HTA-0582: Disaster Preparedness — Potential for Catastrophe

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Summary

Henry discusses disaster preparedness after another week of reminders about the potential for catastrophe.

Full Transcript

00:03
Wow. Not a week goes by that we don't get reminded of potential for disaster.

00:08
This is that earthquake in Bali last week.

00:10
It was a 6.2 earthquake.

00:12
And tomorrow is, of course, the anniversary, the 21st anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake.

00:18
So how well prepared are we these days for the next big one?

00:23
Let me introduce to you Dr. Franny Edwards.

00:26
She is the former director of emergency preparedness for San Jose.

00:29
and she is a disaster preparedness expert with the Minetta Transportation Institute.

00:34
Thank you for joining us. How well prepared are we?

00:37
Well, I think today the Bay Area is in much better shape than we were when Loma Prieta occurred.

00:42
Partly it's because of all the work that Caltrans has done to reinforce our freeways and roadways

00:47
to make those aspects of our infrastructure safer.

00:51
But we've also had a tremendous growth of community emergency response team development.

00:55
And this is important because individuals are going to be able to help themselves and each other much more quickly than professional emergency managers.

01:03
What is a community emergency response team? How does that work?

01:06
This is a nationwide program developed by FEMA, and it's offered at every city or county office of emergency services in the Bay Area.

01:13
members of the community can attend classes to learn about home and personal preparedness,

01:19
earthquake first aid, light search and rescue, and how to work together with their neighbors

01:24
to use all the skills in the neighborhood to make everyone safer.

01:27
Okay, so at this point, what is the weak link?

01:30
You just say things have gotten better in terms of our readiness.

01:34
Where's the weak link?

01:35
Well, unfortunately, I think it's still the members of the Bay Area community.

01:39
Individuals are not really taking emergency preparedness seriously.

01:42
That's because it'll never happen to us.

01:43
It'll never happen to me.

01:45
Yes, that's unfortunately the attitude that people have.

01:49
And it's nice to be optimistic about life, but it's also important to be realistic.

01:53
And we need to remember it's not only the earthquake that can be disruptive.

01:57
We have other kinds of events, wall-in fires, floods.

01:59
We've had technological interruptions of our power supply.

02:03
So people need to be prepared to be self-sufficient.

02:06
Okay, so where should people go for information?

02:08
You've given me a whole bunch of sheets here that are loaded with great information on emergency kits for cars.

02:14
and the home, where we go for information.

02:16
Well, the city of San Francisco has a website people can use.

02:21
The federal government has ready.gov.

02:23
The American Red Cross has information.

02:25
But we at the Mineta Transportation Institute

02:27
have been working with Caltrans specifically

02:29
to help get their employees prepared.

02:31
And so if people are interested in information,

02:33
they're welcome to send an email to me,

02:35
and I'll be happy to send them our information.

02:37
Okay, what's your email address?

02:39
Okay, it's just letters and numbers.

02:40
The letter K-C-6-T-H-M at yahoo.com.

02:46
Oh, dear.

02:48
Or just look up Mineta Transportation Institute.

02:51
Google it, and you'll do much better, and you'll get the links to that.

02:54
Thank you very much for joining us.

02:55
You're welcome.

02:56
We're going to be taking a break.

02:58
When we come back, how would you like to spend a year without walking into a supermarket?

03:01
We'll tell you how coming up on Cronkwater this weekend.