HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010 Earthquake Preparedness BrochureThe staggering magnitude of recent earthquake disasters
around the world serves as a sobering reminder of the
importance of planning and being prepared for a major
quake in our area. This brochure is full of useful tips
and important checklists that will help you be ready
when the earth starts shaking.
Earthquakes strike without warning and can happen any time. Preparation must be
an ongoing process. The City of Palm Desert, Riverside County, and California have spent
time and money preparing for a disaster, but there are limits on what government can do
to help you. The City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Palm Desert Civic Center
will be activated in the event of an emergency, but its function will be to serve as a place
where government agencies can receive and process information, establish recovery
priorities, and coordinate relief efforts.
The primary source for water, food, and other
necessities in the days immediately following a disaster
will be you. Palm Desert residents and businesses
will need to be self-sufficient for up to a week
or longer after a major earthquake. The only
way to accomplish this is to take two immediate
actions: 1) Plan and 2) Prepare.
Planning involves taking steps to imagine
what it will be like when the earthquake
hits, and deciding ahead of time what to do
before, during, and after the quake.
Preparation is assembling the necessities
to be self-sufficient before a quake strikes and
to make sure your supplies are easily accessible
in the days that follow.
The good news is that planning and preparing
are not difficult. Review the tips and checklists in this
newsletter, then make your plans and stock your
supplies. Once you are done, all you have to do is regularly refresh
your supplies and fine-tune your plans. You might find that being prepared gives you
added peace of mind and makes living in earthquake country easier.
Be Ready –
Before, During,& After
■ Stock emergency supplies at home, at work,
and in your car.
■ Maintain enough emergency food, water,
and other supplies, including medi-
cine, a first aid kit, cash in small
bills, and clothing to last at
least a week. Include a manual
can opener and a battery
operated radio or television.
■ Prepare duplicate financial and identity
papers and store them in airtight
plastic bags.
■ Store extra
food and water
for pets. Pets
will not be
allowed at
emergency shelters. However, the City
is working with Animal Samaritans
and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus
on an emergency pet care plan.
■ Always know
the possible exits
at home and work.
■ Know the safe
spots in each
room, such as
under sturdy tables, desks,
or against inside walls.
■ Know the danger spots including windows,
mirrors, hanging objects, fireplaces, and tall
furniture. Keep breakable and heavy objects
on lower shelves.
■ Ensure that beds are clear from bookcases,
mirrors, pictures, and other objects that
might fall.
■ Secure furniture to wood studs inside walls.
■ Secure hanging plants, heavy picture frames,
and mirrors.
■ Install latches on cabinet doors, especially
in the kitchen, to keep them closed during
shaking.
■ Secure water heaters and
appliances that could shift
enough to rupture
utility lines.
■ Learn how to shut off gas,
water, and electricity and
know when its appropriate
to do so.
■ Relocate breakable, heavy objects, and
chemical or paint containers to lower shelves,
especially in garages.
■ Decide where your family will reunite if
separated during the day or at night.
■ Choose an out-of-state friend or relative
whom family members can call to check-in
with after the quake.
■ If your children are home alone after school,
have a plan for what to do and where they
will stay until you can arrive.
■ Conduct practice drills. Show children where
to “drop, cover, and hold on.”
■ Learn first aid and CPR.
■ Organize a neighborhood preparedness
program. Identify neighbors with special
needs.
■ Every homeowners association should have
an emergency plan.
■ People who require electricity for medical
equipment should contact their utility
provider and consider a portable generator.
■ Prepare the same at home and at work.
Have a change of clothes and a comfortable
pair of shoes available.
Before
When an earthquake strikes, it is too late to prepare. By planning now, identifying potential hazards,
and preparing emergency supplies, you can help yourself and others survive a disastrous earthquake.
■ Check yourself and those around you for
injuries, then check on your neighbors.
■ Use first aid. If a person is bleeding, put direct
pressure on the
wound and
elevate it. Use
clean gauze or
cloth if available.
