Parks Ready for the Big One

When the Big One hits, where would you rather be--in your own home, in the desert, or on a roller coaster?

According to public safety experts participating in today’s Earthquake Preparedness Expo at the California Museum of Science and Industry, you would probably stand an equal chance of emerging unscathed from all three.

The Expo, designed to inform the public about earthquakes, will kick off the museum’s observance of Earthquake Preparedness Month in April.

Featured will be demonstrations by firefighters from Los Angeles City and County fire departments, exhibits and displays, and the museum’s permanent “Earthquake” exhibit, which includes a simulated quake.

Capt. Michael Burns of the L.A. City Fire Department says that during a shaker, there is probably no safer place in Southern California than a standard stucco-covered, wood-frame single family home.

“If those things come down,” says Burns, “the whole county will come down.”

As for the desert, “you’ll fall down and get the ride of your life.”

But according to Burns and other earthquake preparedness officials, being in a public place during a shaker--say, on one of the Southland’s famous monster roller coasters--probably would not pose any substantially greater risk than shifting sands or shaking walls.

In fact, a roller coaster may be preferable: Amusement park rides are built to endure enormous structural stresses that most houses and walls cannot take.

Many of the theme parks, stadiums and other public amusements places in Southern California that accommodate large crowds are particularly well-equipped to withstand a serious shaker, says Burns.

Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Magic Mountain and Universal Studios have always functioned like self-contained cities, with their own security, medical, safety and firefighting personnel.

At Universal Studios/MCA, for instance, earthquake planning is an ongoing process.

Paul Holehouse, Universal’s corporate director for emergency preparedness and author of an emergency plan now being adopted, said the complex--with its hotels, restaurants, theater complex, tour and studios--accommodates between 50,000 and 100,000 people a day.

“In the event of an earthquake,” says Holehouse, “we may have to provide care for them for three days, and possibly for a week.”

With this in mind, personnel at Universal have been trained to give cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, and to move crowds quickly to safety.

“Our assumption is that during a quake there will be no public services for days. Our plan involves keeping inventories of food, water and medical supplies that can last three days to a week,” he says.

“We have our own backup power generators, self-contained food lockers, storage trailers and pretty much everything we may need. And we are drilling people regularly so that they know where everything is, who has the keys, what to do first and where to go once they have carried out their immediate responsibilities.”

Disneyland, says spokesman Bill Ross, has been equally aggressive in its approach to disaster preparedness.

Beyond the requisite on-site drilling, Disneyland educates “cast members” in earthquake preparedness for their homes. The park has published pamphlets and sponsored talks and seminars in the hope that having battened down the hatches at home, Disneyland personnel will bring greater earthquake awareness to work.

At Knott’s Berry Farm, says public relations director Stuart Zanville, “we have a complete and comprehensive operations plan in the event of any crisis or emergency, and earthquakes would be included in this.”

All rides, says Zanville, automatically shut down during a quake. People are escorted from them, and teams go through the park to assess damage.

“An amusement park has people who do nothing but safety and operations,” he says. “They are constantly schooled to deal with any situation that affects a ride or attraction.”

During a major quake, one might do considerably worse than to be at Dodger Stadium, Memorial Coliseum or even the Earthquake Expo.

“At least here,” said museum curator Eugene Gendel, “we’d have all this earthquake equipment we’d need and the people who’d know what to do with it.”

The Fire Department’s public assemblage units have worked with and monitored earthquake procedures at the city’s sports stadiums. Structurally, he says, Dodger Stadium and the Coliseum would probably withstand the ordeal.

Any threat to human life might come from panic, he says. Yet when last year’s Bay Area earthquake shook up a filled-to-capacity Candlestick Park, there was little panic and no stampede.

“Historically, no matter what country you are in, it’s amazing how well people hold up in disasters,” says Burns. “We turn around and help one another rather than panic and hurt each other.”

It also helps that personnel at these stadiums, who have worked closely with the fire department, have been trained to control crowd movement.

Statistically, says fire chief Burns, the risk to life and limb posed by earthquakes is small compared with the risk inherent in driving a car. Since there is little or no warning of an earthquake, he advises people to go where and when they wish, always keeping in mind that anything can happen.

“When I learned how to drive,” Burns says, “I was taught to think, in the back of my mind, where I would go--to the left or right--if the guy in front of me stopped. It’s that kind of awareness--and just a little prudence and common sense--that saves lives during an earthquake.”

Earthquake Preparedness Expo, California Museum of Science and Industry, Exposition Park, today 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: (213) 744-7400.