Preparing for ‘The Big One’

The county and all 86 of its incorporated cities staged a daylong earthquake-response drill Monday, dubbed “Disaster Response ’90.” The exercise was staged to evaluate the county’s ability to assess the damage from a quake in Willowbrook and communicate with the cities, said Richard B. Dixon, county chief administrative officer. Included among the tests were the response to a collision between a chemical tanker truck and a van; helicopter transport of victims, and emergency evacuation of residents within a hazardous materials zone.