Be Prepared at 10:20 a.m. today!

Are you be ready for the Great Southern California Shakeout today at 10:20 a.m.?

We want you to be part of it, and that means learning how to protect yourself properly during the next "Big One."

Dr. Lucy Jones of the U.S. Geological Survey has led an alliance of scientists, emergency managers, engineers, government officials and others to study the likely consequences of a potential magnitude 7.8 earthquake in great detail. The result is the ShakeOut Earthquake Scenario.

The Great Southern California ShakeOut is one opportunity to practice your earthquake survival skills. These kinds of drills train us to act quickly – to Drop, Cover and Hold On immediately to minimize injury.

The Pasadena Fire Department continually spreads the word to Pasadena residents, neighborhoods, schools, the faith community, businesses and non-profit organizations throughout the community, and emergency crews review preparedness plans to make sure they’re as complete as possible.

Here are the steps you should take whenever you train for an earthquake:

1. Drop to the ground, take Cover under a sturdy table or desk, and Hold On to it as if a magnitude 7.8 earthquake were happening. Stay down for at least 60 seconds. Practice now so you can protect yourself immediately during a real earthquake.

(Why should you Drop? Because in a major earthquake, if you don't drop to the floor on your own, the force of the energy will knock you off your feet.

Why should you Cover? Because objects in your home or office will probably be flying all over the place.

Why should you Hold On? Because the table or desk you're under will probably begin sliding, and you'll need to slide with it.)

2. While still under the table or desk, look around and imagine what would happen in a major earthquake when shaking may last for one to two minutes. What would fall on you or others? What would be damaged? What would life be like in the immediate moments after? What should you do before the actual earthquake happens to reduce losses and recover quickly? You can't know unless you plan ahead!

3. Practice what you will do after the shaking stops.

4. Complete your disaster plan and emergency preparedness kit as soon as possible.

For vital information and to sign up for Pasadena Emergency Response Team (PERT) training, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/disaster.

Also, please note:

Some Internet sites and several email chains have recommended a "Triangle of Life" position to be taken during major earthquakes, under the assumption that most Americans will have their homes and workplaces collapse around them.

Don’t believe it! The fact is that there is absolutely no scientific research to suggest that the Triangle of Life position works, and agencies such as the American Red Cross, U.S. Geological Survey and Governor's Office of Emergency Services have gone on record as disputing this viral rumor.

It has been proven time and time again, during documented scientific research, that the Drop, Cover and Hold On technique is the best method for survival in the U.S.

Here's a little video a Leadership Pasadena class produced.

Drop, Cover and Hold On!

Will you be ready for the Great Southern California Shakeout on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 10:15 a.m.?

We want you to be part of it, and that means learning how to protect yourself properly during the next "Big One."

The Great Southern California ShakeOut is one opportunity to practice your earthquake survival skills. These kinds of drills train us to act quickly – to Drop, Cover and Hold On immediately to minimize injury.

The Pasadena Fire Department continually spreads the word to Pasadena residents, neighborhoods, schools, the faith community, businesses and non-profit organizations throughout the community, and emergency crews review preparedness plans to make sure they’re as complete as possible.

Here are the steps you should take whenever you train for an earthquake:

1. Drop to the ground, take Cover under a sturdy table or desk, and Hold On to it as if a magnitude 7.8 earthquake were happening. Stay down for at least 60 seconds. Practice now so you can protect yourself immediately during a real earthquake.

(Why should you Drop? Because in a major earthquake, if you don't drop to the floor on your own, the force of the energy will knock you off your feet.

Why should you Cover? Because objects in your home or office will probably be flying all over the place.

Why should you Hold On? Because the table or desk you're under will probably begin sliding, and you'll need to slide with it.)

2. While still under the table or desk, look around and imagine what would happen in a major earthquake when shaking may last for one to two minutes. What would fall on you or others? What would be damaged? What would life be like in the immediate moments after? What should you do before the actual earthquake happens to reduce losses and recover quickly? You can't know unless you plan ahead!

3. Practice what you will do after the shaking stops.

4. Complete your disaster plan and emergency preparedness kit as soon as possible.

For vital information and to sign up for Pasadena Emergency Response Team (PERT) training, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/disaster.

Also, please note:

A local newspaper as well as several email chains have described a Triangle of Life position to be taken during major earthquakes, under the assumption that most Americans will have their homes and workplaces collapse around them.

Don’t believe it! The fact is that there is absolutely no scientific research to suggest that the Triangle of Life position works, and agencies such as the American Red Cross, U.S. Geological Survey and Governor's Office of Emergency Services have gone on record as disputing this viral rumor.

