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Fifty years ago this Sunday, Kern County was shaken to its roots by the third largest earthquake in recorded California history.

The town of Tehachapi was heavily damaged, and 12 people were killed. A month later, an aftershock heavily damaged Bakersfield, killing two.

Today, some Kern County residents vividly remember the earthquake, but several more would find themselves unprepared in the event of another big quake.

Preparation key to survival

By MISTY WILLIAMS Californian staff writer
e-mail: mwilliams@bakersfield.com

Monday July 22, 2002, 07:00:00 PM

An estimated several million earthquakes occur in the world each year.

It takes just one to devastate a community.

While Kern County residents are aware of possible earthquake disasters, most have done little to prepare, said Charles Conner, emergency services manager for the Kern County Office of Emergency Services.

"Kern County is earthquake country," Conner said. "It's a fact of life here in Kern County, and there's many things people can do to be prepared that cost very little and take very little time."

Residents should be ready to fend for themselves for at least 72 hours, said Bob Klinoff, deputy chief of the Kern County Fire Department.

Emergency supplies, including blankets, a radio with batteries, flashlights, canned food and a gallon of water per person per day, should be kept at home, Klinoff said.

"We're going to be overwhelmed, so you need to take care of yourselves at least a little bit," he said.

The same goes for the office.

Employees should have water, food and tennis shoes in case they have to hike, Klinoff said.

He also recommended neighbors organize and create a plan for how they will reach other in an emergency.

Another crucial aspect of earthquake preparedness is making sure houses are well constructed.

A wood-framed house often is the safest place to be during a large quake, said Thomas Heaton, professor of geophysics and civil engineering at the University of Southern California.

"In general, houses just virtually never collapse in earthquakes," Heaton said.

While collapse is remote, damage can still result in the complete economic loss of the house, he said.

Many older homes in California don't have adequate ties between the house and foundation, Heaton said. Horizontal shaking can cause structures to shift. This is preventable by making sure the house is adequately bolted to the foundation.

Safety in the workplace can be harder to control.

Starting in the 1950s through the mid-1970s a particular type of concrete-framed structure began to be built.

These buildings lack adequate reinforcement and are vulnerable to massive quake damage, Heaton said. Floors can pancake on top of each other, he said.

"In my opinion, these are the most dangerous buildings in California today," Heaton said.

While many cities have codes that require retrofitting unreinforced masonry buildings, these concrete-framed buildings have been largely ignored, he said.

"It's a hidden danger that for some reason has not turned into a great enough tragedy for somebody to do something about it," he said.

Although newer buildings generally hold up better during earthquakes, it's wrong to assume they're naturally stronger or safer.

"I don't think it's quite fair to say that because a building is old that it's inferior in terms of seismic performance," Heaton said.

Professional inspections are necessary to know whether a structure is built to withstand quakes, he said.

While most people are not in control of the buildings they work in, steps can be taken to promote safety.

Employees should make sure large objects, such as computers and desks, are tied or bolted down, said Thomas Henyey, deputy director of the Southern California Earthquake Center.

The same rule goes for the home.

Water heaters, which can fall over and break gas lines, should be tied down, Henyey said.

Homeowners should know how to turn off water, gas and electricity.

People should also avoid sleeping under heavy objects such as pictures or bookcases, he said.

Henyey, however, does not recommend getting earthquake insurance, because it is not economical. Although earthquakes are constantly happening somewhere, the chances of it hitting any particular area are slim, he said.

"Somebody will get hit," he said. "But it's like an accident on the freeway - the chances of you getting hit are not that great."

When a disaster does occur, both the city of Bakersfield and Kern County have general emergency plans.

Through a statewide emergency management system, local agencies can receive help from throughout California if the disaster is larger than what they are equipped for, said Kirk Blair, deputy fire chief for Bakersfield.

One of the first responses to an earthquake would be for the fire department to canvass different areas, determining what buildings had collapsed and other damages, Blair said. That means personnel may not stop at the first collapsed building they see.

"They have to prioritize," he said.

Neighborhood Watch programs that have one person as a coordinator are helpful, he said.

"It's nice because there's one person we can contact in that area to find out what's going on," Blair said.

New technology and techniques have improved disaster response throughout the years.

The Kern County Fire Department uses a search camera that enables rescuers to search small spaces by drilling a hole and inserting a tube with a camera, which then transmits images to a small television screen, Klinoff said. The department also has bulldozers and front-end loaders to clear debris and rubble, as well as access to satellite phones, he said.

A K-9 urban search and rescue team, consisting of four dogs, also is used to locate people buried under rubble, Klinoff said.

"We will utilize all the resources that are available to us to assess the situation and decide where to focus our efforts," Klinoff said.

Both the Bakersfield and Kern County fire departments have personnel trained in shoring equipment, which can be used to brace walls that could collapse.

"I'm real confident of our abilities if we should have an earthquake with collapsed buildings," Blair said. "We do a lot of training. I would put our department up against anybody."

Ultimately, it's an individual's initial reaction to a major quake that can mean the difference between life and death.

Klinoff emphasized that a person should not attempt to leave a building during a major quake. Instead, people should duck under a sturdy piece of furniture, such as a table or desk, to protect themselves from falling debris.

"It happens so quick, it surprises you," he said. "When it's really rocking and rolling, you can't just run."

On the Web

www.co.kern.ca.us/fire/OES/

www.ci.bakersfield.ca.us/fire/publiceducation/earthqkprepbullets.htm

www.cityofla.org/LAFD/ eqidex.htm