N. Hollywood Neighbors Learn Quake Aid

After she was shaken by the Whittier earthquake two years ago, Lisa Fischer of North Hollywood filled two trash containers with even more survival supplies than her own family needed. “I could never turn away my neighbors,” she said. “I bought a lot of extra things.”

More recently, Fischer, 29, persuaded those neighbors to attend a seven-week emergency preparedness course offered by the Los Angeles City Fire Department. The residents, now the North Hollywood Concerned Citizens Response Team, were trained to aid victims of earthquakes and other disasters.

Last week, the residents took their final exam--a disaster drill supervised by firefighters. Afterward, each student received a certificate, a green vest and a green hard hat. The 40-member group is one of 122 citywide that were trained after the Whittier quake.

“They can operate within a neighborhood or a business, handling the small things like putting out small fires, turning off gas lines, light search-and-rescue and basic disaster medical operations,” said Fire Capt. Chris Burton, commander of the community response team unit. “This would free up the dedicated emergency services--firefighters, police and paramedics--to handle the larger problems.”

Burton said Los Angeles is the only major city that offers extensive disaster training to its residents. About 3,000 volunteers have been trained, and other communities have requested information on the free course, he said.

During the final North Hollywood class, at Adat Ari El Synagogue, the students responded to a mock earthquake. Some staffed a command post, while others carried flashlights through the darkened building on a search-and-rescue mission. Some portrayed quake victims, while others rendered medical aid.

In a post-drill critique, the students said there were communication problems. “I don’t think we realized the complexity of the situation,” said Donna Zero, a teacher at Sun Valley Junior High School. “It would be good to have more drills for practice.”

But the chief instructor, Fire Capt. Andres S. Valencia, said: “This has been an exemplary class. It’s a very motivated and energetic group.”

Traditionally, the course is requested by a Neighborhood Watch or homeowners association. The North Hollywood class, however, was assembled almost single-handedly by Fischer.

“Lisa grabbed the ball and ran with it,” Burton said. “That’s what I need, a strong figurehead in the community.”

“I have a goal in really helping the community become educated and prepared,” Fischer said. “It’s for the great quake we’re expecting. But it can be useful for any disaster. If there’s an explosion, and the Fire Department is overwhelmed, we should be able to step in and help.”

She attended disaster preparedness workshops after the Whittier earthquake, then learned she needed about 60 students to qualify for the Fire Department’s course. “I asked my friends in the neighborhood, and they all said yes,” Fischer said. “I also went door-to-door.

“My husband and I would go bike riding on the weekends, and if we saw people talking outside, we’d stop and ask them. Most of the people we asked said yes. I really believe in what I do, so they didn’t stand a chance.”

With the course completed, Fischer is scheduling monthly team meetings. She is planning an earthquake preparedness trade show in Los Angeles next spring.