Fleet Week hosts collaborative earthquake drills with military, SF first responders
SAN FRANCISCO -- Fleet Week has begun, but the iconic celebration of our armed forces also serves as an important opportunity for first responders.
"This is not a normal day," Kim Bowman told KPIX 5.
Bowman spends most of her time on land but on Monday she is getting ready to board a helicopter that will take her to the U.S.S. Harpers Ferry just off the coast.
"The helicopter you're very close to the door and I'm a bit of a nervous flier but I think it'll be fun," Bowman said.
While she may be a nervous flier she's calm under pressure, which her job requires as an emergency management director for the city
"It's a really fun and exciting job and even in an emergency it's kind of a rush," said Bowman, "it's a privilege to serve your community and problem solve."
A breathtaking 20-minute chopper ride took her to the ship where she met with counterparts from the Navy as part of coordination preparations that she says are an essential part of fleet week
"This really is a chance to work directly face to face with our partners," she continued. "We think a lot in San Francisco about earthquakes so we might only be able to receive them by air or maritime. During fleet week we practice that so this helicopter moving personnel is an example of how we may have to move people in an emergency."
On board the U.S.S. Harpers Ferry was a landing craft unit that served as a prime example of how the military would transport supplies and personnel to shore in the event of a catastrophe.
"That close coordination lets you tap into resources you may not know you need," Bowman said. "Things like blood, medical equipment, sheltering operations."
Looking at the city from the water hits different when you're thinking about emergency response
"It's different, I mean it's a lot of people, it's very dense but we also have a lot of people working on it," Bowman added.
As for when the big one hits, the bowman said, "we have done copious amounts of preparation … we're ready."
