The Beverly Hills Fire Department is keeping residents prepared for potential wildfires. A brush fire in 2021 was extinguished by firefighters from the department. (photo courtesy of the BHFD)

With the threat of wildfires in Southern California clearer than ever after January’s devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, the city of Beverly Hills is actively preparing for the next fire emergency. On Nov. 9, the Beverly Hills Fire Department led an evacuation drill for the Trousdale neighborhood, which lies within the “Very High Wildfire Severity Zone,” as designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

“After seeing the devastation firsthand following the wildfires in January, I asked Fire Chief Greg Barton to prepare an evacuation drill for our community,” Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian said. “I was so pleased to see residents participating and taking a proactive approach to emergency preparedness. It was an opportunity for several of our city departments, including fire, police and Public Works to ensure close coordination and best practices in the event of a true emergency.”

Barton said the city had three main goals in the drill: to evaluate public safety response with police and fire departments, test the city’s emergency notification system and inform residents on what to do in the event of an emergency. He said the third goal of preparing residents is the most important, because when a real fire threat emerges, it’s often too late to prepare.

“When the actual time to evacuate happens, there’s not enough time at that point. It’s too late to get what you need to evacuate safely,” Barton said.

The fire department asked residents of 68 homes in Trousdale to voluntarily participate in the drill. Residents from approximately 25 homes met in Will Rogers Park during the drill, the designated meeting site, Barton said. In the event of a real fire emergency, however, Barton said that residents would be instructed to meet at a park further south, away from the high severity zone, such as La Cienega Park or Roxbury Park.

“City staff would set up a shelter location at both of those places to provide shelter that’s needed for the residents who were required to evacuate,” Barton said.

Barton said that while the city was pleased with the turnout rate for its first fire drill, it also found an area of improvement in the clarity of the siren system.

“Everybody heard the siren, but they didn’t hear the voices,” Barton said, referring to the spoken safety instructions that are broadcast from the outdoor warning system. “That was something that came out that we’re going to look at and assess once we collect all the data that we have from the residents who sent us information. That’s probably our next big step.”

The city is looking at conducting additional fire evacuation drills in the Coldwater Canyon and Benedict Canyon neighborhoods in approximately six months, Barton said. The fire department is also planning a city-wide evacuation drill in approximately two years.

The city has taken additional steps to prepare for wildfires since January, including creating a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a guiding document for the city’s fire preparedness.

“We’re getting information from the community – what they think, what are some of their concerns,” Barton said. “But we’re also looking at everything we’ve done … We’ve done so much in the city, this is kind of the topping part of it to give us direction for the next three to four years.”

“Beverly Hills continues to lead through innovation and collaboration using technology as a force multiplier, including BH Fire Watch, our early detection system, that helps identify fires before they spread,” Nazarian said.