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EARTHQUAKE disaster preparedness
To
those of us who live and work in the Greater Los Angeles area, earthquakes and
other natural emergencies are a reality. In order to deal with this situation,
emergency preparedness must become a way of life. In the event of a major
earthquake or disaster, freeways and surface streets may be impassable and
public services could be interrupted or taxed beyond their limits. Therefore,
everyone must know how to provide for their own needs for an extended period of
time, whether at work, home, or on the road.
In a
major disaster, it might be several days before vital services are restored. Los
Angeles is exposed to a wide variety of hazards, both natural and man-made.
Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, power outages, and acts of terrorism are just
some of the potential emergencies we may encounter. We constantly remind
everyone that with the right preparation, an earthquake is survivable. Long gone
are the days when a 48 hour kit was sufficient. We now recommend a 72 hour kit.
Ok, imagine that you have no electricity, no gas, no water and no telephone
service. Imagine that all the businesses are closed and you are without any kind
of emergency services. What will you do until help arrives?
Southern California EMS
can help you prepare for a
major quake as predicted by notable scientists and experts. We are the only
private EMS agency in all of Los Angeles that proactively works with the
community in preparedness initiatives.
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What is an earthquake?
An earthquake is a sudden,
rapid shaking of the Earth caused by the breaking and shifting of rock
beneath the Earth's surface. For hundreds of millions of years, the
forces of plate tectonics have shaped the Earth as the huge plates that
form the Earth's surface move slowly over, under, and past each other.
Sometimes the movement is gradual. At other times, the plates are locked
together, unable to release the accumulating energy. When the
accumulated energy grows strong enough, the plates break free causing
the ground to shake. Most earthquakes occur at the boundaries where the
plates meet; however, some earthquakes occur in the middle of plates.
Ground shaking from earthquakes can collapse buildings and bridges;
disrupt gas, electric, and phone service; and sometimes trigger
landslides, avalanches, flash floods, fires, and huge, destructive ocean
waves (tsunamis). Buildings with foundations resting on unconsolidated
landfill and other unstable soil, and trailers and homes not tied to
their foundations are at risk because they can be shaken off their
mountings during an earthquake. When an earthquake occurs in a populated
area, it may cause deaths and injuries and extensive property damage.
The Northridge, California, earthquake of January 17, 1994, struck a
modern urban environment generally designed to withstand the forces of
earthquakes. Its economic cost, nevertheless, has been estimated at $20
billion. Fortunately, relatively few lives were lost. Exactly one year
later, Kobe, Japan, a densely populated community less prepared for
earthquakes than Northridge, was devastated by the most costly
earthquake ever to occur. Property losses were projected at $96 billion,
and at least 5,378 people were killed. These two earthquakes tested
building codes and construction practices, as well as emergency
preparedness and response procedures.
Where earthquakes have occurred in the past, they will happen again.
Learn whether earthquakes are a risk in your area by contacting your
local emergency management office, American Red Cross chapter, state
geological survey, or department of natural resources.
Earthquakes strike suddenly, without warning. Earthquakes can occur at
any time of the year and at any time of the day or night. On a yearly
basis, 70 to 75 damaging earthquakes occur throughout the world.
Estimates of losses from a future earthquake in the United States
approach $200 billion.
There are 45 states and territories in the United States at moderate to
very high risk from earthquakes, and they are located in every region of
the country. California experiences the most frequent damaging
earthquakes; however, Alaska experiences the greatest number of large
earthquakes—most located in uninhabited areas. The largest earthquakes
felt in the United States were along the New Madrid Fault in Missouri,
where a three-month long series of quakes from 1811 to 1812 included
three quakes larger than a magnitude of 8 on the Richter Scale. These
earthquakes were felt over the entire Eastern United States, with
Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Alabama,
Arkansas, and Mississippi experiencing the strongest ground shaking.