However, it has been proven time and time again, during documented scientific research, that the Drop, Cover and Hold On technique is the best method for survival in the U.S.

More info here.

Check out this video.

We Did It!

From Vromans Bookstore to PCC, thousands in Pasadena participated in the Great Southern California ShakeOut this morning.

For my part, I was among the city staff who work in our Emergency Operations Center. We were there by 9 a.m. when the three-hour drill started this morning.

After a briefing from Fire Chief Dennis Downs and other Pasadena Fire Department officials......we went to work.

The EOC is divided into various work units, including Operations, Finance, Planning and Logistics

Staff in the Logistics Section, for example, arranges for facilities, services, resources and other support.
I'm part of the Policy Group, which advises and assists in making strategic policy decisions after an emergency or disaster.

I also oversee the PIO team, which is responsible for communicating with media and the community. (Many thanks to my team today: Joy Guihama from the Public Health Department, Catherine Hany from the Library, Ronnie Nanning from the Police Department, Erica Rolufs from Pasadena Water and Power, and Mark Yamarone from the Transportation Department.)

I don't have any photos from precisely 10 a.m. on the dot when everybody dropped, covered and held on for 60 seconds.

Ordinarily our earthquake drills are very detail-specific, right down to deciding how many backhoes to request and the triage priority for first responders.

This morning we didn't get into such minutia and instead focused on big picture and strategy due to the nature of the scenario.

It was a worthy exercise and we're better trained as a result.

Remember, if you haven't updated your emergency plan and kit yet, now's the time to do it!

It's November 13: Do You Know What to Do?

www.shakeout.orgwww.dropcoverholdon.org
www.cityofpasadena.net/disaster

Earthquakes 101: Myth vs. Fact

As we prepare for the Great Southern California ShakeOut on Nov. 13, there are a lot of questions out there, including in comments on my previous blog posting about earthquake safety.

Let me debunk some myths for you. Actually, I'm not the debunker; that has been done by seismology, geology and engineering experts over the past several years.

MYTH: During an earthquake, get in a doorway.
FACT: There used to be a popular old photo of a collapsed adobe home with the doorframe as the only part left standing. This led to a belief that a doorway is the safest place to be during an earthquake. That's only true if you happen to live in an old, unreinforced adobe building! In all other buildings, a doorway is usually no stronger than any other part of the structure, and open doors will usually swing wildly during earthquakes. You're safer under a table or desk.

MYTH: The "Triangle of Life" is the safest position to assume during an earthquake.
FACT: This controversial position has been proven to be unsafe during an earthquake. It is based on the assumptions that your building will completely collapse and that there will be a specific pocket of safety in a specific location. Don’t believe it! The Drop, Cover and Hold On method has been proven time and time again to be the best technique for survival. One of the examples given by the perpetrator of the Triangle of Life myth is a school building in Mexico City that completely collapsed during a major earthquake in 1985: “Every child was under their desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones.” Don’t believe it! The fact is that school was not in session that day so there were no children present...

...and a photograph of the school taken after the earthquake made one thing abundantly clear: All of the desks were still in place! If the children had been in school that day and if they had taken the Triangle of Life position, they could have been killed by falling debris. However, if school had been in session that day and they had gone under their desks, they would have survived.

MYTH: During a major earthquake, the earth can open up and swallow cars, towns and people.
FACT: That's a popular literary device used in novels and movies, but the fact is that the ground moves across a fault during an earthquake, not away from it. If the fault could open, there would be no earthquake.

MYTH: An earthquake rupture follows train tracks.
FACT: Train tracks are located on top of the earth's surface and faults are located below the earth's surface. When faults are rupturing, they don't care where the train tracks are.

MYTH: There's such a thing as earthquake weather.
FACT: Weather is above the surface of the earth and earthquakes begin far below. There is no correlation between the two.

MYTH: Major earthquakes happen early in the morning.
FACT: Some major earthquakes, like Northridge, have happened in the early a.m., but that's certainly not true of all major quakes. For example, the 1992 Joshua Tree earthquake happened at 9:50 p.m. and the 2003 San Simeon quake was at 11:15 a.m. The factors that vary between the time of day, the month, or year do not affect the forces in the earth that cause earthquakes.

MYTH: There will be mass panic during the next "big one."
FACT: Not if we're all prepared!

Drop, Cover and Hold On!

Will you be ready for the Great Southern California Shakeout on Nov. 13?

