Business Extinction or Song of Survival?

By Cheryl Scott, HDBJ Contributing Writer

It’s something that is never far from our collective consciousness, but it’s something we’d all rather not think about. The Big One. What if it’s close to home?

The San Andreas Fault will one day generate a geological event that everyone in the geological field says we are due for “soon.” We never know what soon means, but those entrusted with the responsibility to protect Victor Valley from its effects can’t afford to assume that “soon” is anything other than imminent.

The San Andreas passes through the Cajon Pass, which can be said without exaggeration to be the lifeline of the High Desert. At 3,777 ft., it is considered a moderate-elevation mountain pass and it is a vital transportation route for trucking, rail, and automobiles as well as three high voltage power lines, and underground utilities that include natural gas and petroleum. The fault, which averages a major quake every 150 years, has not had a major quake in 300 years – making Southern California well overdue for a major event.

In the event of a major quake, experts project a rupture of the I15, power lines, and pipelines. The High Desert would be without power for an extended period of time, inaccessible by truck or train, and isolated from the outside world because cell phone towers — assuming they are still standing — cannot handle the volume of calls expected in such an emergency.  In addition, local underground water supplies and fuel storage require a power source to pump and deliver, compounding the loss of resources in an extended emergency.

The Big ShakeOut

The largest earthquake drill in the nation’s history was held in May of 2008.  Over 5 million California residents, business owners, community leaders and first responders participated.

The scenario was based on a plausible 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurring on the southern San Andreas Fault, which is about 5,000 times stronger than the 5.4 magnitude Chino Hills tremor that recently hit California.

The results of the analysis showed the 7 southern California counties (including the High Desert Region) that would be most affected by the earthquake are home to 621,000 business establishments, 6.3 million employees, and an annual payroll of $303.3 billion, according to data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The scenario predicts an earthquake of this size would cause at least 2000 deaths, 50000 injuries and $200 billion in damages, along with long-lasting, severe disruption throughout the impacted region.

San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt states, “We also need to prepare for the aftermath, such as fires, floods, landslides, and disruption of transportation and utility infrastructure, as well as economic impacts. The combination of all of these things threatens to intensify a disaster into a catastrophe.”

Preparation is key to a positive outcome.  And while government plans are in place for emergency scenarios, Mitzelfelt points out, “As we learned in observing response efforts following Hurricane Katrina, citizens need to understand that it’s likely they’ll be without basic government services and assistance for several days following a regional disaster.”

So it’s important that everyone, and every business, have an emergency plan and that they take it seriously.

Local government kicks in

Apple Valley Fire Chief Art Bishop says that the area will be on its own initially from three to 10 days after a major quake. “At some point the government will come in,” he told the Journal. “But I’d say that it is more realistic that we be able to stand on our own for two weeks.”

Laura Whitehead, Emergency Services Officer for the Apple Valley Fire Department, is part of the logistics team for the town’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is required by law to be set up in each city and town. The established protocol requires a three-tiered approach to the first response to a regional disaster. It is operated under the auspices of the national Incident Command System, an extensive protocol that takes in every detail of emergency operations and lays out the responsibilities of everyone involved in response.

All towns, cities and counties are required to have emergency plans on file, which are sent to Sacramento, Washington, D.C. and to FEMA. “In the event of a large disaster, FEMA would eventually be called in,” said Bishop. “It’s important that they have critical information so they can tailor their response to suit the area’s specific needs.”

Happening in the neighborhood

But since government resources will not be enough in the immediate aftermath of an emergency, it is important that all individuals, families and businesses do their part to be as prepared, independent, trained and helpful as possible.

Bishop states, “While it’s good to know that local officials are constantly working to keep emergency response planning current, in the end it will come down to the individual and families to help themselves survive a disaster.”

There are several trained community groups ready to assist in an emergency. E.C.S. or Emergency Communications Service is a group of licensed amateur HAM radio operators who provide public safety communications support. C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) is a national program to train individuals in the community who will help local officials in any area needed.  And F.A.D.D. or Friends of Animals During Disaster are trained to care for animals.

Among the heroes in the area of communication will be ham radio operators. They may have been all but forgotten in the age of satellite communications and personal communication devices, but in a state of emergency of this magnitude they are likely to be the first to provide communication from outside the area.