Get medical
help for serious
injuries.
■ Keep pets in a secure place at home.
■ Check your home for significant damage,
the smell of gas, water leaks, and smoke.
Protect yourself by wearing sturdy shoes and
work gloves and if possible, a dust mask and
eye protection.
■ Cracks in walls
and ceilings do not
necessarily mean
your house is unsafe.
If you feel your
building is unsafe,
leave slowly and
carefully. If possible,
take your emergency supplies with you.
■ Do not automatically shut off the gas unless
you smell it or hear it leaking; it may be
weeks before the gas company can restore
your service.
■ If there is damage to your home’s electrical
wiring, shut off power at the main breaker.
Leave power off until damage is repaired.
■ Unplug broken lights and appliances.
They could start a fire when energy is restored.
■ If your water is off or unsafe, use melted ice
cubes and your stored water. Do not drink
water from swimming pools and spas, use it
for hygiene.
■ Check your phones. Direct plug in phones
may work without an external power source.
■ Clean up spilled chemicals, medications, and
glass as quickly as possible.
■ Listen to battery operated radios or televisions
for alerts to find out information on shelter,
first aid, medical care, and police and fire
service activities. Remember your car radio is
battery operated too.
■ Open cupboards, closets, and medicine
cabinets cautiously as contents will have shifted.
■ Do not use portable generators or charcoal
and gas grills inside.
■ Do not use candles.
■ Never touch downed power lines or any
objects or liquids in contact with them.
■ Do not use elevators, even if the power is on.
Use stairs after checking that they are safe.
■ The Red Cross will set up distribution centers
for food and water as soon as possible after
the quake. The exact locations of these
facilities will be announced on the radio.
■ Expect aftershocks. Some may be as large
as the original quake.
■ If you have earthquake insurance, contact
your agency as soon as possible to begin
your claims process.
■ DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON – The Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
reiterates its long-standing advice to DROP
to the ground; take COVER by getting under
a sturdy table or other piece of furniture;
and HOLD ON until the shaking stops.
■ Know your environment. The most likely ways
to be injured in an earthquake are to have heavy
objects fall on you or to be cut by broken glass.
■ Stay away from heavy furniture, appliances,
large panes of glass, shelves holding heavy
objects, and masonry veneer (such as the
fireplace). A hallway is one of the safest places
if it is not crowded with objects. Kitchens and
garages tend to be the most dangerous.
■ Know the safest place in each room, as it will
be difficult to move around during a severe
earthquake.
■ If indoors, do not run outside.
■ If you are outside, move to a clear area free of
power lines, trees, signs, buildings, vehicles,
and other hazards.
■ If you are driving, pull over to the side of
the road, stop, and set the parking brake.
Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines,
signs, and other hazards. If a power line
falls on the car, stay inside until trained
personnel remove the wire.
during
When the earth is shaking, there are ways to improve your chances of survival. Practice the following tactics
at home, the office, and other places so that you will be ready.
After
You survived the shaking, but what do you do now? First, take care of your own situation and remember
your emergency plans.
Drop! Cover! Hold On!
The City of Palm Desert’s Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) will be activated in the event of an
emergency. It is located at City Hall and is staffed
by City employees who work in conjunction
with Riverside County, and if necessary, state
and federal governments. The activities that
occur in the EOC are setting overall priorities,
receiving and processing information, coordi-
nating between departments and agencies, and
establishing recovery priorities.
The EOC and Palm Desert City Hall will not
be a source for food and water. Red Cross
distribution centers will be announced on the
radio. Everyone needs to be self-sufficient for at
least a week.
For more information visit the
following websites:
California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN):
www.cisn.org
California Office of Emergency Services:
www.oes.ca.gov
Citizens Emergency Response Teams and Training:
www.citizencorps.gov/cert/about.shtm
City of Palm Desert:
www.cityofpalmdesert.org/Index.aspx?page=270
City of Palm Desert’s Emergency Operations Center.