AWARENESS INFORMATION
Expect aftershocks. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that follow the
main shock and can cause further damage to weakened buildings.
After-shocks can occur in the first hours, days, weeks, or even months
after the quake. Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks,
and a larger earthquake might occur.
Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death
or injury. Most earthquake-related injuries result from collapsing
walls, flying glass, and falling objects as a result of the ground
shaking, or people trying to move more than a few feet during the
shaking. Much of the damage in earthquakes is predictable and
preventable. We must all work together in our communities to apply our
knowledge to building codes, retrofitting programs, hazard hunts, and
neighborhood and family emergency plans.
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
1. The best protection during an earthquake is to get under heavy
furniture such as a desk, table, or bench
2. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits, and
alongside exterior walls. Many of the 120 fatalities from the 1933 Long
Beach earthquake occurred when people ran outside of buildings only to
be killed by falling debris from collapsing walls.
3. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of
death or injury. Most earthquake-related casualties result from
collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects.
DANGER ZONES
Earthquakes occur most frequently west of the Rocky Mountains, although
historically the most violent earthquakes have occurred in the central
United States. All 50 states and all U.S. territories are vulnerable to
earthquakes. Forty-one states or territories are at moderate to high
risk.
HELP YOUR COMMUNITY GET
READY
The media can raise awareness about earthquakes by providing important
information to the community. Here are some suggestions:
1. Publish a special section in your local newspaper with emergency
information on earthquakes. Localize the information by printing the
phone numbers of local emergency services offices, the American Red
Cross, and hospitals.
2. Conduct a week-long series on locating hazards in the home.
3. Work with local emergency services and American Red Cross officials
to prepare special reports for people with mobility impairments on what
to do during an earthquake.
4. Provide tips on conducting earthquake drills in the home.
5. Interview representatives of the gas, electric, and water companies
about shutting off utilities.
DID YOU KNOW...
• Many people think of California as "Earthquake Country," but the state
with the most major earthquakes is Alaska. The grandaddy of earthquakes
was along the New Madrid Fault in Missouri where a 3-month long series
of quakes in 1811--1812 included th ree quakes larger than a magnitude
of 8. These quakes were felt over 2 million square miles.
• The Richter Scale was developed by Charles F. Richter in 1935. It is a
logarithmic measurement of the amount of energy released by an
earthquake. Earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 4.5 are strong
enough to be recorded by sensitive seismographs all over the world. In
the United States several thousand shocks of varying sizes occur
annually.
• The effects of earthquakes are also measured by the Modified Mercalli
Intensity scale. The intensity of a quake is evaluated according to the
observed severity of the quake at specific locations. The Mercalli scale
rates the intensity on a Roman nu meral scale that ranges from I to XII.
• The Loma Prieta (northern California) earthquake of October 1989
registered 7.1 on the Richter scale and as high as XI on the Mercalli
scale.
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CHURCH EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS
(So. Cal. EMS Ministry)
This
is the reason Southern
California EMS exists!
We specialize in assisting churches and church members prepare for earthquakes by developing an
emergency action plan to enable the church to assist their community during
crisis.
A
disaster is defined as anything that causes human suffering or creates human
needs that the victims cannot alleviate themselves.
Churches must plan how they will respond to disasters, large and small, in their
communities. These plans need to be well thought-out and discussed by the church
leaders. The congregations need to discuss their plans and determine how they,
as individuals, can become part of this process. Once the church decides that
they need a disaster plan,
Southern California EMS
can step in to help create and implement these plans with the help of church
leadership and its members.
By
planning before a disaster occurs and coordinating with the local government and
local American Red Cross chapter, a church can be prepared to react fully in a
time of crisis.
We all
know that disasters are increasing in frequency and we are challenging churches
to respond by developing an emergency action plan. Having an EAP means the
difference between recovering or shutting your doors. For more info on the EAP,
see next section.
