EARTHQUAKE: THE ROAD TO RECOVERY : Quake Workers Say They Weren’t Fully Prepared

Volunteer disaster workers met with Los Angeles Fire Department officials Sunday to review the volunteers’ performance during the Northridge earthquake, concluding that they did many things right but were not fully prepared to cope with the temblor’s devastation.

The quake marked the largest mobilization of the city’s Emergency Response Teams, volunteers trained by the Fire Department to assist in major disasters. Since it began in 1986, about 10,000 city residents have been trained under the program.

While mostly praising one another for the job they did after the Jan. 17 quake, the volunteers--most from the San Fernando Valley and the Westside--also cited some holes in their preparation at the meeting at San Fernando High School.

“I think we need to know how to help others deal with the psychological impact of the quake,” said Barbara Roller of North Hollywood, one of about 40 volunteers present.

Some said that a lack of communication among the volunteers and fire and police departments led to confusion.

“If we’re moving around in a disaster situation, they (other agencies) better know what we’re about,” said Paula Elefant of Reseda.

Others complained that they were trained to act as a team, but were forced to work alone in the chaos of the quake.

But helpful things for other disasters were also learned during the recent quake. Trevis Miljan of Brentwood Hills said that in her neighborhood, people who were not in need of assistance put up white flags in front of their homes to let relief workers know they were all right. The simple gesture saved relief workers a lot of time.

“We were able to bypass those homes and help those who really needed it,” she said.

Fire Department officials, who were pleased with the way the response teams operated during the quake, said they plan to adopt the volunteers’ suggestions.

“This obviously is the first big test of the program,” said Assistant Chief Frank Borden, the program’s creator. “I want to see how it worked, and how we can improve it.”

Emergency Response Team volunteers undergo 17 1/2 hours of classroom instruction on such techniques as fire suppression, shutting off utilities, and medical and search-and-rescue operations, said Fire Capt. Ronald Jackson.