Quake Country
INCIDENT REPORT
Communications were shaky at first, but planning smoothed a disaster response in Whittier, Calif.
About three weeks before Wall Street experienced its big shake-up last October, the city of Whittier, Calif., received a jolt of its own.
On October 1, a strong earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit Los Angeles County at 7:42 a.m., with Whittier receiving most of the damage. The earthquake’s effects extended to a 20mile radius; 16 aftershocks measured 3 or more on the Richter scale later that afternoon.
Station 28 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to calls in Whittier’s downtown section. Like 43 other municipalities in the greater Los Angeles region, Whittier contracts with the county for fire protection. Including reserve equipment, the station had two engine companies, one truck company, two paramedic rescue squads, and one salvage unit on hand.
The battalion chief for our area established a command post in front of the station; Station 28 was selected because of& its location, just two blocks S south of downtown.
Emergency response went as smoothly as it did that day because of preincident planning. We used an emergency information file, which each Los Angeles County fire station is required to maintain and update; it illustrates an emergency plan for that district and includes building escape plans and locations for temporary care shelters. Station 28 is also a battalion headquarters. We had on hand the Battalion Earthquake Disaster Plan, a compilation of emergency information files from individual battalion stations; it provides operational guidelines if a battalion becomes isolated or its district so damaged that assistance may not be readily available.
But the earthquake’s muscle caused communications problems. Telephone service was out for three hours after |the earthquake struck, and ® the Los Angeles Communic^ tions Dispatch Center was jammed with calls on its main frequency. The dispatch radio frequency was overloaded because the computerized system can process only so many calls at a time. The result was a backlog of calls, which in turn delayed the response time of some field units. And field units often interfered with the dispatching of equipment by making follow-up reports on the wrong frequency.
The battalion chief decided Station 28 would use an alternative, local tactical frequency—in effect, establishing me as dispatcher for the station’s units.
In a 24-hour period, we received well over 100 calls; about 78 were handled through the Los Angeles Communications Dispatch Center. Station 28’s units were instructed to keep a log of all the services they provided; a list of major incidents was compiled to keep the department and the city’s Emergency Operations Center informed as often as we could.
We also relied on a ham radio operator to communicate station information, such as the location of units, to the EOC. This communications link was a valuable asset given the circumstances, but still probably wasn’t used to its full capabilities.
Field reports from the units enabled Station 28 to keep the battalion chief informed of the situation around Whittier. He didn’t implement the department’s incident command system because he felt it unnecessary to expand the chain of command already in place.
To keep the firefighters and their families informed during the telephone blackout, station personnel maintained a status board listing of those working. If communications could be established with a family, the family and the firefighter could learn each other’s whereabouts and safety status.
Within seconds of the earthquake, Station 28 was notified of a house fire—the first of about 100 calls we would respond to during the next 24 hours. When we arrived, the house had collapsed and was totally involved in fire; deck guns were used for fast knockdown. While there was minimal damage to newer construction throughout Whittier, older buildings designed without major reinforcement showed evidence of the earthquake’s power: Walls collapsed, and lawns were littered with broken pieces of brick and glass.
Obviously, life safety was the top priority in responding to the calls. Units were systematically dispatched to rest homes, two local hospitals, and four multistory buildings in the area that, because of their high life-loss potential, warranted immediate investigation. During a 24-hour period, station units responded to two structural fires; several minor medical calls; and many calls for assistance with flooding and natural gas leaks. There were two hazardous-materials incidents: Chemicals spilled from shelves at both a Whittier College science laboratory and a nearby plant nursery. However, at least 20 percent of the calls were for aid in damage assessment or shutting off utilities, matters which didn’t require an immediate fire department response.
A Fire Prevention Bureau captain was assigned to survey downtown Whittier. Although major structural damage was evident, he reported, the need for fire department equipment was minimal.
His observations and those of the field units reporting in helped define the limits of the damage so commanders could allocate their own resources. If the damage had been more widespread, the information would also have enabled officers to determine travel times for apparatus from areas unaffected by the earthquake.
One multistory building was evacuated until its structural stability could be determined by the city’s building department; the residents took shelter in the Whittier Recreation Center. The center had been designated in the preincident plan as an emergency shelter and was already equipped with cots and cooking facilities.
One problem Whittier residents faced during the earthquake’s aftermath was availability of medical supplies. Virtually all grocery stores and other businesses where first aid items could be bought were severely damaged. Many people either relied on what basic medical supplies they could find in their homes or went to local hospitals for help. This flooded the hospitals with walk-in patients. Station 28 was able to help in this regard, by using equipment from a reserve unit to create a second paramedic squad.
Other help
The day wouldn’t have gone as it did without the assistance of the Whittier Police Department. Its dispatch of units to the areas with structural damage prevented unnecessary injuries from falling debris and assisted fire department units with evacuation.
We also learned that day that evacuation training programs conducted at multistory buildings are worth the time. The managers of some of the city’s larger buildings are to be commended for their quick actions in evacuation and assessment of the damage to their buildings.
The earthquake’s total financial toll on Whittier hasn’t been fully established, but it’s quickly approaching $100 million. The city has lost at least 30 businesses and 100 residential buildings.
In February, Whittier experienced another aftershock from the earthquake, this one measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale. There was no major damage this time; buildings weakened from the October earthquake had been taken down. But even if it had been as destructive as the first, preincident planning would have kept us prepared.
Lessons Learned
Reexamined:
When radio frequencies are assigned for certain categories of communications, such as follow-up reports, they should be adhered to.
Medical caches should be purchased and placed in predesignated areas throughout the city for disaster use, available for distribution and use by emergency units and Red Cross workers. When planning the location, try to pick a familiar place, such as a school.
Citizens should be educated on what their roles and responsibilities are during a large-scale emergency and what they can do to assist emergency workers.
Reinforced:
A tactical frequency offers a way to handle local incidents without outside interference. Use civilian radio operators—ham operators—as a secondary communciations network to assist field units and emergency operations centers. The use of additional radio frequencies for other than emergency equipment response should be taken advantage of whenever possible.
Emergency response goes more smoothly when all station units use standard radio communications protocol, keep complete records, and inform each other of activities.
If an earthquake’s magnitude and epicenter location are identified and reported as soon as possible, field commanders will be aware of the time and distance it will take for additional resources to arrive from areas not affected.
Fire prevention training at multistory buildings pays off. Properly trained, building managers can effect quick evacuations and assessments of damage.
Use fire prevention personnel to assist in assessing structural damage; otherwise, emergency equipment can be tied up responding to these types of calls.
A community disaster is an unusual situation in which firefighters’ own loved ones may be endangered. A status board for relaying information about families and firefighters can allay anxieties on both sides.
