Bay Area residents use board game as disaster preparedness tool

A group of residents sit around a game board, a map of Los Robles Mobile Home Park area in Novato. Their markers — each representing various modes of transportation — are scattered on roads and paths. A fire has sprung up nearby. One player has pulled a chance card asking if she will use her turn to notify a neighbor who lives down a long driveway.

“My heart says yes, but my head says no,” said the player, Trish Prokop.

The residents were playing an experimental emergency preparedness game meant to simulate an evacuation. The Los Robles neighborhood has 213 homes, 320 residents over 55 years old — and one entry and exit. Around 60 residents attended the game night at the neighborhood clubhouse on Monday.

“Winning isn’t that exciting,” said Tom Maiorana, creator of the game. “It’s more about learning.”

Maiorana, a professor of design at the University of California, Davis, said he devised the game as a way to prototype complex systems while also building community resilience. It is funded through a National Science Foundation grant.

The game is about getting people to think about how they would behave in a high-stress situation, and what tough decisions could arise. The simulation allows them to explore these emergency scenarios in a safe, judgment-free and low-risk space.

“The real key driver for me, in thinking about these types of experiences, is: How do we make this stuff that’s really scary and hard to think about, fun and engaging?” said Maiorana. “So that we can start to make some progress towards these issues in ways that will help keep people safe and to help people take action.”

Participants are encouraged to play as themselves, and the game is customized to each community. Players can start with some bonus points, but only if they’ve prepared a go bag, have an evacuation plan and have signed up for the Alert Marin notification system.

Before each turn, players draw a chance card that mimics a real-life scenario, like an empty tank of gas or a road blockage. A portion of the cards are specific to that community; Maiorana meets with community leaders to learn about specific challenges they face.

For example, one chance card said the power had gone out and the neighborhood’s electric gate wouldn’t open. If anyone at the table knows how to open it using a Phillips head screwdriver, then everyone keeps playing, but if not, all players skip a turn.

Some chance cards give players an advantage, often allowing them to move extra spaces, like if they had done any home hardening or volunteered in the community within the last year. Additionally, one person plays as the “fire” and draws a wind and fire card at the end of every round. This leads to the fire in the game getting bigger or smaller, spreading to new areas, or changing direction.

For player Marti Cates, the fire was particularly rough — the game board was littered with spot fires, forcing some players to change course and reevaluate their evacuation routes.

“The fires are growing and we’re not getting very far very fast,” said Cates. “I thought it was really informative and a safe environment to test the waters.”

Lynda Beth Unkeless, a resident in the neighborhood, learned about Maiorana’s game when she heard a news story about residents in Tomales playing it. She thought it would be beneficial for Los Robles residents.

After playing, she said she learned she was not nearly as prepared as she should be.

“People were just very honest,” said Unkeless. “It was a confrontation with truth.”

After the game, Novato Deputy Fire Chief John Dicochea and Novato police Capt. Jim Correa went over safe evacuation habits and information. They also answered questions that came up during the game.

“It was fantastic,” said Katie Cartwright, president of the neighborhood association. “Everyone was engaged, which is a good indicator.”

Maiorana said he is researching if the game helps inspire people to take action to prepare for an emergency. He said he hopes it helps people understand how short-term goals — things that can be done tomorrow, next week or next month — are essential in building momentum.

“It seems to really ignite a hunger for action, if you will,” said Maiorana.

Joanne Saint-Pierre, a Los Robles resident, said the game provoked a lot of questions, and gave her a list of things to follow up on.

“There was certainly plenty of discussion everytime we flipped a card,” said Saint-Pierre.

For Prokop’s table, the “notify the neighbor” card sparked a larger discussion about night emergencies. Several players mentioned how residents who use hearing aids take them off at night, and people often power down their cellphones when they go to bed, limiting the ability to get emergency alerts.

“It brings up a lot of questions,” said Prokop. “It’s good because it gets you thinking. Like, yeah, I can get out of the house and to the gate, but then what?”