San Francisco Fleet Week launches with joint disaster response exercise

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)-- San Francisco kicked off Fleet Week today with a demonstration of the city's disaster response planning and an event to welcome the fleet and U.S. Navy's Blue Angels to the city.

A medical surge exercise at San Francisco General Hospital this morning allowed local, state and federal authorities, including the Marine Shock Trauma Platoon and the California Emergency Medical Services, to
simulate the response to an earthquake, according to city officials.

Joint military and civilian disaster response drills are an annual part of Fleet Week, which brings a parade of military ships, community events and air shows by the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels to the city by the Bay every
October.

One of the largest such events in the country, San Francisco's Fleet Week attracts millions of visitors to the city and generates more than $10 million in annual revenue, according to city officials and organizers.

The Blue Angels will be based out of Oakland International Airport for the event for the fourth year.

The precision flying team arrived Sunday and are expected to practice and perform in the skies over the Bay Area between today and Oct. 9.

For a full calendar of Fleet Week events, people can go to https://fleetweeksf.org/events, and for information on the Blue Angels, they can go to http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/.