Coachella Valley Emergency Managers Association:
www.cvema.org
FEMA disaster publications list:
www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/earthquake/publications.shtm
FEMA information on earthquakes and preparation:
www.fema.gov/areyouready/earthquakes.shtm
Southern California Earthquake Center:
www.earthquakecountry.info
US Geological Survey:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
LocalEmergency Operations
Businesses of all sizes must plan and prepare for a major disaster. This can be simple for
small businesses and more complex for larger ones. Businesses that are part of national
or regional chains need to ensure that corporate headquarters understands the
potential for an earthquake disaster at its Palm Desert store/office and provides resources
accordingly. The basics for businesses:
Direction and Control: Develop a chain of
command. Know who is in charge and organize
employees into teams and evacuation groups.
Make sure to have alternates because not every-
one will be present.
Communications: Assess communications from
two key points of view: business continuity communications and emergency response
communications.
Life Safety: Assess the facility for special safety or environmental issues with chemical
storage or process risks. Educate employees on how to protect themselves during the
quake. Make sure everyone knows how to search and rescue, perform first aid, evacuate
safely, and maintain a presence without electricity, phones, or outside water supplies.
Property Protection: Establish procedures for fire fighting, water, process control, orderly
shutdowns, control of chemicals, and secure closure. Identify sources of back up equip-
ment and supplies. Do not forget protection for both electronic and paper records.
Community Outreach: Businesses are often asked to assist local governments because
businesses have resources including people, supplies, transportation, and shelter.
Plan to provide whatever assistance could be feasible and establish mutual aid agree-
ments with local agencies. Contact the City before the disaster to coordinate efforts.
Recovery and Restoration: Plan ways to keep the business running, protect the assets
and data, work with suppliers and customers, and operate with limited resources.
Administration and Logistics: Make arrangements for food, water, and shelter for
employees. Establish back up communications and records. Document exceptional
costs and anything else that would assist in running the operation after a disaster.
For a detailed Business Emergency Planner, visit www.fema.gov/pdf/library/bizindst.pdf
or contact City Hall: (760) 346-0611, ext. 318.
Emergency
Supply
Checklist
Food – Nonperishable,
canned, or dehydrated as well as
food for infants and pets Water – A minimum of two
gallons per person per day for
drinking and a half-gallon per
person per day for cooking
and hygiene First aid kit and manual Flashlight and spare bulbs Portable radio Spare batteries for flashlights
and radios Fire extinguisher – ABC
multipurpose type Extra prescription medicines Manual can opener Waterproof matches Pocketknife Tools – Pliers, screwdriver,
crescent wrench, shovel, wire,
broom, etc. Plastic bags with ties – For
waste disposal, storage of
personal items, etc. Rope Heating fuel – Sterno or other
type for food preparation. Fumes
from charcoal are especially
deadly. Use outdoors only. Blankets Work gloves Extra eyeglasses Pet Supplies – Food,
medicines, and a carrier Cash – Small bills
Amount of Water Amount of solution to add to:
Amount of water Clear water Cloudy water
1 quart 2 drops 4 drops
1 gallon 8 drops 16 drops
5 gallons 1⁄2 teaspoon 1 teaspoon
Proper storage of emergency supplies is as important as having the right
supplies. Choose a place or places that would be relatively safe in an earthquake,
such as a closet or under a bed. The perishable supplies will remain stable longer
if stored in a cool, dark location.
Emergency supplies can be stored in a large, covered trash container.
Plastic containers are durable, come in all shapes and sizes, and are water and
rodent proof. Be sure the container comes with a securing lid. Listed below are
some helpful suggestions on how to store emergency supplies.
MOBIlE SURVIVAl kIT
In every vehicle, keep a survival kit containing blankets, drinking water, a change of
clothes, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, a manual emergency signal device, flashlight,
prescription medicines, toilet tissue, whistle, and tools. Also keep a kit at work.
