It can not happen here - Katrina and the earthquake in California

"The Bay Area has the highest concentration of earthquake faults in the world."
Bill Lettis, geoscience consultants.

What happened in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of the United States was not only the worst natural disaster in the history of this country, but also the strongest ever experienced by the clock on our convenient secure society. We never dreamed anything like horror and magnitude ever happened here - even if all the TV meteorologists saidYou might, then days before the storm hit, the earth, he told us it would be.

Earthquake & Tsunami In Japan

"The bad news: the possibility that the Big One happens in the next 30 years will be about 90%, and the odds are that come to our house."
Reporter Chris Treadway, Montclarion in January 1999.

Along the west coast from Canada to Mexico, we still think Big Quake does not really happen, although we were repeatedly told by every geologist and any emergency and emergency management agencyit is not. The probability that Katrina had happened very small - less than 1% probability. The probability that the Big Quake were conservatively to about 70% probability, and reports of experts in the trenches, 90%.

Over the next 30 years, which means no way, after 30 years (hello), is now any time during this period of 30 years. It could be today or tonight, while you sleep. How good we are? There is no doubt that, if it happens, the only question is when andKatrina tells us that it is certainly better not to wait until the last minute to do everything possible to prepare. It's too late ..

Here are some things we know:

1 The areas of destruction can be large and, potentially, spread over an area much larger than Katrina.

2 It is areas like New Orleans, except maybe there is less bleeding and flooding.

3 There will be thousands more physical injuries and trauma, these structures collapseon people and buildings and cars are locked or persons to press and power lines torn cause electric shock and fire.

The Big Quake 4 is probably the worst of Katrina. I do not want to say, you already know this.

5 All city, county and state planning and disaster response agencies have told us that since 1989, very clearly, and in particular that every citizen and expect to be prepared to handle our own, without outside help for at least 24 hours three days immediately after thea major disaster of any kind

6 A wealth of information and detailed instructions were published and widely disseminated free of charge, anywhere in the West Coast. Do you have something similar?

7 The State of California (and I think Oregon and Washington as well) must make each region and the city ', civil protection and civil order, training in disaster relief for their citizens. Do you know where to find it?
Most of these training programs are based on asimilar pattern, called CERT (Citizens Emergency Response Training) or nerte (Neighborhood Emergency Response Training) and the training takes place both by the police or fire service provided. Oakland, California (Oakland citizens in an emergency) has its own program, called CORE, which contains more elements of the CERT.

Common weaknesses in most training programs have been citizens:

1 They often have inadequate staff and funding (most are free for citizens)and

2 Most of them use some kind of (often incomplete) to aid the "standard" First. (See the article "Why is not standard First Aid Good Enough")

"- We all live near a line of demarcation is one thing we know about the Bay Area that is not a flight." Bill Lettis, geoscience consultants.

The development of the Oakland-CORE program began in 1989 with the Loma Prieta earthquake and the collapse of a mile from the Cypress overpass. In this catastrophic event, the 'Commander responsible for the massive response and relief operations fell to Battalion Chief Manny Navarro. It 'was surprised to see, firsthand, that the greatest number of saves made not by a million-dollar construction equipment, not the fire brigade or an ambulance or sonar equipment. The highest number of aid were made by people living near the highway, in the district.

Why? As in the first crucial moments, they were already there. They rushed toHelp, rising to dangerously unstable fractured structures, attract people and give them to wait for others to keep them down, and contribute to a safe area. No equipment and no training, they responded as a human being and did what they could. In his words, as Chief Navarro professionally and personally "stunned". Later, he said (and I paraphrase, but this is essentially exactly) "I realized that we give more money for the minimum result, it was obvious we -.If the training of people in the neighborhood. "And this was a priority for the Oakland Fire Department and ultimately lead to legal mandate at the state level ..

Well, at least in theory, every citizen can get in California's disaster preparedness and response training disaster. However, there are some gaps. Over the years, local OES (Office of Emergency Services, which is usually public education, fire and police department servesAdministration) have repeatedly personnel and funding cuts. They cut, cut and cut some more '. (You know what I mean.) And sometimes, people planned to cancel courses, to be postponed, or by other (higher priority?) Activities of the agencies that oversee their triumphs.
Perhaps this is what the disaster first aid, all day training and practical workshops.

CORE volunteers and staff are serious and committed. This program is importantand are used in the high-spirited things to see if people were really close to each other. This perspective is not the oldest - and we had better wake up to reality - it was necessary for survival.

When there is a huge disaster, and thousands of people are injured, no city has thousands of ambulances, or thousands of empty hospital beds. And even worse, almost all hospitals in the East Bay are sitting a mile or less guilty of an earthquake activeline. Even if there were no roads are open, and even if you get to a hospital, could be destroyed or closed and evacuated. If none of us can contribute for 24 hours or more, as predicted, realistically, how can we survive? We need to help themselves and others. Do you know how? You can save a few hours a week to learn?

Lessons free or very cheap in the city of the West Coast were available for 15 years and other courses will be many employers and companies.Some people have taken in your neighborhood or in your work? Does anyone know what to do? Does anyone care?

One last thought: Let the principle be done.

It's not that she is actually doing something hard and heavy. Almost anyone can do it. You can also do it for yourself, for your family. Your child's school can do. If you have any type of neighborhood groups, the softball team, bridge club, poker night, bowling team, park or community center, have already laid the groundwork forStarting a CERT team neighbrhood right.

Many of the countless people who were killed in Hurricane Katrina and the flood does not hurt, initially through the storm of destruction. Hundreds of deaths, because they do not have drinking water. The human body can go without water for about 3 days and then practically dries up and dies. Everyone knew the storm was coming. Anyone could have saved a little clean water, while still in plastic bottles or more. But they have not.

What are you doing911 can do but come?

It can not happen here - Katrina and the earthquake in California