The faith community and local neighborhood organizations also play a part. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has developed an all-encompassing plan to serve its members as well as the community.  The church practices on its own ham radio network system each Sunday to keep current, and the chain of communication travels upstream through the Church organization all the way to “headquarters” in Utah.

Their global emergency communications system is unparalleled by any community organization, and has been tested in real emergency situations.  Assistant C.E.R.T. Commander Erin Fox of the LDS Church says, “When the quake in Japan happened, we knew where everyone in our organization was within 4 hours.”

The LDS Church also has a program called Shake, Rattle and Roll, which trains individuals in the community in disaster preparedness.  They also have a plan for visiting homes and checking on people, providing needed transportation to medical centers and helping out with whatever is needed immediately.  “We’re here to help everyone,” explains Fox, and says the LDS Church will help train any organization and any faith-based organization in emergency preparedness.

Business matters

Virtually every large business in the area is involved in disaster plans that could be the salvation of not only themselves, but also the community. Bishop says all businesses are needed to help with community response.  Not only do businesses need to have supplies and disaster plans in place for their employees, but need to know that many will have dual duties to the company and to taking care of their families.

Walmart in Apple Valley has committed to taking an important role in providing supplies for residents. “The trucks will keep coming,” Karen Wright, AP Manager of Apple Valley’s Walmart DC said.  “There are alternate routes to the north so we will be receiving merchandise. We can distribute supplies from the back of trucks in our parking lot. It’s not fancy but it works. The key to our distribution system is logistics. We have developed plans to keep the trucks coming in and make sure there are divers available so that there is a minimum interruption.”

Businesses in each city are prepared to provide whatever is needed, as determined by the EOC. “It could be blankets, tents, tools, hot food — anything needed at the time,” said Bishop. “That’s why it’s so important that businesses, both small and large, have their own emergency plans in order.”

While large companies are generally well prepared for emergencies, Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs) are usually not as well prepared. Various statistics show between 25% and 50% of businesses do not open their doors again after a major disaster.

Despite the task of operating without power, it is especially important for them to get their systems back up and running immediately. Bishop said, “National figures show that the faster businesses can get up and running the better chance they have to recuperate after a critical disruption. Those who do not get back on track soon won’t make it.”

Basics include offsite backup of data, and fireproof storage of important items. Jeanie Miller of Apple Valley Document and Media Storage runs a business that provides offsite storage for documents and data, as well as a fireproof vault.  Miller says, “That’s the biggest challenge for businesses. They need to make sure they can get to their records and data immediately. That’s their insurance policy.”

Homeland Security recommends knowing what types of emergencies can impact your business, knowing what to do, having a business continuity plan, a communication plan, an emergency plan, proper insurance coverage, and improved cyber security.  Resources are available at www.ready.gov.

Once you have a plan, it’s important to practice it,” said Wright. “We have regular training for all of our employees, and we conduct annual fire drills and drills for severe weather. People who have been trained and practiced their training are less likely to freak out.”

Freaking out is probably a mild word for what would happen if The Big One hit the Cajon Pass, but an integrated response plan and the help of volunteers and an alert community can turn a nightmare into a story of survival.

IN AN EMERGENCY:

TEXT, TEXT, BABY

In an emergency:  TEXT

Text messages can get through when cell phone transmissions cannot.

RED SIGN, GREEN SIGN

A GREEN sign in your window means everyone is fine.

A RED sign means you need help.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Neighborhood Watch will also play a big part in emergency response. LaVaun Hulterstrom, Neighborhood Watch president and Chair for the Shake Rattle & Roll Fair, says that it will be especially important for residents to keep in touch with their neighbors. “We want to be a part of the solution, and we are always out in the community with emergency preparedness information. In a worst-case scenario it will be important for people to know who their neighbors are and if they have critical needs.”

C.E.R.T.

Trained C.E.R.T. or Community Emergency Response Teams, can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event. The Department of Homeland Security administers the program nationally and your county government oversees the program locally. C.E.R.T.s are located in cities throughout the United States, and their purpose is to assist firefighters and EMS personnel in the event of a natural disaster or large emergency response situation. Members undergo more than 20 hours of training in disaster preparedness, fire suppression, first aid and basic search and rescue.  And F.A.D.D. or Friends of Animals During Disaster are trained to care for animals.