ML20151H229

Earthquake Safety Programs in Schools One Jurisdiction Experience, Presented at 880412-15 Meeting in Olympia,Wa

ML20151H229
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Site:	Trojan File:Portland General Electric icon.png
Issue date:	04/12/1988
From:	OREGON, STATE OF
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References
NUDOCS 8808010194
Download: ML20151H229 (2)

Text

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( EARTHQUAKE SAFETY PROGRAMS IN THE SCHOOLS ONE JURISDICTION'S EXPERIENCE

Background

State Law (RCW 38.52) gives authority for Emergency Management Agencies to provide public education and information about natural hazarde which may affect citizens. The schools have requirements for earthquake drills, building safety and emergency planning. Citizens, service clubs and other community groups are, or become, aware of earthquake hazards and want to help the community with earthquake safety projects. These three ingredients led to the development of Earthquake Safety and Preparedness programs in Pierce County.

The Pierce County Department of Emergency Management was receiving numerous requests for planning assistance from school principals and classroom teachers. PTA groups contacted the Department for information about safety programs and , classroom demonstrations. Service clubs wanted programs, and a local Chamber of Commerce wanted to provide earthquake safety information for their local school district. Trying to handle these individual requests became very labor inteasive, so after receiving some assurances of support, a community wide effort was begun to provide the most up-to-date and interesting information to every school district in the County and to cny other organization or group with an interest in earthquake safety.

The Program We patterned our program after several earthquake safety programs which had been done in the Puget Sound area by other local governments.

We were also aware of the materials available through the University of Washington, State Department of Communi ty Devel opment , and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Finally, we learned of a program developed by Hanna-Barbera in Californina using Yogi Bear to promote earthquake safety targeted at elementary school kids.

We approached the school districts and got a commitment from many of them to contribute 2 cents per student toward material costs.

We received support from the Lakewood Chamber of Comm(rce and Pacific N.W. Bell. We approached the Exchange Club of Tacoma and some private f oundations in the Pierce County area and received donations from them. We cooperated with the City of Tacoma and combined funds from both the City and the County. We raised enough to purchase 100,000 Yogi Bear Comic Books, which would provide one for every elementary school child in Pierce County twice. (We intend for the program to be ongoing.)

t A video tape produced by Hanna-Barbera was also made available for each school district to be used in the classroom. This tape

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{ complemented the information in the comic book.

We put to0 ether a workbook :ontaining the planning workbooks and guidance which was available from the University of Washington and f rom the Federtl Emergency Managemen' Agency. These materials would help districts develop emergency plans and programs for buildings and classrooms. These were distributed to each school district. Any calls that are now received for planning assistance are referred to the appropriate school district person.

Disaster research has shown that the closer a hazard comes to home, the more attintion people pay to it. We took the Earthquake Safety brochures developed by the State, FEMA, the Red Cross and others and compiled a brochure that targeted the earthquake hazards in Tacoma and Pierces County. The Morning News Tribune gave us permission to use their photographs of historic damage in Tacoma. This has been very well received in the Community.

Finally, we prepared a slide tape program which also specifically targets the Tacoma-Pierce County earthquake hazard. This is now available for presentations for service clubs and busin~ esses, tcssons Learned We learned several lessons as we developed this program that we hope will help it be more successful in the future.

1. People do pay more attention when the hazard is presented as relevant to their home town.

2 There needs to be one central coordinating agency which takes the lead in fundraising.

3 In dealing with school districts you must consider the separate roles of the Superintendents and Administrators, the safety coordinators, and the people responsible for curriculum.

4 If everyone is offered the opportunity to share in the costs, and government provides some "seed" money, fundraising seems to be more successful.

5 People were more supportive of an on going program with a 10 year goal of better educated citizens.

6. Support from the State is essential. If the public perceives the State does not think something is important, they will not give it priority either.

7 A central clearninghouse of information available from all sources particularly at the State level would have been helpful.