Shaken Out of Our Sleep, but Probably Not Into Action

I know what you’re thinking.

You’re thinking you’ve bought yourself another, what, one year? Two years? Maybe three or four, if you’re really lucky? Another earthquake wakes us up in the wee hours of the morning, but we in Orange County pretty much survive intact. This was the “Sort of Big One” at 6.6 and yet we escape again, and so now you’re thinking, “We probably won’t have another one for a while.”

Let’s all roll over and go back to sleep.

Four years ago, after the Bay Area earthquake, experts identified 15 fire stations in Orange County as being “very unlikely” to survive a significant quake. Another 20 would face “substantial damage,” according to a report. This week, county officials acknowledged that they haven’t authorized much if any of the needed retrofitting for the stations, which are vital during emergencies because they provide the first line of defense.

Oh, sure, we could jump all over the county for being so derelict. How awful and shortsighted of them to delay earthquake preparedness. They won’t be able to say they weren’t warned. How dare they jeopardize public safety.

How dare they act, oops, just like the rest of us.

It sounds rather empty to criticize the county for not spending millions of dollars for earthquake preparedness when private citizens don’t even have a plan on protecting their own families.

We might hope for a higher level of awareness for elected officials--given that they have a public safety responsibility--but they roll the dice on earthquakes just like the rest of us.

At a time when public money is tight and things like health care cost more every day, can we blame the county for not putting earthquake preparedness on its short list of “Things to Do”? It’s not like the public is clamoring to upgrade those fire stations. Besides, when any public entity is strapped for money, it covers the bills marked “due and payable.” Government tends to forgo maintenance. If you don’t believe me, check some of the school or city playgrounds around the county.

This week, Supervisor Harriett Wieder said she would ask the County Fire Department to update the situation since the 1989 report. Unless the structures have healed themselves in the last four years, the indications are the information won’t be much different than it was then, when Supervisor Tom Riley called the situation “very serious.”

And yet, the county has survived another four years since the Bay Area quake, lulling everyone further into a deep sleep. It was money spent on something else, and we got away with it.

The earthquake mentality adds a whole new layer of procrastination to the equation. It’s almost part of the Southern California machismo to laugh in the face of the impending disaster. And after the last couple years of trauma around here--with fires and quakes and riots--is there any disaster that could generate a sense of urgency?

After the Landers quake in 1992, seismologists said a similar quake would do great damage if it were centered in a more populous area. That wasn’t enough to scare Orange County into getting to work on the fire stations, and I doubt the Northridge quake will do it, either.

To paraphrase the sentiment in “The Crying Game,” it’s just not in our nature.

What is in our nature is to promise to get prepared and then do nothing.

The county didn’t follow up on the 1989 report for the same reason citizens don’t buy bottled water and squirrel away food--we just can’t convince ourselves that another quake is coming or that, if it comes, it will affect us.

When the quake started rolling Monday, I chastised myself for being unprepared. Again. No food, no water, no supplies. I didn’t go hide under a desk or stand in the doorway. Just like every other time, I was caught off guard. Just like every other time, I vowed it wouldn’t happen again.

One of these days (or years), Orange County may be awakened from a pleasant sleep by the familiar feel of the earth moving beneath it. Buildings may collapse and freeways buckle. We’ll scream a collective “ Damn, we knew it was coming , and we weren’t ready! “

If this week’s big quake had been centered in Orange County instead of Northridge, I suppose we’d all have been within our rights to criticize county government for not spending the money on those fire stations.

I, for one, however, would have to leave that criticism to someone else. I’d feel a little sheepish condemning the county when I still don’t know where my gas shut-off switch is.

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by writing to him at The Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626, or calling (714) 966-7821.