Preparing for a Major ShakeOut

By Allison Engel on September 29, 2009 7:50 AM

As USC gets ready to take part in the Great California ShakeOut at 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 15, some university divisions are proving to be star pupils in the preparedness department.

Steve Goldfarb, fire safety and emergency planning specialist with USC Career and Protective Services, said that emergency preparedness and the annual ShakeOut drill need to become part of the Trojan culture for everyone - faculty, staff and students.

Goldfarb said that many university departments have devoted serious time and effort to planning for emergencies. He singled out a few that are particularly well organized. They include:

• Auxiliary Services, which has conducted special emergency exercises, created a hospitality emergency team and has stocked “crash carts” with supplies in order to set up instant offices outside under tents following a serious disruption.

• Facilities Management Services, which has divided the campuses into zones, and set up teams of employees to do damage assessments of all buildings in priority order.

• The Department of Public Safety, which has developed plans to quickly assess the campus after an earthquake to identify damage and injuries so that resources can be deployed to the locations they are most needed.

During an earthquake, it is imperative that Trojans know how to do the right thing (drop, cover, hold on), rather than run outside, Goldfarb said. If people secure their bookshelves and strap down computer equipment, their chances of escaping injury increase markedly. “It’s the stuff inside that hurts us - falling fixtures and items that become projectiles,” Goldfarb said. For detailed information on what to do in an earthquake, visit http://www.shakeout.org/dropcoverholdon/

In a serious earthquake, the real challenges begin after the shaking stops. “We’re going to go from the high-tech world to the Stone Age in a matter of a few minutes,” Goldfarb said.

For an accurate depiction of the aftermath of a large earthquake, there is a 4 ½-minute video, “Preparedness Now,” on the ShakeOut site that clearly shows the challenges for transportation, utilities, medical care, family reunification and other stresses after a magnitude 7.8 quake on the San Andreas Fault. See it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z5ckzem7uA

The university’s goal is to begin classes within seven days of a major disaster, so continuity plans are a must.

If you or your department has yet to stock up on supplies, the second campus safety awareness fair of the fall will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the upper and lower quad of the USC Health Sciences campus.

Vendors will be selling disaster survival kits, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, disaster food and water, flashlights and other items at discounted prices for Trojans.

In addition, there will be an earthquake simulator, hands-on demonstrations of how to use a fire extinguisher and displays on home and work safety.

Goldfarb suggested that departments use the time after the drill on Oct. 15 to check that phone contact lists for employees are up to date and to note office hazards or items that need to be secured. This would include furniture over 4 feet tall, anything heavy, computer monitors and audio-visual equipment and lab equipment.

He said that people often tend to freeze in an emergency. The simple “drop, cover and hold on” commands should be followed as soon as you feel the jolt of the first shock waves, before actual shaking occurs. Shock waves are the initial signals that drive dogs and cats crazy, he said. Get down under your desk or a table as soon as you feel them. “If it’s a false alarm, the worst that happens is you realize you need to vacuum better under your desk.”

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