County Employees To Participate In Disaster Drill In San Bruno

SAN BRUNO, CA -- County employees will participate in a disaster drill Thursday in San Bruno. The drill, called Green Dawn, is an emergency preparedness exercise to manage a local response to a terrorist attack with injuries.

The fictional scenario, which involves small planes and a public event in a park, allows multiple groups and agencies, including medical and law enforcement first responders, the volunteer Community Emergency Response Team, American Red Cross, and the Health System to coordinate activities, train in response protocol and refine the skills to manage a major disaster, county officials said.

The Green Dawn exercise—which is a training opportunity for over 200 participants and not an actual event—will take place at two sites: Coyote Point Recreation Area and Junipero Serra County Park.

“Training for large and small events, from earthquakes to outbreaks, is central to what we do,” said Shruti Dhapodkar, the Health System’s Emergency Preparedness Manager. “These exercises allow staff at all levels to feel more comfortable in crisis situations, to understand the protocols, and to mount a more effective coordinated response with our partners.”

Funding for the Health System’s emergency preparedness activities comes in the form of grants from federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, and the Centers for Disease Control, along with state bodies such as the California Department of Public Health.

“Preparedness is about teamwork and coordination, testing our plans and equipment, and making sure we are in the right frame of mind,” Dhapodkar said. “In a disaster, everyone in San Mateo County will be counting on us. We have to train for things we hope will never happen.”

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