They’re drilling in Topanga

Firefighter helps residents learn the drill in Topanga.

Residents of Topanga Canyon enjoy some of the best nature has to offer. But because the area is susceptible to wildfires, they also prepare for the worst. Those preparations will kick into a much higher gear at this year’s “Ready, Set, Go” Topanga Evacuation Drill, which takes place Saturday, April 28.

For the first time, residents will be asked to leave the canyon completely, as they would in a “worst-case” fire emergency. During previous evacuation drills, participants stayed in the canyon and checked into Community Survival Areas. This exercise represents a revised strategy by government agencies and Topanga’s famously active community groups.

“We have been trying to get people to understand that when they are told to evacuate, the safest thing for them and their family is to leave the canyon,” said Pat MacNeil of the Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (T-CEP). “Refuge areas are a last-ditch option.”

While the canyon roads will not be closed, Los Angeles County Fire Department and other first responders are making the exercise as realistic as possible. There will be Red Cross evacuation centers, radio coverage from KNX 1070 and an Incident Command center at King Gillette Ranch. Alert LA County will send out mass communications every 15 minutes with traffic information and simulated fire locations. The “fire” itself will be phased in by Tactical Zones, which are based on known fire behavior during a wind-driven wildfire. Residents can check an online map to identify their zone.

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control Equine Response Team is organizing a horse evacuation simulation for the event. Horse owners are encouraged to drive their trailers (without horses) to Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

The evacuation will also help first responders fine tune their procedures for the real thing, learning lessons that will apply locally and countywide.

“I think that what it does for the agencies is sharpen their skills and… awareness of the canyon,” said MacNeil. “You get them up on these winding roads and it can be a bit of a problem if they haven’t been there before.”

To encourage community participation, donated survival products and other gifts will be handed out to residents who check in at one of two evacuation centers—Taft High School or Palisades High School. There will also be drawings for prizes including a 4-person survival kit and tickets to the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum.

For further information, residents should refer to the detailed packet they received in the mail. It spells out suggested day-to-day preparedness activities leading up to the actual 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. evacuation drill on Saturday, April 28.

Posted 4/27/12