AUBURN, Calif. March 29, 2019 – CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit is hosting a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) drill in Lake of the Pines (LOP) on Sunday April 7th 2019 from 9am to 1pm. The purpose of the drill is to train firefighters on structure defense tactics including home preparation, hose deployment, structure size up, defense tactics and crew life safety measures. Nevada County Consolidated Fire District, Higgins Fire Protection District and other fire agencies will also train during the drill. Residents are encouraged to participate by coming out to watch the drill or by evacuating when you receive your CodeRed alert.
“CAL FIRE is dedicated to the protection of life, property, and resources in the State of California. These WUI training drills help reinforce and hone the skills of our Firefighters and Command Officers and validate the importance of Unified Command with our local government Fire Service and Law Enforcement partners. No one agency can do it alone in California’s Emergency Service environment and we value the efficiency of emergency mitigation when we are working together and involving the public as a strong member of that team.”– CAL FIRE NEU Unit Chief Brian Estes.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Grass Valley CHP will be participating with mock road closures, evacuations and other special training for officers during the drill. This drill will mirror a real wildfire event. The Nevada County Office of Emergency Services and the Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a test of Code Red emergency alerts for the geographic region participating in the emergency drill. To make sure you receive alerts, register for Code Red notifications at www.MyNevadaCounty.com/CodeRed.
“Nevada County is excited to get Lake of the Pines residents involved in CAL FIRE’s WUI drill. During a wildfire event, the Sheriff’s Office is one of the lead agencies on evacuations. Participating in a drill like this will help residents become more familiar with the different exit routes they have available to them and become better prepared for an emergency event like wildfire.” – Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon.
“We hope community members will welcome the opportunity to ask questions, bring concerns forward, or simply get to know our officers,” said CHP Lieutenant Steffenson. “These interactions are the foundation of community partnerships.”
AMR Ambulance, Reach Air Ambulance and other first responders will also be participating by deploying resources to respond in preplanned scenarios.
After the drill the Lake of the Pines Firewise Community will host a barbecue at the LOP Club House for the community and firefighters. Residents are encouraged to meet the firefighters and hear the final briefing where firefighters discuss Lake of the Pines preparedness for wildfire.