The 37th annual Fleet Week in San Francisco is officially underway. And while the sight of the Blue Angels flying overhead thrills fans, there’s also a serious side to the event.
Crews in the area will be training to deal with a potential disaster.
Landing craft units arrived Sunday near the Mariposa Hunters Point Yacht Club in San Francisco, unloading U.S. military vehicles and equipment.
"It's going to drop its front, and all of the supplies that are part of our medical surge exercise happening tomorrow, all of that equipment is going to be coming here to San Francisco," said David Cruise, spokesman for San Francisco Fleet Week.
Military personnel and local first responders will take part in a disaster training scenario Monday at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
"The scenario tomorrow is San Francisco has suffered an earthquake that is not catastrophic, but it does isolate the city, and there is a need for medical assistance," Cruise said.
One of the biggest concerns if a disaster strikes, Cruise said, is how to get resources into the city.
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"This is that drill you’re seeing happening right now in Houston and in Florida, especially in Puerto Rico, where ports are closed, you can't get commodities in," Cruise said.
According to estimates, Fleet Week is expected to bring in more than $10 million in revenue for the city. And with the disaster response exercise, the hope is the city will be ready for an emergency.
