Disasters spark interest in emergency preparedness

“There is a lot of community engagement and we are trying to take advantage of that,” she said.

Though Masterson and her counterparts at area fire and police departments and city manager’s offices coordinate a wide array of trainings and classes to help residents prepare, she said her first suggestion to residents is to sign up for SMC ALERT, the county’s notification system. By registering their cellphone, landline or email information with the system, she said residents can stay updated on news about emergencies, advisories and other condition changes in various parts of the county through text, email or voice messages. She added that keeping a pair of sturdy shoes, a flashlight and a spare pair of prescription glasses if they’re needed under their bed or within reach could jump-start their preparation. A pry bar may also help, Masterson said.

Division Capt. Alma Zamora at the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services said the county’s notification system has been effective with informing residents about possible dangers and how to respond to them. Though her office is constantly monitoring the weather and updating residents on changing conditions through its notification system, she said staying aware of one’s surroundings is a good first step for residents looking to take precautions.

She acknowledged cellphone and internet connections can go down in some emergency situations, and said OES maintains a cache of HAM radios they can distribute to trained staff members or volunteers to spread the word about developments.

“Obviously in any type of disaster, anything is possible,” she said.

Stephanie Murti, an OES supervisor, said the agency has also leveraged social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor to amplify the message about emergencies and advisories but may team up with local fire departments and law enforcement agencies to go door to door to alert residents about developments like evacuations if necessary. She said SMC ALERT users can tailor the notifications they receive to the type of messages they’d like to receive and what parts of the county about which they would like to receive notifications.

Murti said assembling emergency supplies in a kit residents can keep at home, in their cars or at their workplaces can make a big difference in case of emergency as well. By grouping items such as bottled water, three days of food and a flashlight as “essential” and labeling other items, such as blankets, cash and tools as “useful” on a checklist posted on the OES website, Murti said residents can start thinking about what items will be needed most in case something unexpected arises.

“It’s something that I think everybody can do,” she said.

Though many residents have been spurred into action by local wildfires, the 28th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake Tuesday, Oct. 17, looms large for Glenn Pomeroy, CEO of the California Earthquake Authority. For weeks, Pomeroy has been encouraging hundreds of households, schools, businesses and government agencies across the state to participate in the ninth annual California ShakeOut, an earthquake drill held the third Thursday of October each year. With more eyes on the effects of natural disasters in recent weeks, Pomeroy expects participation in this year’s drill to increase beyond the 10.6 million Californians who participated last year.

“There’s been definitely heightened awareness now in the state about the need to be prepared for natural disasters,” he said. “California’s an amazingly beautiful state, but we have a lot of exposure to natural disaster.”

Because earthquakes often occur with little warning, establishing muscle memory on the steps to take during an earthquake is especially important, said Pomeroy. He said the drill has been effective in giving residents a chance to practice instructions to drop, cover and hold on during an earthquake and create plans to prepare for and recover from one.

Burlingame resident Kathy Schmidt knows the benefits of running emergency drills from experience having coordinated a citywide emergency drill in more than 10 Burlingame neighborhoods Saturday, Oct. 14. Chair of the Burlingame Neighborhood Network, Schmidt has been leading efforts to organize interested residents partner with local Community Emergency Response Teams, HAM radio operators, and fire and police departments to run these yearly drills. She said participation doubled this year compared to last year's drill, and credited recent natural disasters with the increased turnout of more than 300 residents.

By walking through instructions for how to respond to local emergencies, Schmidt said groups of residents living in the same neighborhood were able to think through how they would react to certain situations and organize in the event of an emergency. She said one of the best outcomes of the session is the conversations started by the drill, with residents eager to continue developing emergency plans based on the resources and skill sets found among their neighbors.

“I think it’s so important for communities to come together,” she said.

Visit smcready.org for general information on how you can prepare for an emergency in San Mateo County. Go to hsd.smcsheriff.com/smcalert to sign up for SMC ALERT. Visit smcready.org/gather-supplies for a list of supplies officials are recommending you keep on hand. Go to earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps for more information on steps you can take before, during and after an earthquake. Visit thebnn.us or email info@theneighborhoodnetwork.org for more information about the Burlingame Neighborhood Network. 

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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