NOVA Northern Virginia Community College

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College Earthquake Awareness Training for Faculty/ Staff/ Students Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College Part I Earthquake Awareness: Procedures During & After an Earthquake Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College Class Overview • What is an earthquake? • What do I do during an earthquake? • What can I expect during the earthquake? • What do I do after the earthquake? Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College Be prepared – Know your surroundings!! Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College What is an Earthquake? An earthquake is a shaking of the ground caused by the sudden breaking and movement of large sections (tectonic plates) of the earth's rocky outermost crust. The edges of the tectonic plates are marked by faults (or fractures). Most earthquakes occur along the fault lines when the plates slide past each other or collide against each other. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • The shifting masses send out shock waves that may be powerful enough to: • alter the surface of the Earth, thrusting up cliffs and opening great cracks in the ground and • cause great damage ... collapse of buildings and other man-made structures, broken power and gas lines (and the consequent fire), landslides, snow avalanches, tsunamis (giant sea waves) and volcanic eruptions. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College Anatomy of a fault: Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College Types of earth movement: • Strike Slip – the two plates rub against each other laterally • Normal – one plate drops below the adjacent plate • Thrust – one plate is pushed up above the adjacent plate. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • What do I do during an earthquake? • Often you do not realize that what is happening is in fact an earthquake. Construction, military training and other things may mimic the feeling of an earthquake. • Once you realize that it is an earthquake, immediately drop to the floor to protect your balance. It is very difficult to stand during an earthquake. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • If Indoors: • Quickly look around for a sturdy piece of furniture. • Crawl under the sturdy piece of furniture to protect yourself from falling debris, i.e. ceiling tiles and lights. If appropriate furniture is not available to get under, get next to something low and solid, such as low-lying furniture that will not fall on you. • Grab on to the furniture and hold on so that it does not move away from you. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • Understand that items may be falling around you. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture. • Hang on until the shaking has stopped and objects stopped falling. • Move to the closest building exit. REMEMBER: Drop, Cover and Hold On! Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College Video: Demonstration from the Los Angeles County Fire Department http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j8mUZFeMwhE Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • If Outdoors: • Stay there. • Move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires. • Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits and alongside exterior walls. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • If in a Moving Vehicle: • Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility wires. • Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads, bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged by the earthquake. • Anticipate traffic light outages. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • So, the shaking has stopped and items are no longer falling around me... Now what? • Quickly check yourself for injuries. • If possible, quickly collect your personal items. • Be aware of safety issues such as exposed wires, broken gas or water lines, glass, etc. • Use your primary evacuation route if available. If not, use your secondary evacuation route. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • Assist injured persons to evacuate if helping them will cause no further harm. • If harm may be caused by moving the injured persons, note the location of the persons and report it to authorities. • Report to the pre-determined assembly point. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • Expect aftershocks. They can be less violent, but can be strong enough to do additional damage to weakened structures. • Use the telephone only for emergency calls. BE PREPARED TO ACT!!! Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College • While in the assembly area: Watch for Emergency vehicles arriving Attempt accountability of students/co-workers Notify authorities of injuries, trapped persons, missing, etc. Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVANorthern Virginia Community College Office of Emergency Management and Planning

NOVA Northern Virginia Community College