Ready Long Beach

Monday, June 17, 2013

New research challenges assumptions that the central part of the San Andreas fault would act as a barrier, preventing a big quake from traveling between the northern and southern parts of the state.

A recent article points to possibility that California could be hit by a statewide earthquake. The San Andreas fault was once thought to be a barrier that would prevent a statewide quake from happening, but now researchers say that assumption may be wrong.

The article appeared in the COPE newsletter (http://cope-preparedness.org/archives/2416). COPE stands for Community Outreach Promoting Emergency Preparedness.

The major earthquakes in Japan pointed researchers to the fact that "Using a combination of laboratory measurements and computer simulations, the two scientists showed how so-called creeping segments in a fault — long thought to be benign because they slip slowly and steadily along as tectonic plates shift — might behave like locked segments, which build up stress over time and then rupture.?

Are you ready?

Monday, June 10, 2013

Do You Know About ENLA?

Emergency Network Los Angeles, Inc. (ENLA) is a network of Los Angeles County, non profit, community based organizations (CBOs) that provide assistance to individuals, families, and organizations following emergencies and disasters. ENLA works in coordination with government agencies and the private sector.

ENLA is recognized by the Los Angeles County Operational Area and the City of Los Angeles as the networking agency for community based organizations.

ENLA is the Los Angeles County VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters), and is recognized by Southern California VOAD and National VOAD.

ENLA is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization under the laws of the State of California.

OUR MISSION
ENLA’s mission is to enhance the capacity of non-profit, community, and faith-based organizations, government agencies and the private sector for preparedness, response to and recovery from disasters in Los Angeles County by facilitating cooperation, communication, coordination & collaboration.

OUR HISTORY
Following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the Mayor of Los Angeles convened a meeting of CBOs that were active in the recovery from the disaster. The combined efforts of members of this group significantly aided the earthquake recovery efforts. In December of that year that group, which had become known as ENLA, merged with the Los Angeles County VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters) and the Los Angeles Access Network to bring all CBO disaster work in Los Angeles County under one umbrella. In 1997, both Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles designated ENLA as their primary point of contact with community based organizations for disaster preparedness and recovery efforts.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Earthquake Fact

English: This map, created by the Regional Plan Association, illustrates the Southern California megaregion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Two minor earthquakes felt in last couple of days.
Each year the southern California area has about 10,000 earthquakes. Most of them are so small that they are not felt. Only several hundred are greater than magnitude 3.0, and only about 15-20 are greater than magnitude 4.0. If there is a large earthquake, however, the aftershock sequence will produce many more earthquakes of all magnitudes for many months.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Fire Risks for Older Adults

Fire alarm notification appliance (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Older adults—those over 65 years of age—represent one of the highest fire risk groups
in the United States, in large part because they are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population.
Of course, many older adults may also fall into the other three groups since the elderly suffer
some or all of these impairments to a much greater degree than do the general population.

People who are deaf or have hearing impairments, those who are blind or have vision impairments,
and those with mobility impairments may face unique challenges in an emergency. Their
ability to detect a fire or escape its effects may be hindered by their impairments. As a result,
people with these impairments are at a greater risk of death or injury due to fire.

As might be expected, many of the fire safety issues are of concern for all four groups.
This commonality is reflected in the reports, particularly in the fire safety tips, most of which apply
to all the groups. These safety tips are presented in an appendix at the end of each report, organized
in three sections: before the fire, during the fire, and fire prevention.

The tips that are common to all four groups are summarized here:
Before the Fire
· Identify the nearest fire exit
· Install smoke alarms
· Live near an exit
· Plan and practice escape plans
· Involve the fire department
During the Fire
· Get out and stay out
· Test doors before opening them
· Stay low and go
· What to do if you are trapped
· Stop, drop, and roll
Fire Prevention
· Cooking
· Electrical safety
· Smoking
· Space heaters
· Heating
· Fireplaces

See the following for a complete report on this important issue.

Fire risks for elderly