use the system at all this winter,” Whitney said. “But it’s a great tool to help us help our residents if the need arises.”