Opinion: Are You Ready for the Big One?

Some of you know me already as one of your at-large Public Safety Commissioners here in West Hollywood. I want to reach out to you to briefly mention something that will affect all of us: The Big One — the earthquake that will inevitably strike our area, and if we’re around, it will most likely be the largest ever felt in our lifetime. Coincidentally, as I am proofreading the draft of this article, I am seeing updates of the devastation in Nepal from the quake there.
You’ll often hear about the need for every citizen to prepare for the “Big One.” “Disaster preparedness” is the term used, but we often discard the thought or forget when we move onto other issues in our lives that demand our attention. Truly though, preparedness is something that can be done once with little effort and then maintained easily. Then, after the inevitable disaster hits our area, it will make the difference between surviving and being helpless during the aftermath.

Those of us that remember the Northridge quake can remember how isolated and cut off many people were from receiving aid of any kind due to the damage caused around them. This lasted several days or weeks for some. Electricity, water, access to money and medication, and if injured, medical attention, instantly became a survival issue for everyone affected. Your life’s immediate priorities are changed in a moment by a simple disaster. It’s like a trapdoor that you suddenly fall through. For a small example of my own: I experienced the great Northeast blackout in 2003, which affected several states all at once due to a power outage. Something that simple happened, and I realized that the gas in my car right at that moment was all that I had to get around. Equally important, the money I had in my pocket (seven bucks at the time) was all I had to use from that point forward. And whatever food was in my apartment, that was all I had to live on, for who knew how long. The water was shut off. No heat, no stove. And the sun was fading to complete blackness in a few hours, leaving me in complete blackness with everyone else.

We live such high paced lives – we don’t think about how reliant we are on that credit card to be working or being able to go to a store that hasn’t been cleaned out due to public panic. (By the time I walked to the corner store during that Northeast blackout, even the nasty canned goods with dust on them were gone from the shelf.) Even pet food: Garfield and Odie go hungry without any preparation. Without trying to scare you, preparing a few items in advance and having them ready for the inevitable is just common sense and reasonable in the face of the consequences.

For my own preparation “stash,” I started by buying energy bars at Pavilions when they were on sale. (For survival – high calories and nutritious.) They are small, so several weeks supply fits easily into a small area in the apartment. Water: Stash a few of those big jugs under the kitchen sink or some place you never use often anyway in your home. Medication: Order a refill a little in advance so you have extra to play with in order to add to your emergency area. And stash some and just rotate it so it’s always fresh. Keep money on hand in small denominations. Have a form of light like those portable LED flashlights. Fill up your car whenever it reaches half a tank instead of waiting until it’s completely empty.

Aim for a three-week supply of these basic daily needs. (The water will take up most of the space.) During a disaster, emergency services are delayed (and sometimes prevented) from reaching those who need assistance. With this in mind, if you take care of your own preparations and live in a building with others, think about going a step further and helping the sick or the elderly around you prepare. Also have a communication plan for those in your household. (Your cell phone may not get through and may be out of commission for several days.) Just preparing a simple plan (i.e. “meet me here”) can mean the difference between chaos and order during a tragic situation.

I also recommend taking any free training in fire safety and disaster training offered by the city. You learn common sense disaster information and move it to the forefront of your mind. Mentally, it makes you more comfortable in dealing with the situation when it happens. It’s worth the couple hours annually that it takes.

In any case, please visit the city website for more information and tips by following these links:

• Emergency Preparedness (http://www.weho.org/services/public-safety/emergency-services-disaster-preparedness/emergency-preparedness
• Fire Safety (http://www.weho.org/services/public-safety/crime-and-safety-tips/fire-safety
• Sign up for emergency alerts (http://www.lacounty.gov/emergency/alert-la
• Certified Emergency Response Training (http://www.weho.org/cert-program)
• Other Training Opportunities (http://www.weho.org/services/public-safety/training-opportunities)

I really hope this helps you prepare your life for the Big One. And that it serves as a reminder to just “get it done” so that you can be ready for that inevitable, unexpected gift from our fault lines. The more people that are prepared around you, the stronger our community will be for survival during the disaster. If enough of us heed these simple things, we will be an island in the midst of any chaos or destruction caused by such a terrible event.

Shawn Hoffman is a member of West Hollywood’s Public Safety Commission, although he emphasizes that these are his opinions and aren’t stated on behalf of the City of West Hollywood or its Public Safety Commission.