Locals to study quake response

REDWOOD CITY

About 75 local officials from throughout the county will be traveling on the tab of the Federal Emergency Management Agency this March to fine- tune their earthquake response plans at an emergency conference in Maryland.

Dozens of city and county staff will join representatives from local hospitals, school districts and San Francisco International Airport from March 6 to March 10 in Emmitsburg, Md., for an emergency management course at FEMA's National Emergency Training Center.

The training comes as officials gear up for an April 20 countywide disaster exercise, the area's first since 2004.

The course will focus on earthquake preparedness and was specifically designed to help the county test its emergency response plans, said Supervisor Bill O'Callahan of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services.

O'Callahan called the conference a rare opportunity -- and, with the memory of devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina still fresh, a timely one. "Unlike Louisiana, we actually have a standard emergency management system," O'Callahan said. "This will be a good test of our plan."

Participants will be divided into five sections -- command, operations, planning, logistics and finance -- according to a protocol laid out by the Standardized Emergency Management System, he said. The training will be weighted toward management in the county, where recent turnover has meant some new staff members lack disaster-planning exposure.

Scientists say the Bay Area will see a "significant" earthquake in the coming 30 years, O'Callahan said, noting that preparing for an earthquake also means being ready for other calamities that can be subsequently triggered, like fires and landslides.

One of four San Bruno staffers to attend the conference, Parks Services Manager Dave Perazzo said the course will be a chance to revisit roles during emergencies. His department, for example, maintains two locations that could serve as community shelters and a number of city generators.

Airfare and lodging for participants will be paid for by FEMA; meals will be the responsibility of the sponsoring agency. Without FEMA's assistance, bringing 75 people to Emmitsburg -- on Maryland's border with Pennsylvania -- would cost at least $37,000, O'Callahan said.