COUNTYWIDE : Half of Schools Lack Emergency Supplies

Only about half of the county’s 27 public school districts have stockpiled enough of the emergency supplies that would likely be needed in a major earthquake, according to a report issued Thursday by the Orange County Grand Jury.

Still, the report concludes, the county’s public schools are “reasonably well prepared” to handle such a major emergency. All but one of the school districts have prepared disaster manuals outlining plans and offering detailed instructions to staff in the event of an earthquake, the report says.

“The committee reviewed all of the manuals and found most of them to be comprehensive, detailed and thorough,” the grand jury wrote in its report. “Some of the manuals . . . could serve as models for other districts.”

The report also noted that more than half of the county school districts have trained personnel in first-aid procedures that would be needed in a major catastrophe.

The report, however, notes that “several school districts lack sufficient emergency supplies.” Only 13 districts have all of the supplies--ranging from first-aid kits to crowbars to stretchers--likely to be needed in a major earthquake.

In addition, only 13 of the districts had taken adequate measures to secure surroundings, such as bolting down television sets, computers and bookcases. Four districts had taken no steps to prevent such objects from hurtling across the room in a major quake.