Annual Wildland Training Drill Bringing Fire Crews, Equipment to Foothills Park

PALO ALTO, CA - Expect to see lots of fire trucks and crews in the Foothills Park area early next week as the Palo Alto Fire Department kicks off its Annual Wildland Training drill.

Dozens of fire teams from both Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties will practice June 12-14 carrying out simulated emergency operations, structure protection tactics, area familiarization and other risk reduction activities.

The three-day event comes as the upcoming fire season begins from July 1-October 31. In preparation for each fire season, PAFD crews inspect every home in the Foothills community for vegetation clearance and defensible space, according to a city news alert.

Fire Station 8 in Foothills Park is open and staffed during Red Flag Warnings and other extreme fire danger days. On the days Station 8 is open, it is staffed for 12-hours from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., and those hours can be extended depending on fire weather conditions.

PAFD also operates two fire stations nearby that respond year-round to the Foothills community. Fire Station 2 (Hanover) and Fire Station 5 (Barron Park) cover the area with response times that not only meet the PAFD’s performance standards for the Foothills community, but also have faster response times than the engine from Station 8.

PAFD also maintains Automatic Aid Agreements with the Santa Clara County Fire Department and the Woodside Fire District, who staff stations nearby and respond to calls in the Foothills community.

Remember, California Law and the City’s Municipal Code require property owners and/or occupants to create 100 feet of defensible space around homes and buildings. Adequate brush clearance around homes has been demonstrated time and again to be the single biggest factor for homes surviving a wildland fire.

Image via Palo Alto Fire Department