Southern California EMS
oversees the creation and implementation of each EAP and EMS ministry at each
church that contracts us.
What
is an EMS ministry? EMS stands for "emergency medical services". This ministry
is run by volunteers at a church who are already fire/ems professionals.
Initially, The Southern
California EMS staff
does the recruiting and helps the church to set this ministry up according to
their needs. It is a fact that in the body of the church, there will always be
professionals willing to volunteer in some way. It is these volunteers who will
be there for the surrounding community in the event of a major disaster.
Our
services include:
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Creating and implementing an Emergency Action Plan
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Writing a detailed manual for church leaders and staff
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Training key leaders and staff in disaster preparedness
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Walking through the church facilities to minimize risks
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Assist the church in preparing and storing emergency supplies
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Recruiting and training volunteers for EMS ministry
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Conducting training scenarios and drills
This
is just a small portion of what we do and the entire process from beginning to
end runs anywhere from 3 months to 6 months depending on the extent of the
services required. The end result is a program that will be able to grow and
sustain itself under the sound leadership of its core volunteer team. Southern
California EMS will always be available to consult as needed after the
completion of the project.
The
key to the Southern
California EMS church
preparedness division is that we do not leave the churches to browse through a
website to find answers, we personally consult face to face. This is why we
stand out above the rest!!
If you
are interested in a disaster preparedness consultation or booking Captain Ed Castillo for a speaking engagement/interview, please contact the
Southern California EMS headquarters at
818-825-3950 or info (at) socalems (dot) com
ARE YOU A PASTOR AND WANT MORE INFO ON CHURCH PREPAREDNESS...CLICK
HERE!!
Emergency Action Plans
We
specialize in consulting with businesses that seek to become disaster prepared. It is no secret that most do not have an emergency action
plan that deal with the day to day operations. This is where
Southern California
EMS comes in. We can create and implement an
emergency action plan that will help assist in an actual disaster or emergency
thereby facilitating a quicker recovery. It is a proven fact that those with an
emergency action plan have a far greater chance of full recovery. Those who do
not never recover and never reopen for business. Are you willing to take that
chance?
Do you
have 10 or more employees/volunteers?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you now need to ask yourself if
you have an adequate emergency/disaster action plan in place to deal with
unexpected situations such as medical emergencies or even a natural disaster.
If you do not have an emergency action plan (EAP) or do not know what that is,
you need to act. In an emergency, the effectiveness of response depends on
advanced planning and training. An EAP is a written document required by
particular OSHA standards. The purpose of an EAP is to facilitate and organize
employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies.
The minimum requirements of an EAP are as follows:
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Emergency escape procedures and mapped escape routes
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Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical
operations before they evacuate
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Procedures to account for all persons
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Rescue and medical duties for employees who perform them
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Means for reporting fires and other emergencies
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Persons or departments to contact for further information or explanation of
duties under the plan
FIRST AID KITS AND
STATIONS
In addition to the host of
other services we offer, there is one service we offer that is in high demand
throughout the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley and Conejo Valley. We
are experts when it comes to helping businesses with their OSHA approved first
aid kits and medical supplies. Our staff are current pre-hospital providers (EMT's,
Paramedics, Firefighters) who use the very equipment and supplies we provide on
a daily basis. We know what works and what does not.
Unlike other medical first aid
kit companies, the fact that our active team members assist businesses with
their first aid kit needs is what separates us from all the others. Why would
you trust a non-medical professional to provide or stock up your first aid kits.
That is an excellent question! We not only install all equipment, but return
based on our customers’ needs to inspect, replenish, clean, and maintain the
first aid kits so they are always ready for use.
We have many solutions to fit
your budget and our experience and expertise is top notch! We offer the most
personalized service by coming to your location and consulting with you. If you
are a new business, we can help you decide what is right for your business needs
and we can help you design an Emergency Action Plan.
Call our headquarters to
schedule an appointment at 818.825.3950
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