Sign up for Burlingame's Drill by Sept. 20

Burlingame residents are invited to sign up by September 20 for the city’s 10th annual Disaster Response Drill, which will take place in neighborhoods throughout the city from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 8. If you haven’t already signed up with a block leader, send an email to info@burlingamenetwork.org with your name and street address and indicate whether you want to lead a block or join an existing group. 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. At this in-person, outdoor drill, 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.

Free Training

Neighborhood leads and anyone interested are invited to a Drill Walk-Through Training from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21; the Zoom link is https://tinyurl.com/BNNWalk-Th.... Neighbors assigned to help with communications are invited to a Communications Workshop from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 29; the Zoom link is https://tinyurl.com/BNNComm. Both sessions are free and will be held online.

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

Free Supplies

All blocks will receive free drill kits or, if they already have one, refresher materials. 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 $600.

New blocks will receive a DeWalt two-way, two-watt FRS radio to enable better communication. Thanks to support from the Central County Fire Department CERT Program, these blocks will also receive a Midland WR120 NOAA Emergency Weather Alert Radio for All Hazards valued at $49 to assist neighborhoods in monitoring current updates from local officials.

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 https://tinyurl.com/BNN2022Drill or email info@burlingamenetwork.org.