On November 10th, Carol Dunn from the Bellevue Office of Emergency Mangement had the opportunity to talk to retired and active teachers about ways to identify and reduce risks from the hazards we co-exist with in Bellevue WA.

1. Alpha Delta Kappa
Sigma Chapter
Carol Dunn
City of Bellevue
Office of Emergency
Management

2. What steps have you taken
to be prepared?

3. Our brains and
disaster

4. Our systems block out future risk
Photo by bitboy

5. “C’est la vie”
“What will be will be”
"You just take the good with the bad.
You got to go somehow...
So why not under six feet of mud?“*
“Have faith, Opi!God is good!”**
*SeattleTimes: Orting Resident on risk from volcano
**NYTimes: “The Day of theTsunami” 9/30/09

6. • Every risk that can be identified in
advance, can be reduced or avoided with
the decision is made to act.
• Every risk that is avoid, is one less thing
that goes wrong.

7. Disasters are inevitable

8. Cold Arctic Blasts
HotTropicalWeather
Source: Environment Canada

9. Weather: Rain
• Pineapple Express
– Flooding/River &
Urban
– Mudslides
– Transportation/
Commerce
Disruptions

10. Weather: Snow
• Convergence
zone, but also
occasional
weather events.
• Cold
• Disrupted
Transportation/
Commerce

12. http://www5.kingcounty.gov/iMAP/viewer.ht
m

19. University of Washington Neptune Project

21. Best thing about earthquakes:
We have a say about almost everything.
Except when it will happen.
Every problem has a solution

22. Earthquakes
• Subduction
– 5 minutes: we will feel
shaking about 2
minutes
– Region wide damage
– Highest buildings have
largest problems
– Likely to generate
tsunami/seiche
– Aftershocks likely

26. Earthquakes: Shallow
• Lasts about 20
seconds
• Very intense
localized shaking
• 1,100 years ago:
with Elliot Bay
Tsunami,
landslides
• Aftershocks likely

30. Earthquakes:
Deep/ Benioff Zone
• 2001 Nisqually
• Usually every 20-50
years
• Lasts about 20-30
seconds
• Effects most of Area
• Moderate Shaking

31. Some truths we need to realize
• We provide an amazing gift when we
teach others how to identify and reduce
risks.
– What risks exist and how to reduce them
– What resources exist & how to access them
– We are our own best resource

32. We can avoid
injuries
• Heavy objects
placed high
become
projectiles
during
earthquakes

33. Most fixes pretty easy

34. Best: low, wood --Bolted to Foundation

37. Pretty good in most
earthquakes
Not great in
Subduction zone
quakes

38. Worst for earthquakes
Worst: Un-reinforced brick (recognized by levels of brick ends)
Not very good: reinforced bricks (recognized when all bricks show their sides)
Not very good: Retrofitted masonry (recognized by the added bolts)
5 out of 6 were damaged during the 2001 NisquallyQuake

39. Unreinforced Masonry

40. Bad for Quakes: Soft Structures

42. I’m in a ‘bad’ building!
• Retrofit
– Anchor masonry to wood
– Add Framing
• Still will be risks
• Rebuild
– Create a new safer building
• Lose character and feeling of history
• Relocate
– Currently located in one of the most dangerous
parts of the city
• Lose character and history

43. Disasters = disruption

44. Disruption happens
• That we may not have access to stores,
medicine, etc. on short notice & for a long time
• Emergency information broadcast on:
– radio.
–2-1-1 (multiple languages)
–Internet: www.RPIN.ORG

45. Disaster Supplies
How to
start?
Where
to put
them?

46. How will your schools do?
• How will the schools be affected?
– Are non structural items secure?
– Will all of the parents be able to return?
– Do all of the schools have the resources and
plans to reduce the harm from any disaster?
– Have future risks been analyzed objectively?

47. Pledge to take it seriously!
• Literally: write down a statement to remind
you that you want to act-put it where you
can see it.
• Reward every step forward!!

48. School Preparedness Resources
• FEMA: Incremental Seismic Renovation
for Schools
• Spreadsheet for School Preparedness
Supplies
• Upcoming meeting for PTSA
Preparedness Representatives
• Information on grants and toolkits

49. Questions?
• Carol Dunn
– cdunn@bellevuewa.gov
– 425-452-7926