University
Haiti Quake Provides Lessons for USC
- Survivors of the Haiti earthquake
- Photo/Associated Press
January 26, 2010 7:37 AM
The recent Haiti earthquake offers lessons in survival for USC students, faculty and staff, according to William Regensburger, director of fire safety and emergency planning in the Department of Career and Protective Services.
Search, rescue and first aid are critical. USC Community Emergency Response Teams are equipped to carry out these responsibilities, and the university intends to build them up over time on both campuses, Regensburger said. A list of volunteers is waiting to be trained, he added.
When buildings collapse, specially equipped heavy search and rescue teams from the county get involved, and people can survive for a long time. The media continues to report on the “surprise” rescue of survivors after a week, but after many earthquakes, victims trapped under rubble can survive as long as 20 days. In the event of a building collapse on campus, rescue teams will be deployed, and they will not give up until receiving confirmation that there are no living victims remaining.
Amateur radio could be a critical resource. USC has established an amateur radio emergency team, and more members are needed, Regensburger said. In Haiti, when all other forms of communication were down, amateur radios provided critical links to survival.
Engineers and facilities staff members trained in earthquake building assessment are essential. While much of the drama focuses on rescue teams, an equally essential role is played by those who assess buildings and who have the expertise to say if it is safe to go back into a building. USC has teams in facilities management and capital construction that are prepared to play this role, along with help from outside engineers.
There are a million homeless people in Haiti, and there will be hundreds of thousands in Los Angeles as well after a major catastrophe, particularly in the neighborhoods surrounding USC. The university should prepare itself for such an event, but it also should attempt to anticipate the impact on the community, Regensburger advised.
Poorly reinforced brick and concrete structures collapse. USC has done its part to reinforce vulnerable buildings, but continued vigilance in this area is required. Seismic reinforcement must be taken into account during the remodeling of a vulnerable building, Regensburger said, and the university must avoid the purchase of buildings that are structurally weak.
Emergency preparation seminars will be held at noon on Feb. 3 in the Norris Medical Library on the USC Health Sciences campus and at noon Feb. 4 at the Lyon Center on the University Park campus. These seminars are open to all USC employees.
To view a podcast, visit http://www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/haiti blog/Haiti Podcast1.mp3
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