Earthquake drills and simulations in community-based training and preparedness programmes.

Area of Science:

• Disaster Management
• Community Resilience
• Emergency Preparedness

Background:

• The San Francisco Bay Area faces continuous seismic risk.
• Community-based training programs teach residents essential emergency response skills.
• Over 100 such programs exist, many incorporating annual drills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of community earthquake drills.
• To examine the structure, administration, and components of disaster preparedness programs.
• To assess the role of drills in enhancing community preparedness efforts.

Main Methods:

• A mail survey was conducted among program managers of BayNET (Bay Area Neighborhood Emergency Training) members.
• The survey collected data on program structure, administration, training, and drill formats.
• Respondents provided assessments of their community earthquake drills.

Main Results:

• The study identified various drill formats used by communities.
• It explored the role of simulations in preparedness.
• Qualitative costs and benefits of drills were assessed, alongside respondent evaluations.

Conclusions:

• Community drills are a key component of disaster preparedness programs.
• The evaluation provides insights into the practical application and effectiveness of these drills.
• Findings inform future development and administration of community-based emergency response training.