San Francisco Fleet Week kicks off with earthquake preparedness drill: Here's a look
What happens when a catastrophic earthquake hits? Bay Area crews run exercises in Fleet Week tradition
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As part of Fleet Week in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management is holding a series of full-scale exercises with the Department of Defense and other local and state agencies.
They're preparing for what to do and how to communicate in the event of an earthquake.
Specifically, they are working on two key things in Tuesday's exercise happening at Pier 30 and 32.
The movement of what they call "disaster service workers" and the clearance of roads, two things they'll have to do immediately after an earthquake.
Between 75 to 100 city workers are volunteering their time to take part in this.
MORE: Meet some of the Bay Area service members returning home for San Francisco Fleet Week
A group of them are being bused in from the North Bay in Larkspur.
They're also taking a group from the East Bay in Alameda over by ferry on an emergency ferry route.
RESOURCES: Prepare NorCal: Disaster Preparedness Resources
VIDEO: What to pack in your earthquake emergency kit
At the same time, they'll be exercising their communication capabilities, not just for bringing essential workers into the city but also for debris removal to help clear the roads.
"We know as a region we're going to have to be on our own for some period of time and be super ready when help comes and so this is what's helping us to really be able to lean forward and be able to not only fumble that handoff when our partners come in," Mary Ellen Carroll, Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said. "Disasters are going to become increasingly more difficult and resources are going to be increasingly scarce as we move forward so this kind of work is more important than ever."
MORE: San Francisco Fleet Week 2024 schedule of events
This training exercise has been a San Francisco Fleet Week tradition for more than 10 years.
The city's Department of Emergency Management says every year, they build on what their team learned from the previous year.
Click here for the full Fleet Week schedule of events.
Click here for the latest stories and videos about earthquakes here in the Bay Area and around the world, and click here for more information on disaster preparedness.
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