WATER
Each person needs at least one gallon of water per day. Because of the
desert environment, it is suggested to store up to ten gallons per person in a
cool dry place. Do not forget that pets need water too. Pre-packaged bottled
water can be stored for two years if it remains sealed. Water that you have bottled
should not be stored more than a few months before it is replaced. If you require
additional emergency water, the water in your hot water heater tank or the top
tank of toilets can be used. Do not drink swimming pool water. Purifying your
own water should be used as a last resort.
To Purify Water: Boil it vigorously for one to three minutes, or add any house-
hold bleach solution that contains 5.25 percent of sodium hypochlorite and
let it sit for 30 minutes. The following table shows the proper amount of 5.25
percent solution to add to water.
Storing Emergency Supplies
Top of the Container
Flashlight, radio, batteries, and first aid kits.
Middle of the Container
Three-day supply of food requiring no refrigeration.
Date all food items so that they can be refreshed regularly.
Bottom of the Container
Bedding, clothing, toiletries, fuel and lighter, hand-operated
can opener, personal documents, paper and pencil,
cash (small bills), and water purification tablets.
A major earthquake can damage apartment complexes and mobile
home parks, and can injure or kill residents. The following steps should
be taken by owners or managers.
■ Consult local building codes to ensure that your building meets
current seismic safety standards.
■ Develop a specific emergency plan. Include measures for storing
water and food, obtaining first aid training, appointing floor or area
leaders, conducting drills, and other such activities.
■ Encourage mobile home residents to better secure their homes
by leaving the wheels on rather than removing them, installing
structural support bracing systems, and securing the coach’s
awnings. (A list of state certified bracing systems is available from
the State Department of Housing and Community Development.)
■ Provide tenants with information on how to secure furniture and
other household items and on what to do during and after an
earthquake.
■ Encourage tenants to develop individual family plans for shutting
off damaged utilities, reuniting family members, and evacuation,
if necessary.
■ Identify residents with special needs such
as mobility impaired, non-English
speaking, elderly, or hearing and sight
impaired. Make sure their needs are
addressed in the emergency plans.
■ Organize teams that are responsible for
first aid, search and rescue, communications,
and firefighting. Compile a list of
tenants’ resources and skills.
■ Practice earthquake drills in the complex or park.
■ Organize a meeting at which a local emergency and disaster
planner can provide detailed information on earthquake
preparedness.
Apartment
& Mobile Home Plan
Assistance from police, fire, or other government or utility
services may not be available for three or more days
Fact: Unfortunately you need to take this fact into account
when preparing for an earthquake. You may also be without
power, phones, water, and/or transportation.
Standing in a doorway during an earthquake is safest
Fiction: In modern frame buildings, the doorways are not
stronger than any other part of the house. It also increases
your chances of being hit hard by a swinging door. However,
the doorway is the safest place in unreinforced masonry
buildings.
“Triangle of life” method of protection
Fiction: This is a dubious concept created by a discredited
publicity seeker amplified by the Internet. All earthquake
authorities agree that “drop-cover-hold” is the best protection
in an earthquake.
The fault cracks the
earth open
Fiction: The earth may
shake up and down or side
to side, the ground may
settle (subside), and
sections drop, making it
seem like cracks opening.
The earthquake is caused
by friction on the sides of
the fault; if it splits apart,
there is no friction.
Animals sense earthquakes before they happen
Partial Fiction: While there is
no conclusive scientific data,
some animals may sense the
first shock wave that travels
faster than the shaking waves.
This shock wave arrives a few
seconds before the shaking starts.
Earthquakes happen in early morning and during hot and
dry weather
Fiction: The geology of the Earth does not “know” what time
it is, and earthquakes can happen at any time of the day or
night. Weather does not affect the geology in the ground.
City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260
760 -346-0611 ■ www.cityofpalmdesert.org