Hearing Held on Quake Preparedness

An Assembly committee on earthquake preparedness held a public hearing Wednesday at Cal State Northridge, where the 1994 quake caused more than $400 million in damage.

Participants agreed that the various agencies responding to earthquake disasters need to be better coordinated, and businesses can help by reaching out to their employees during large earthquakes.

The 12-member panel heard testimony from officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, California Office of Emergency Services, Red Cross and Los Angeles Unified School District. Each agency outlined its plans in case of an earthquake.

The Assembly Select Committee on Earthquake Safety and Preparedness was formed in August to find better ways to respond to California’s most fearsome natural threat. The Wednesday hearing was its second meeting.

“In the aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Turkey, Taiwan and Greece, as well as the recent earthquake in Southern California measuring 7.1, the need to look at how prepared we are for the next major earthquake is critical,” said Assemblywoman Ellen M. Corbett (D-San Leandro), committee chairwoman.

About 40 people attended the event, including homeowners concerned about earthquake response plans.

“We held it at Cal State Northridge because we wanted to have the hearings in areas that had experienced the effects of a major earthquake, so we could hear about how those communities recovered,” said Sheri Pemberton, a senior consultant for Corbett.

The committee will hold similar meetings in the future across the state, Pemberton said.