Chrissy Williams
The 5.4 Chino Hills earthquake that was felt from Las Vegas to San Diego this summer was nothing compared to what is coming.
In April, the U.S. Geological Survey released a report called the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF), which states that “California has more than a 99% chance of having a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake within the next 30 years… and such a quake is most likely to occur in the southern half of the state.”
Is Pierce equipped to handle such a large-scale earthquake?
Joe Horton, emergency management consultant, was hired in 2006 to update the college’s emergency plans and to teach about 30 employees how to operate in a crisis.
“If we had a major quake, we would have a meeting of the crisis action team to determine if we should activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC),” said Paul Nieman, director of plant facilities at Pierce.
A meeting is all well and good when it comes to discussing the plans for residents as a whole. But sometimes in situations like these, or any for that matter, it is advised to have a backup plan. The worst thing to do would be to panic and not have a clue of what to do. This is why a bug out bag is crucial. All your essentials and necessities would be stored in a bag, items required to help you survive for 72 hours (or longer) after an evacuation. You just want something ready which you can grab and go because you never know the outcome of any situation, especially one like this.
Nieman said the EOC “will be in the Campus Center, but the location can float depending on the damage done.”
Trained staff members will then be designated into teams to deal with the disaster: Management, Law Enforcement, Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance.
The team last participated in a drill a year ago, but only specific key players who would be in charge of various things in the event of an emergency were present.
The Great Southern California ShakeOut
The rest of the staff at Pierce have not experienced any type of disaster drill, however, and the Los Angeles Community Colleges District (LACCD), of which Pierce is a part, is not planning on widely participating in the Great Southern California ShakeOut, the largest earthquake preparedness drill in U.S. history, on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m.
There are 2.5 million participants so far in the ShakeOut Drill, including 279 businesses and 164 schools just in the greater metropolitan Los Angeles area are participating in the ShakeOut Drill.
Larry Isenberg, executive director of plant facilities for the LACCD, had heard of the Southern California ShakeOut, but said “it’s up to each college whether they want to do it or not.”
Pierce President Robert Garber said he hadn’t before seen anything about the [ShakeOut] drill, and that none of the other community colleges are involved in it.
Upon hearing about the event, he said he would ask Dr. Joy McCaslin, vice president of Student Services, if it’s something the school should be involved in. McCaslin said as far as she knew, Pierce would not be participating.
“It’s a little tough given the way our classes are scheduled, but we’ll look into it,” Garber said.
Sheriff’s Deputy Jeanine Swanson had heard of the ShakeOut Drill, and the sheriff’s station will be participating in the event. Swanson is going to suggest to Nieman that all of Pierce participate in the drill.
Aging Architecture
Even though Pierce has an emergency plan and emergency booklets supposed to be hanging in every classroom, damage prevention includes updated building codes. Many buildings on campus, however, are old.
“Buildings built after 1975 or so are at a higher building code that reduces potential damage, but even so, no building codes make buildings earthquake proof,” said Mark Benthien, a public information officer for UCERF study from the Southern California Geological Survey (SCGS).
“Mostly, codes are to increase the safety of occupants,” he continued. “While the building itself may be severely damaged and not usable after the earthquake, it’s just not going to fall down and hurt people.”
Many buildings at Pierce were built before 1975. Some structures, such as the faculty bungalows behind the Freudian Sip, were built as far back as 1947.
The plant facilities, a couple horticulture buildings and the Learning Center were built in 1948 and 1949, and the community center has been standing since the early ’50s.
In 1960 and 1961 the chemistry, computer science and physics buildings, as well as the cafeteria and South Gym, were constructed. In 1963 the Campus Center was built, as well as the life science building and the North Gym. The behavioral science and math buildings were built in 1965.
Few of the buildings built before 1975 have been renovated. These renovations are waiting on approval of the “South of the Mall Plan,” according to Nieman.
This plan will renovate all of the faculty offices and bungalows, as well as all of the 1100 (Science), 1200 (English), 1300 (Behavioral Science), 1400 (Math), 1500 (Computer Science) and 1600 (Learning Center) buildings.
Despite the age of these buildings, all of them sustained the 6.7 1994 Northridge earthquake with little to no damage.
The final South of the Mall Plan was submitted for approval to The Division of the State Architect (DSA), which develops standards and codes utilized in K-12 and community college buildings throughout the State of California.
Nieman hopes for approval “maybe before the end of 2007, but with DSA it can be a long, slow process so we’re hoping it comes back soon.”
What to do when it strikes
In the event of an earthquake, Nieman instructs students and faculty to do several things:
– Remain calm – Take cover away from windows and falling debris – Instead of getting under desks, which could be crushed, duck next to them- If outside, sit on the ground until the shaking stops- Direct other pedestrians to walk away from buildings, trees, poles, exposed wires, or anything that could fall or fly out- Remain where you are until the earthquake is over and until you receive further instruction
Garber will determine if evacuation is required. If Garber is not on campus, Nieman said, “We would be shooting for whichever VP we could get a hold of to designate that authority.”
But even if Pierce was to be evacuated, the lack of a school-wide intercom would make it difficult to alert the entire campus.
If injuries occur, Beth Benne, R.N., director of the Student Health Center, said she would do the best she could with the 500 sq. feet she has for administering first aid, but that she lacks supplies because she has no room for them. Extra medical supplies and equipment to assist in a disaster are located in a container behind the sheriff’s station.
Dr. Lucy Jones of the USGC warned the public in a news release issued July 30: “Yesterday’s earthquake was a wake-up call – a reminder to us to make the important changes we need to survive the inevitable.”
More information on the Great Southern California ShakeOut is available at www.shakeout.org.
Will Pierce College know what to do when “The Big One” hits, or will students just go on with their everyday lives? ()