Presidio of Monterey open to public for emergency evacuation drill
Access to the Presidio of Monterey will be granted to the public this weekend, as an emergency drill will be taking place.
The City of Monterey, Monterey Fire and Police Departments, and the Presidio of Monterey are planning a test of an emergency evacuation route for the public through the Presidio from Pine Street to High Street gates. On Saturday, April 13th from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. residents will have an opportunity to use the travel route to test the mechanics of a potential evacuation through the Presidio of Monterey.
“This exercise is part of a comprehensive proactive approach to identify areas for improvement on the best options for people to evacuate the area in case of an emergency such as a fire or flood,” said Fire Chief Gaudenz Panholzer.
Anyone interested in participating in the drill can enter the Pine Street Gate in the New Monterey neighborhood, cut through the Presidio via Stillwell Avenue, and then exit to the Old Town neighborhood at the High Street Gate. Cars will not be permitted to enter from the High Street Gate.
The test was organized as a result of a summit held in January 2019 to discuss the current status of emergency evacuation plans. The summit included Mayors, Fire Chiefs, Police Chiefs, the Presidio garrison commander, and City Managers from Monterey, Marina, Seaside, Sand City, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and Carmel, as well as emergency officials from the Presidio, Monterey County, Monterey County Sheriff’s, and the California Highway Patrol.
