`87 Whittier quake inspired emergency response practices
Pasadena Star-News
LOS ANGELES - In the wake of Friday's anniversary of the 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Whittier in 1987, the California Earthquake Authority hosted a preview of "The Great California ShakeOut."
Established in 1996 by the California Legislature, CEA is a publicly managed, largely privately funded organization that provides residential catastrophic earthquake insurance.
Emergency personnel, seismologists and other experts gathered Thursday at the Los Angeles County Fire Training Facility to discuss and demonstrate earthquake preparedness and survival guidelines.
"Earthquake preparedness needs to be part of our everyday lives," said LACFD Chief Deputy John B. Tripp.
"The Great California ShakeOut" is scheduled at 10:21 a.m. on Oct. 21, and is a statewide earthquake drill.
More than 6.9 million Californians - at schools, businesses and private residents - participated in last year's "ShakeOut."
It was created to help the public and organizations get more prepared for earthquakes by practicing the best way to protect themselves.
The best way, the experts said, is the "Drop, Cover and Hold On" method.
By getting under a desk, table or other piece of furniture, a person creates a void space, protecting a person from flying or falling debris.
"The building you are in may not collapse, but objects will be falling and cause a great potential for injury," said Larry Collins, LACFD battalion chief.
Tripp, who took part in rescue efforts in the Whittier Narrows quake, said emergency personnel - state and federal - learned a lot about dealing with natural disasters from the 1987 temblor, which caused $350 million in damages.
It sparked the creation of the Urban Search and Rescue team for LACFD, 28 other agencies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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