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As their truck pulled around the corner to 2 Lowery Drive, firefighters listened to their acting captain describe the Atherton property: Single story home. Five bedrooms. Confirmed fire. Occupants still possibly in the house.
The firefighters were told to pretend it was the middle of the night, even though it was a drizzly Friday morning. Other than that, they weren’t supposed to do much planning ahead of time. Opportunities to train in actual houses are rare, and the simulation was supposed to be as realistic as possible.
This training was made possible when the owners of 2 Lowery Drive donated their property to the Menlo Park Fire Department and Atherton Police Department at the beginning of the year. It will be available until the end of February, when the owners plan to demolish the house, split the lot, and rebuild multiple homes. Thanks to a 2022 state housing law, Senate Bill 9, this is now an option in a neighborhood with high property values and a growing housing shortage. 2 Lowery Drive was the first property approved by Atherton to be split.
“Our decision to offer the property for the first responders was deeply meaningful to me. It represents our commitment to the community, and it’s also the first step in a larger plan where we will split the lot to address the housing shortage,” property owner Mircea Voskerician said on behalf of himself and his partner Stephanie Yi in a written statement. According to a February staff presentation, SB 9 could result in about five new housing units per year in town.
The donation of the property gives local firefighters “an invaluable opportunity” to rehearse crucial skills without starting actual fires, Menlo Park Fire engineer Joseph Foster explained. The department typically gets one structure a year to practice in.
By starting with less invasive scenarios, the department is maximizing the number of firefighters – 30 different crews – who can run through training exercises in the house over the four months it’s available. This means, for instance, going through the motions of ‘vertical ventilation’ at real life speed, without drilling a hole in the ceiling.
After Foster and his crew arrive at 2 Lowery Drive, their acting captain, Norman Bolanos paints a picture of the fire – imagine smoke and flame rising from the back of the structure. Without a nearby fire hydrant, they will have to come up with a strategy for getting water to the house. Bolanos surveys the property and talks to residents outside. When he’s told there may be a possible victim in the back bedroom, he and another firefighter gear up and go inside. As the engineer, Foster sends updates from outside via radio as they make their way toward the victim.
A Menlo Park Fire Protection District firefighter hands off a dummy to a colleague to be placed inside the home at 2 Lowery Drive in Atherton to practice a rescue drill on Feb. 2, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
A Menlo Park Fire District firefighter readies to enter the boarded up home at 2 Lowery Drive through a broken window while running drills with colleagues in Atherton on Feb. 2, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
Menlo Park Fire Protection District firefighters save a dummy during a rescue drill at 2 Lowery Drive in Atherton on Feb. 2, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
Menlo Park Fire Protection District firefighters cut a hole in the roof of the house at 2 Lowery Drive in Atherton while running practice rescue drills on Feb. 2, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier. 
Menlo Park Fire Protection District firefighters cut a hole in the roof of the house at 2 Lowery Drive in Atherton while running practice rescue drills on Feb. 2, 2024. Photo by Magali Gauthier.
In the next scenario, the team switches to a different part of the house. A volunteer cadet tries throwing a ladder, and practices identifying the layout of the house based on exterior clues. Vents, for example, might signal a bathroom.
In Menlo Park Fire Department, being a firefighter often means being a jack of all trades, Foster said. The department’s many paramedics frequently respond to medical calls. They often participate in local public service. And, while Foster says house fires are uncommon, being well prepared is essential.
“It was a super great opportunity for all of us to play some real life scenarios instead of sitting and doing it at the firehouse or at our training room,” Foster said.
‘It was a super great opportunity for all of us to play some real life scenarios instead of sitting and doing it at the firehouse or at our training room.’
Menlo Park Fire engineer Joseph Foster
Voskerician, a Palo Alto-based real estate developer, is also looking forward to what his split property will represent once training is over. Voskerician is currently developing Atherton.com, a platform to guide people through property splitting, as a way to help homeowners unveil potential value and to address the housing shortage.
“Our vision with Atherton.com is to empower our neighbors to navigate new housing mandates, making a responsible and meaningful contribution to our community,” Voskerician wrote. He hopes to eventually expand beyond Atherton.
