Long Beach Fire Department Public Information Officer Jake Heflin gave a presentation on different aspects of emergencies caused by seismic activity on Wednesday night the Los Altos Public Library. Councilmember Daryl Supernaw was present to answer questions from the public.
During his presentation, Heflin touched on the topics of common risks posed by earthquakes, community involvement and individual emergency preparation.
“We are way overdue for a large earthquake along the San Andreas fault,” Heflin told community members.
Some of the dangers associated with earthquakes that were discussed were broken glass, ruptured gas lines and tsunamis.
Heflin informed attendees that one of the most common types of injuries that occur during and immediately following an earthquake are those caused by broken glass.He said that this is especially a problem for people who may be awakened by an earthquake while sleeping barefoot, who inadvertently step on broken glass in their haste to deal with the situation. As a solution, reusable tote bags were distributed to attendees who were advised to place an old pair of shoes in the bag and attach it to the bottom of their bed posts.
Heflin referred to past incidences of fires caused by broken gas pipes to illustrate the dangers of broken gas lines and why it poses a significant danger to the city following an earthquake. He also stated that the areas of Long Beach located below 7th street were most vulnerable if an earthquake were to ever cause a tsunami to strike the shores of Long Beach.
Heflin also explained to attendees that while the LBFD will do their best to serve residents in need, in the case of large disasters their resources may be spread too thin to effectively help everyone, which is why officers will rely on civilians with emergency training to assist their neighbors during such times and “fill the gap.” Heflin recommended that those in attendance should try to become Community Emergency Response Team certified through LBFD’s two day free program.
Attendees were also informed of digital technologies that can help them be aware of emergency events in their communities such as the app PulsePoint, which gives residents live information about where emergency response vehicles are currently in their city, as well as alerts CPR-certified neighbors when a neighbor is experiencing cardiac arrest.
People were also warned that they should prepare themselves and their families for an earthquake or other disasters. Heflin spoke about the importance of having “enough water to take care of [oneself] and [one’s] family’s for seven days” and to gather emergency supplies as soon as possible because “that stuff may not be there when you need it.”
Heflin told residents that it was crucial to have an emergency contact that lived out of state when a localized disaster strikes because someone who lives out of state “is typically not going to be effected by that local event.”
The importance of people having basic emergency knowledge before they are need of it was underscored near the end of the presentation.
“Knowing a fire extinguisher exists is different than knowing how to operate one,” Heflin said.
