Campus shakes in earthquake preparedness

By Nick Vasquez and Matthew De Forest November 23, 2021

Cal Poly Pomona participated in the Great California ShakeOut last month, a statewide earthquake training designed to prepare participants for the damage and catastrophe that a major earthquake can cause.

With California experiencing more devastating earthquakes than any other state, campus officials are seeking to be proactive in preparing for such a scenario by releasing educational materials throughout the year and conducting exercises.

Ernie Fierro, Director of Emergency Management and Business Continuity – the office that organizes Great ShakeOut – explained the importance of ShakeOut and how students and staff can prepare when an earthquake strikes.

“The Great ShakeOut reminds us to be prepared, make a plan and practice falling, locking, capping and catching,” Fierro said. “In crisis situations we don’t rise to the occasion, we fall short of our training. Through educational and training exercises, we make our campus stronger.”

Students in Ertan Salk’s class take cover under desks during the Great California Earthquake rehearsals in Building 8 at Cal Poly Pomona. (Courtesy of Tom Zasadzinski)

According to the university’s emergency procedures page, the Campus Facilities Department and the University Police Department, in coordination with the Environmental Health and Safety Department, will determine which buildings must be evacuated, what hazardous areas to avoid and what are the safest exit routes from the buildings and campus.

Any decision to evacuate will be made as soon as possible and will be activated using available fire alarms, telephones or personal contact by designated key personnel or campus police.

Ilke Suzer, a student of urban and regional planning, shared her view on why it is important to prepare for an earthquake.

“I think it’s normal to have a concern, even if earthquakes like this are rare in our area,” Sozer said. “The most important aspect is that being prepared helps us weather the earthquake process. Having structural integrity in our buildings around campus, inside classrooms with furniture fixed to the wall, and following procedures for how to proceed so we don’t panic.”

Cal Poly Pomona officials are particularly concerned about the potential for power outages when a strong earthquake strikes. Experts estimate blackouts of up to 72 hours after Big One was hit, leaving the potential for problems such as supply shortages.

Therefore, Fierro emphasized that it was necessary to stock up on supplies for this period of time. Fierro urged members of the campus community to always have at least a half tank of gas in their cars in case they have to drive long distances in search of safety.

According to Giuseppe Lumento, associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, many buildings in California today are much safer from earthquakes than they were 25 years ago. New building regulations help reduce collapse risks, but there is still much to be desired when it comes to earthquake safety.

As previously reported, the campus CLA building is built on a fault line; Employees no longer work on the CLA building and CPP officials plan to demolish the building in the near future, according to Fierro. As discussed in the Academic Senate last month, this demolition is expected to cost about $70 million.

According to Lomiento, seismic isolators are the most effective way to prevent damage to buildings during an earthquake. They separate the building from the ground and allow the buildings to gently sway rather than vibrate violently during earthquakes. They are also expensive and still relatively uncommon.

“Seismic isolators are already used for buildings that are necessary for post-earthquake emergencies, such as hospitals,” Lumento said. “However, they are not used in commercial and residential buildings because they are not required by building codes. Contractors and designers will always look for the minimum solutions required by the code, for ease of construction and saving money.”

Lumento stressed that people should prepare for the worst when it comes to earthquakes. Even with modern building codes, there is still a high chance of damage to buildings and infrastructure, and there is also the possibility that current technology may not be up to par.

“Seismic-resistant buildings are designed to collapse during a major seismic event, as a car would in a traffic accident,” Lumento said. “Most improvements in building codes follow devastating earthquakes as a mitigation measure for the biggest structural problems they’ve seen after those seismic events. This makes the progression of earthquake protection a slow process, even if researchers are constantly looking for better ways to improve earthquake protection.”

The 1994 Northridge earthquake, one of the largest on record in the state, caused billions of dollars in damage and thousands of injuries, striking at 4:30 a.m. when most people were asleep.

There is no timeline for natural disasters and earthquakes are not particularly predictable. Earthquakes can happen at any moment and authorities stress that students and their families should always be prepared to evacuate and support themselves in the immediate aftermath.

Educational resources can be found on the CPP Emergency Procedures webpage and on the California State Government website.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos