1. Earthquake Safety

2. Seismic Danger Zones www.assignmentpoint.com
This map shows “seismic danger zones” in the U.S.
Earthquake risk is color coded, with white areas being the least likely to have an earthquake, followed by blue, green, yellow, and finally with red identifying areas most likely to suffer earthquake damage.
Notice that the west coast is in the red zone.

3. California’s Major Fault Lines
Within California, notice that the western portion of the state is where the significant fault lines lie.

4. Family Readiness Create a family Earthquake plan
Know the safe spot in each room
Know the danger spots
Decide where your family will reunite if separated
Keep a list of emergency phone numbers
Develop a survival kit for work, car, and home
Create an earthquake Plan with your family.
Know the safe areas in each room in the house (under sturdy tables, desks, or against inside walls).
Know where the danger areas are as well (windows, mirrors, hanging objects, fireplaces, and tall furniture).
The bed in each bedroom should be a safe zone where you or a family member could ride out an earthquake in relative safety. Avoid placement of beds against windows, under heavy objects, under heavy mirrors or framed pictures, or next to heavy bookshelves that could fall on the bed area).
Have a pre-arranged area where the family will meet if separated.
Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers, but use the phone only if absolutely necessary.
Keep a survival kit at home, in your car, and at work, in case stores and other services are not available for a few days.
Keep a pair of shoes available, and if possible, put them on before trying to leave the house. Glass, splinters, nails, and other debris can inflict serious injuries.

5. Home Preparedness Learn how to shut off gas, water, and electricity
Check chimneys, roofs, and wall foundations for stability
Secure heavy furnishings
Secure water heater and appliances
Keep heavy objects on lower shelves
Maintain emergency food, water, medicine, first aid kit, tools, and clothing
Before it becomes necessary, learn how to shut off utilities. We’ll talk about how to do that in most instances in a moment.
Check for stability of chimneys, roofs, and wall foundations. Houses built after 1935 should be secured to the foundation already. If you have an older home, you should have an inspector or contractor ensure that it is.
Secure heavy furnishings, like refrigerators, stoves, and bookcases.
Secure water heaters and appliances that could move enough to rupture utility lines.
Keep breakable and heavy objects on lower shelves. Put latches on cabinet doors to keep them closed during shaking.
Maintain an emergency kit containing food, water, first aid supplies, tools, and clothing.

6. Emergency Supplies
First Aid supplies Band-Aids antibiotic ointment latex gloves cold/hot packs ace bandages arm sling Tylenol or Advil diarrhea medication
Equipment work gloves shovel tents sleeping bags ready to eat foods clothing radio, flashlights CASH
When organizing supplies for an earthquake, remember that you need access to them after an earthquake has turned your house into a mess. Store supplies in an easy to find location unlikely to be buried under heavy objects. A large covered trashcan makes an excellent storage container.
When deciding what to include, remember that it may be several days before services or assistance is readily available.
It will be important to have enough cash to sustain you for several days as well. Banks and ATM’s are likely to be damaged too.

7. Emergency Food Camp or backpacking stove propane tank
Canned foods manual can opener
MRE’s
Granola bars
Energy bars
Your emergency supplies should include enough non perishable food for the whole family (including pets) to last several days.
A camp or backpacking stove with enough propane or canned fuel will allow you to heat food items or boil water.
The easiest items to store and maintain are food items that require no cooking or only minimal heating, like canned soups, MRE’s, and granola or energy bars.
Rotate the food supplies every 6 months.

8. Safe Drinking Water
Store a supply of water 1 and 5 gallon containers do not store on concrete
Purifying tap water 8 drops bleach per gal of water add bleach when storing or, boil for 10 minutes
Water from water heater turn off gas or electric turn off cold water supply once cooled, drain at bottom
Other sources toilet storage tank melted ice cubes water trapped in pipes
Dehydration occurs much more quickly than starvation. An average person will feel the effects in about 36 hours. This occurs more quickly in the very young, very old, or persons on certain medications.
The effects of drinking contaminated water can be disease or death.
The city water supply is vulnerable to the effects of a large earthquake. Contaminants can enter the drinking water supply through ruptured pipes, shaking of sediment in storage tanks, and damage to municipal water purification systems.
Your water supply should be one gallon per person per day. Store about 7 days supply.
The 1 and 2 gallon containers found in grocery stores are not designed for long term storage. They begin to leak after about 6 months. Also, do not store them directly on concrete. Contaminants can leach through the thin plastic containers.
Better containers can be purchased at camping or survival stores.
If using re-fillable containers, add 8 drops of pure unscented liquid bleach per gallon of water to limit bacterial contamination.
Water stored in water heaters can be used as well. Turn off gas or electricity to heater. Also turn off water coming into the unit (if you suspect contamination of city water supply). Once water has cooled, you can safely open the drain at the bottom of the water heater.
The toilet storage tank (not toilet bowl) should be safe as long as you don’t use coloring or disinfectants in it.
Melted ice cubes can be used for drinking water.
Also, water trapped in home pipes can be used. Turn off the main water valve. Open the water valve at the highest point in the house, and then you may be able to drain water from the tap or valve at the lowest point in your home.
If you are uncertain about the safety of the fresh water you have available to you, boil it for 10 minutes before using.

9. During an Earthquake
Stay away from windows, bookcases, file cabinets, heavy mirrors, and other heavy objects that could fall
Duck under a desk or sturdy table
Watch for falling plaster or ceiling tiles
Stay undercover until the shaking stops, and hold onto your cover
If the desk or table you are under moves… move with it
If in your car, stop, but not on a bridge, or under trees or a power line
If outside, stay outside, and move to an area clear of overhead trees, power lines, or objects that could fall from a structure
Don’t forget about aftershocks
When you feel an earthquake, duck under a desk or sturdy table.
Stay away from windows, bookcases, file cabinets, heavy mirrors, hanging plants, and other heavy objects that could fall. Watch out for falling plaster and ceiling tiles.
Stay under cover until the shaking stops and hold onto your cover. If it moves, move with it.
Additional tips for specific locations:
If you are in a high-rise building, and not near a desk or table, move against an interior wall and protect your head with your arms. Do not use elevators. The alarms and sprinkler systems may be triggered. Stay inside, as windows can become dislodged and sail for hundreds of feet.
If outdoors, move to an clear area away from trees, signs, buildings, electrical wires, and power poles.
If on a sidewalk near buildings, duck into a doorway to protect yourself from falling bricks, glass, and other debris.
If driving, pull over to the side of the road and stop. Avoid overpasses, power lines, and other hazards. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over.
Be prepared to take cover when aftershocks occur.

10. After The Earthquake
Be prepared for aftershocks, plan for cover when they occur
Check for injuries, give first aid as necessary
Remain calm, try to reassure others
Wear shoes to avoid injury from broken glass
Check for fire and take appropriate actions
Check gas, water, and electric lines
Tune to emergency broadcast system on radio
After an earthquake has occurred, there will usually be aftershocks of varying magnitude. Prepare for them by taking a moment to decide where you would take cover if they occur.
Check family member and neighbors for injuries, provide first aid, and attempt to summon aid.
Try to remain calm and calm others. You may need to make quick decisions and will be better able to do that if you can think clearly.
Put on shoes as soon as possible to avoid foot injuries on broken glass and other debris.
Check for fire and take appropriate actions, either evacuation or limited firefighting.
Check gas, water, and electric lines. If damaged, shut off service. If you suspect a gas leak, do not turn on electric appliances. Open windows and doors to limit trapping of gas in your home, then turn off the service outside.

11. How to Shut Off Utilities
Everyone should know how to shut off gas, water, and electricity to their homes.

12. Gas Shutoff www.assignmentpoint.com
If you don’t smell gas or have only minor damage to your home, you may not need to turn off the gas. If you do need to turn it off:
Locate the main gas shut-off at the gas meter. This will be outside.
You will need a wrench or pliers to turn the valve off. LAFD recommends taping a wrench to the meter or gas line.
As shown in the diagram, when the tab on the switch lines up with the pipe, it is on. When the tab lines up perpendicular to the pipe, it is off.
Once you have turned off the gas, all pilot lights in your home will have to be re-lighted. If uncertain how to do this, call the gas company for assistance before turning on the gas.

13. Water Shutoff www.assignmentpoint.com
To turn off water service to your home, locate the water meter box. It is usually in the front yard at the street or sidewalk. Once you lift up the concrete cover, you will see either a gate valve (typical faucet) and turning it firmly to the right will turn off the water. Or there may be a valve much like the one on the gas meter. It works the same way. When the tab is in line with the pipe it is on, and when perpendicular, it is off.

14. Electricity Shutoff www.assignmentpoint.com
To turn off electric service to your home, find the circuit breaker box or the main fuse box. If your home has a fuse box, it should have a handle at the side that shuts off all power or a pullout fuse clearly marked “main”, remove it.
If you have a circuit breaker box, there should be a “main” breaker clearly marked. Switching it to the off position should shut off all power to your home. LAFD suggests turning off all individual breakers and then the main breaker.