Ragni — There are drills of one kind or another fairly frequently. There are radio check / communication check drills, emergency responders have their own drills (including lighting & extinguishing controlled burns). There have been larger-scale mutual-aid drills involving a number of agencies. Our schools also have drills. There are limited-scale evacuation drills to help make sure that emergency communications work (for example checking the coverage of our town’s AM radio station). There are various simulated local disaster drills. I have heard from some at the Sequoias that they think they should be doing more, and aren’t thrilled that the planning is now being done out of San Francisco instead of locally, but I don’t have any first-hand information.
If you want more information on the various ways to get involved and participate, please contact Selena Brown at WFPD (sbrown@woodsidefire.org)
The only type of drill that I know of as being controversial is that of a “full-scale” evacuation exercise. When communities have tried those in the past, participation has been low, and of course you can only simulate one scenario. That’s why “tabletop” and other exercises get used so much. But the ground on that has already been covered by experts from WFPD, so I’ll defer to them.
PS In case anyone is still in doubt, the Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) is a separate entity from Woodside, and serves PV, Woodside, Emerald Hills, Ladera, Los Trancos, Skyline, and Vista Verde. Frankly, that’s a really good thing, as all those areas are in close proximity and need to coordinate closely.
I hope that helps, and I encourage others with more information on specific drills and ways community members can get involved to chime in. — Dave Cardinal