Join Burlingame's Disaster Survival Drill!

Burlingame residents are invited to sign up by September 21 for the city’s 9th annual Disaster Survival Drill, which will take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 9. So far, 35 neighborhoods are planning to participate. To sign up, send an email to info@burlingamenetwork.org with your name and street address and indicate whether you want to lead a block or join another group. You will be contacted by a BNN representative. There is no charge, and all supplies will be provided.

Hosted by the Burlingame Neighborhood Network (BNN), the drill is supported by the Central County Fire Department, the Burlingame Police Department, Burlingame CERTs and local HAM radio operators. It will be an outdoor drill that observes county health protocols. Participants will practice organizing in teams to help one another after a simulated earthquake and will learn how to report major incidents to a simulated Emergency Operations Center.

No experience is necessary to participate. Neighborhood leads and anyone interested are invited to a Drill Walk-Through Training from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 23. Neighbors assigned to help with communications are invited to a Communications Workshop from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 29. Both sessions are free and will be held via Zoom.

BNN is also seeking amateur radio operators (Hams), CERTs and other volunteers to assist with communications during the drill. They will be located at strategic locations to collect and relay information about simulated incidents such as injuries, fires and water line breaks. It’s a great opportunity to learn how to communicate during an emergency. No experience is needed. If interested, please email Rik Kasuga at arikio@aol.com.

Thanks to support from the City of Burlingame, neighborhood groups in the city that participate in at least two drills and have other occasional activities may qualify for a free emergency cache valued at $700. Blocks with caches that participate in this year’s drill will receive a DeWalt two-way, two-watt FRS radio to enable better communication. All blocks will receive drill kits (or refresher materials).

The drill will take place on multiple blocks throughout Burlingame. Adults and children 10 and older can take active roles. Participants can lead a drill on their own block if they have at least eight participants, or they can join another block’s drill.

For more information, visit BurlingameNetwork.org or email info@burlingamenetwork.org.