Amid the ever-looming threat of wind-driven wildfires, an evacuation drill is scheduled for Sunday in the hillside Trousdale Estates area of Beverly Hills.
During the drill — set to take place from 1-4 p.m. Sunday — residents of 68 homes in the northwestern section of Trousdale Estates will be asked to voluntarily evacuate their homes.
Sirens will sound from 1:30-2:30 p.m., according to city officials, who say the drill “is designed to give residents and public safety personnel the opportunity to practice real-time evacuation procedures, test communication systems and identify areas for improvement in emergency response.”
Hillside areas are particularly vulnerable to wildfires and can have limited evacuation routes, which will be a key part of the drill as residents will be asked to use designated routes to get to Will Rogers Memorial Park at 9650 Sunset Blvd. The park is also bordered by Canon and Beverly drives.
Personnel from the Beverly Hills police and fire departments will be deployed to direct traffic and assist drill participants.
Officials said they got the word out through multiple channels. A considerable number of residents who signed up for notifications were alerted, and there have also been news releases, direct mailings and postings on social media.
While the drill targets 68 homes, other city residents are also welcome to participate, officials said.
More information is available at beverlyhills.org/evacdrill.