The training exercise began around 9:30 a.m. and involves city, state and federal agencies, including military personnel.
Participants are testing how they would communicate and work together in the event of a disaster, said Laura Adleman, spokeswoman for the city's Department of Emergency Management.
The drill includes a simulation that involves clearing debris from roadways to "get things back up and running" within 72 hours of a disaster, Adleman said.
The drill, which is expected to last about three hours, is part of the 2012 San Francisco Fleet Week Exercise Program, a series of training exercises involving the military and local agencies.
Fleet Week starts in San Francisco on Oct. 4.
