Mira Costa has received a wake up call. The devastation of the recent earthquake in Japan is not only a warning of what could happen along the Pacific Rim but along the Pacific coast as well.
Principal Ben Dale fully understands this reality, but Costa’s administration must quickly and efficiently implement changes to improve Costa’s preparedness in case of a quake.
As Japan has learned, the effects of an earthquake can be mitigated by caution and preparedness. Costa should follow suit to ensure the safety of its students and staff.
Currently, Costa holds four emergency drills a year, including the state-mandated “Great Shakeout” earthquake drill. However, Costa could still do a much better job of preparing for a worst-case emergency scenario.
At the most basic level, classrooms at Costa currently lack emergency kits. The school has found kits at appropriate prices but has yet to purchase them.
Additionally, the “Great Shakeout” drill should be regarded with more importance by both students and the administration. In the past, many students have had a lackadaisical attitude toward drills and even used the drill as an opportunity to relax and even play football.
The administration elected to hold the drill indoors this year due to rain, and a replacement drill was never rescheduled. These kinds of slip-ups could prove to be very costly in the event of a real emergency.
Therefore, the school must adopt a more serious mind set and then quickly purchase emergency kits and continue holding drills but with more sincerity.
Dale’s preliminary ideas consider the possibility of a more catastrophic event. His planning centers around “the first hour” of whatever disaster could occur – the peak of the emergency when lives of Costa students would be at stake.
With this in mind, the administration does not plan on keeping a large stockpile of supplies as storing provisions like food and water is costly and difficult.
While disaster relief organizations could bring necessary supplies to Costa, students and staff still need to be prepared to effectively utilize these provision and react.
Costa can hold drills that prepare the staff for preparing shelters, distributing provisions, and establishing communications in addition to the current drills. Generally, earthquake drills have dealt with minor earthquakes but have ignored preparation for provisions beyond the first hour.
Comprehensive preparations could also include coordination with relief organizations like FEMA and the American Red Cross to develop plans to transport supplies and provide aide.
Overall, Dale and the administration have the right philosophy for preparing for a major earthquake, but in order for the philosophy to matter, it must be translated into a comprehensive earthquake preparedness plan quickly and effectively.
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