Going Through the Motions — Ones That Could Save a Life in a Real Emergency

The threat of a wildland fire during the stormy weather we’re experiencing is pretty darn low, but imagine what it would be like to have the hillsides catch fire when the land is parched.

Dozens of residents in Novato’s eastern neighborhoods voluntarily participated in a wildland fire evacuation drill Saturday that was coordinated by the and included help of several other first-responder agencies.

The drill started at 1 p.m. and involved residents in the Bahia and Green Point areas. People in more than 800 homes were notified of the exercise in advance, and many of those rendezvoused at the incident command post that was set up at the ’s Station 2 at 450 Atherton Ave.

Novato police Captain Dave Jeffries said drill gave residents a chance to learn what an evacuation entails and get more information on self-preparedness and allowed responders to practice for a real emergency.

Representatives from the American Red Cross, the , Get Ready Novato and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service were on hand to share information, and Novato PD was joined by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, the Marin County Sheriff Search and Rescue and Mounted Posse, the California Highway Patrol and the Twin Cities and Sausalito police.