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October 14, 2008

Session 1B: Methods of Preparedness
In preparing the residents and workers of cities, certain programs have had greater success than others. Looking at techniques that are used to reach the various sectors of the population, this panel provides resources and programs that have proven successful from government to media outlets in developing strategies to prepare various sectors of the population.

Moderator: Jack Popejoy, Anchor, KFWB Radio
Mariana Amatullo, Vice President, International Initiatives, Art Center College of Design
Mark L. Benthien, Southern California Earthquake Center, USC, Presentation
Brent Woodworth

DPAE AND Community

by Guillermo Escobar

The "Earthquake Country Alliance" (ECA) was organized in 2003 to present common messages, to share or promote existing resources, and to develop new activities and products. The ECA includes earthquake scientists and engineers, preparedness experts, response and recovery officials, news media representatives, community leaders, and education specialists, mostly in Southern California. The mission of the ECA is to: inspire responsibility for community earthquake safety and recovery; increase awareness, preparedness, mitigation; improve response and recovery planning; and reduce losses in future earthquakes. The flagship product of the ECA is Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country, of which millions of copies have been distributed in English and Spanish throughout Southern California, and versions also in Northern California and soon Utah. This Fall the "Seven Steps to an Earthquake Resilient Business" has been published as a supplement to Putting Down Roots. In addition to these and other products, the ECA has also organized the "Dare to Prepare" Campaign to achieve widespread awareness and preparedness goals to mark the 150th anniversary of the 1857 magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas fault in Southern California. With a strategy of getting Southern Californians to “talk about our faults,” the campaign acknowledges that "Shift Happens," and if you "Secure Your Space" you can protect yourself, your family, and your property. In 2008 the ECA organized the "Great Southern California ShakeOut," the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history.

The Los Angeles Earthquake Get Ready Project: New Communication Paradigms through Design

by Mariana Amatullo
Co-author Richard Koshalek

The Los Angeles Earthquake Get Ready is a multimedia public safety campaign and sourcebook initiative created by Designmatters at Art Center College of Design. Using the unique expertise of designers to generate new visual communication tools and models for interaction and outreach, the initiative’s mission is to help overcome barriers to earthquake preparedness and promote a culture of individual and collective resiliency.  The leaders of the project will share highlights of the design outcomes and strategies to replicate the research findings of the project beyond Los Angeles.