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.
On April 14, 2008, 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 plants and facilities at Pierce.
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. Though it did not include the working members of the college, specific key players who are going to be in charge of various things in the event of an emergency did attend the drill.
The Great Southern California ShakeOut
The rest of the staff and students at Pierce have not experienced any type of disaster drill, and the Los Angeles Community College 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 November 13, 2008 at 10 a.m.
There are 2.5 million participants so far in the ShakeOut Drill, and 279 businesses and 164 schools in the greater metropolitan Los Angeles area are participating in the ShakeOut Drill, including the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Larry Isenberg, executive director of facilities and plants 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.
“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
While Pierce has a emergency plan and emergency booklets are supposed to be hanging in every classroom, many buildings on campus 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: 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 to 1961 the cafeteria, chemistry, computer science, physics and south gym were constructed. In 1963 the campus center was built, as well as the life science building and the north gym. Behavioral science and math were built in 1965.
Few of the buildings built before 1975 at Pierce, however, have been renovated. These renovations are waiting on the approval of “South of the Mall Plan,” said Paul Nieman, director of plants and facilities at Pierce.
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, however, 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, “maybe before the end of 2007,” said Nieman, “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
Pierce president Robert Garber will determine if evacuation is required. If Garber is not on campus, “We would be shooting for whichever VP we could get a hold of to designate that authority,” said Nieman.
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, however.
Dr. Lucy Jones of the USGC warned the public in a press release issued on 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.”
This includes every California family, business and school that sits on prime real estate for an earthquake.
For more information on the Great Southern California Shakeout, visit www.shakeout.org.