We want you to be part of it, and that means learning how to protect yourself properly during the next "Big One."

Dr. Lucy Jones of the U.S. Geological Survey has led an alliance of scientists, emergency managers, engineers, government officials and others to study the likely consequences of a potential magnitude 7.8 earthquake in great detail. The result is the ShakeOut Earthquake Scenario.

The Great Southern California ShakeOut is one opportunity to practice your earthquake survival skills. These kinds of drills train us to act quickly – to Drop, Cover and Hold On immediately to minimize injury.

Here's a personal invitation from Dr. Lucy:


The Pasadena Fire Department continually spreads the word to Pasadena residents, neighborhoods, schools, the faith community, businesses and non-profit organizations throughout the community, and emergency crews review preparedness plans to make sure they’re as complete as possible.

Here are the steps you should take whenever you train for an earthquake:

1. Drop to the ground, take Cover under a sturdy table or desk, and Hold On to it as if a magnitude 7.8 earthquake were happening. Stay down for at least 60 seconds. Practice now so you can protect yourself immediately during a real earthquake.

(Why should you Drop? Because in a major earthquake, if you don't drop to the floor on your own, the force of the energy will knock you off your feet.

Why should you Cover? Because objects in your home or office will probably be flying all over the place.

Why should you Hold On? Because the table or desk you're under will probably begin sliding, and you'll need to slide with it.)

2. While still under the table or desk, look around and imagine what would happen in a major earthquake when shaking may last for one to two minutes. What would fall on you or others? What would be damaged? What would life be like in the immediate moments after? What should you do before the actual earthquake happens to reduce losses and recover quickly? You can't know unless you plan ahead!

3. Practice what you will do after the shaking stops.

4. Complete your disaster plan and emergency preparedness kit as soon as possible.

For vital information and to sign up for Pasadena Emergency Response Team (PERT) training, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/disaster.

Also, please note:

A local newspaper as well as several email chains have described a Triangle of Life position to be taken during major earthquakes, under the assumption that most Americans will have their homes and workplaces collapse around them.

Don’t believe it! The fact is that there is absolutely no scientific research to suggest that the Triangle of Life position works, and agencies such as the American Red Cross, U.S. Geological Survey and Governor's Office of Emergency Services have gone on record as disputing this viral rumor.

However, it has been proven time and time again, during documented scientific research, that the Drop, Cover and Hold On technique is the best method for survival in the U.S.

Here's a little video the Leadership Pasadena class of 2007 made.

Visitors from Japan

Several high school students from our sister city of Mishima, Japan, visited Pasadena City Hall yesterday. They're in town for about 10 days, staying with local host families, and are learning about the community plus seeing the sights.

They were in Little Tokyo yesterday when the earthquake hit. Welcome to Southern California, kids!

Barney Melekian met with them in the council chamber to discuss how local government works in Pasadena and what his responsibilities entail.


Then I took them on a tour of the building.


Many thanks to Bryan Takeda of the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee for arranging the visit.

Earthquake!

Zack Stromberg, my graphic designer in the Public Affairs Office, was giving me an update on a project. Suddenly there was a jolt, and then the building began gently, ever so gently, swaying.

Had the earthquake hit prior to the seismic retrofit of Pasadena City Hall, it would have been horrible. But I'm happy to say the retrofit worked and all those base isolators did their job.

We were evacuated immediately. We headed down the stairs to the Garfield side of the building and then across the street, which is the standard evacuation for earthquakes, fires and other incidents. Some departments go to the northwest corner of Garfield and Holly, and other departments go the southwest corner where the Robinson Memorial (lovingly called "the heads") is located.

Before I show you evacuation photos, is your earthquake kit in order? How about your family emergency plan? Explore our Emergency Preparedness web page and get a move on!

Here are city employees beginning to gather at the northwest corner:


I was among the employees who gathered at the southwest corner:


Here's Zack, Barney Melekian, a constituent, our Public Affairs summer intern in the blue with her arm over her head, Assistant City Manager Julie Gutierrez with her back turned, Councilwoman Margaret McAustin, the mayor's executive assistant Lorain Nagahiro, and City Clerk's Office executive secretary Kathy Vandervort with her back turned.


It doesn't show up very well in this photo, but there are etchings on the backs of "the heads" that represent the accomplishments of Jackie and Mack Robinson who grew up in Pasadena. If you've never walked over and looked around the entire installation, I highly recommend it!


Pasadena Fire Department arrived to do an inspection of the building to ensure it was safe to reoccupy. Once they gave the high sign, an hour after we evacuated, we went back to work.