The purpose of this white paper is to summarize the scientific evidence and professional opinion concerning earthquake protective actions that can be taken by the public immediately before the ground starts to shake, in as many scenarios as possible.
Although the advent of Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) in the U.S. provides a tremendous opportunity to reduce human, property, and economic losses, there are substantial, critical gaps in research needed to help guide the design and implementation of the U.S. system, ShakeAlert. Scholars and practitioners have amassed decades of research about actions to take during earthquake shaking; however, very little research has been conducted specifically on the unique context of EEW.
Due to the gaps in research around EEW, this white paper focuses on the strength of evidence that supports (or fails to support) general earthquake protective actions. The authors primarily summarize content from two key reports by FEMA and GHI, integrating dozens of additional literature sources and input from subject matter experts. The white paper examines more than a dozen protective actions, from “Stay Indoors” to “Pull Over and Stay in Vehicle”, noting whether each action is recommended, recommended with caution, or not recommended for inclusion in public education campaigns.
To help guide emergency managers in their support of ShakeAlert, existing research must be assessed for its appropriateness in an EEW context, and the need for additional research to fill critical gaps in light of EEW implementation should be identified and conducted. In addition, crucial to this effort is having a clear understanding of the evidence base and strength of support for recommending different protective actions in various settings, including whether support is based on research findings, expert opinion, or simply on informed practice.
Category: News
PACIFIC NORTHWEST STRATEGY FOR EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING (EEW) OUTREACH, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING released
Earthquake program coordinators from Oregon and Washington in coordination with CREW have finished work with hundreds of first responders and emergency management professionals in crafting a new strategy on how to effectively implement earthquake early warning systems when the strategy eventually goes public in the Pacific Northwest.
The 45-page strategy is being released today and gives a path forward for state and local governments in Oregon and Washington to contribute to the successful implementation of ShakeAlert preparedness activities. The key will be to make sure first responders have the same training and are given clearly defined roles and responsibilities. There also needs to be staff support to ensure everyone is on the same page.
The ShakeAlert system detects earthquakes and rapidly disseminates warnings to end users in potentially affected areas. ShakeAlert is currently operating as a prototype in California, Oregon and Washington. Partners, like the University of Oregon, University of Washington and the U.S. Geological Survey (UGSG), are exploring ways for the public to receive warnings in the future.
The vision calls for a fully-developed and tested ShakeAlert system that detects earthquakes and disseminates warnings to end users with public alerts that integrate with organizational systems and processes, such as utilities that automatically shut off or doors to fire stations that lift up on their own. The ultimate goal is for a broad understanding and acceptance of ShakeAlert capabilities and limitations – and the funding to make it all happen.
Washington and Oregon based the goals, objectives and activities in the strategy on input from more than 100 state, tribal, local emergency managers and more than 300 community members, including many who have had training as part of Community Emergency Response Teams. The federal government provided funding to develop the strategy.
“Oregon and Washington state, tribal, local, and business partners have spent months collaborating on this strategy,” said Maximilian Dixon, earthquake program manager for the Washington’s Emergency Management Division and CREW Vice President. “It is our roadmap to reach stakeholders and to educate the public on actions to take when they get a ShakeAlert.”
Key strategy recommendations include having dedicated staff to coordinate training sessions with public safety and emergency management officials on earthquake early warning and partnering with existing preparedness efforts, such as The Great Washington ShakeOut, which is the third Thursday in October.
The strategy also calls for the development of specific earthquake early warning preparedness education and training materials to ensure the public understands the importance of drop, cover & hold on as a protective action when an earthquake occurs.
As part of its recent budget bill, Congress allocated $22.9 million in funding last week for the continued development of the ShakeAlert system. However, none of that funding is currently designated for state- or local-level education, training and outreach on ShakeAlert or Earthquake Early Warning preparedness.