Brickyard Cove neighborhood hosts evacuation drill

Richmond's Brick Yard Cove neighborhood hosted a CERT drill Saturday morning, allowing residents to participate in an active drill.

First responders and volunteers participating arrived at the Brick Yard Cove Community Center around 7 am for a safety meeting and briefing on the procedures and what to expect.

Staging areas were set up at specific locations, and around 8:50 am, with everyone in place, participants awaited the signal for the drill to commence.

At 9 am sharp drill began; residents headed to the cars and drove to a staged "safe parking area," with volunteers stationed along the streets to guide them.  The all-clear signal that the simulation had ended came around 10 am, and the residents returned to their homes.  

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is an emergency training program to empower our community to prepare for and overcome the effects of any disaster. REACT/CERT was implemented and is maintained under the leadership of the City of Richmond, Fire Department Office of Emergency Services. CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) is the federally and nationally most recognized name for REACT.  REACT/CERT students are trained by the Richmond Fire Department and certified volunteer community trainers.

For more information: West Contra Costa Fire Safe Council (WCCFSC) WCCFireSafe.org
https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/339/REACTCERT

Images below: Top; Volunteers along the evacuation route waiting to guide residents, Main staging area, bottom; Councilmember Cesar Zepeda with a volunteer,  cars entering staging parking area.