Emergency Broadcasts

The Times’ editorial (“Communications Gap,” Nov. 12) on the lack of coordinated information and communication to earthquake victims immediately after the Oct. 17 earthquake in Northern California correctly assessed some of the problems with the emergency broadcast system. However, several critical factors were not addressed.

Information for non-English speaking populations must be considered, especially in light of California’s growing immigrant communities. One need only look at the problems experienced by many residents of Watsonville to realize the need to have bilingual services available to assist victimes in resolving immediate and long-term needs. Amendments that I authored were added to legislation during the recent special legislative session to ensure that non-English-speaking communities would not be kept in the dark about earthquake assistance and services.

Another problem to be resolved next year in the Legislature is the fact that the deaf and severely hard of hearing were unable to receive important information until 19 hours after the quake struck. Television newscasts did not provide sign-language interpreters or captions until pushed by the California Assn. for the Deaf and others. Even then, the response was too little, too late.

When offered interpreters, local news stations in the San Francisco area initially declined, but eventually agreed 19 hours later. Local stations were not equipped to provide captions.

During a disaster or emergency, open captioning is the best method of providing information to the 10% of our population that is hearing-impaired. Although sign language serves a large portion of this population, a substantial number of hearing-impaired (many elderly and hard of hearing) do not understand sign language.

In addition, we must be more sensitive to the hearing-impaired by including portable televisions in the list of supplies needed to survive a disaster.

As was indicated in the editorial, we must strive to make communication a priority and not a luxury after a disaster. That means taking steps to ensure that everyone--including the hearing-impaired--has access to information.

RICHARD G. POLANCO

Assemblyman

D-Los Angeles