MURRIETA: Drill to focus on disaster response

Residents encouraged to sign up to assist with response teams
This story has been modified since its original posting.

By NELSY RODRIGUEZ - Staff Writer | Tuesday, October 28, 2008 12:46 PM PDT ∞

MURRIETA ---- In preparation for the unpredictable, Murrieta's public safety leaders will participate next month in a countywide simulation of "the big one."

On Nov. 13, all Riverside County cities will join a massive response to a feigned earthquake during "The ShakeOut Earthquake Scenario," ---- a simulation of a 7.8-magnitude quake along the San Andreas Fault.

As part of the drill, police and fire officials and local emergency response volunteer groups will fan out to schools, senior facilities, hospitals, freeway overpasses and areas at risk of flooding, Murrieta Fire Chief Paul Christman said.

He presented the city's Emergency Operations and Disaster Plan to the City Council during a workshop earlier this week.

Christman said that after the various teams respond to their checkpoints, bulletins of emergencies will be injected into the scenario, upping the ante and testing how well local safety officials respond to crisis.

"This is a definite priority and we need to do this more," Christman said of the simulation. He said he believes there also should be a push for more community involvement in safety volunteer programs.

Peter Lent, deputy director of Riverside County Fire Department, said during the workshop that the intent will be to prepare Southern California as much as possible for responding to a natural disaster.

"This is what keeps me up at night," Lent said, making reference to the massive earthquake that experts anticipate will one day hit the area. "The earthquake scenario could be equivalent to (Hurricane Katrina) but our response to that would be night and day."

In addition to preparing for the event, Murrieta public safety officials outlined for the council how emergencies will be dealt with locally.

Pointing to a sole position for an information officer, safety leaders expressed the need for another public information officer, whom they believe would be vital in getting accurate information out to residents during a chaotic time.

"One of the biggest things we see in most disasters is rumor control ---- getting accurate information out," said Fire Division Chief Mike Jennings. "So this is a position that we would really need to staff."

Along the lines of communication, fire officials pointed to an emergency notification system that acts as a disseminator of updated information during emergencies.

Residents who enter their cell phones and addresses in the database will be added to a phone list, said Senior Management Analyst Stephanie Smith. Those on the list are notified during emergency situations about what's going on, and how to react to the situation, she said.

The database operates with cell phones because it is expected that land lines will not work during an emergency. Logging an address with the phone number will allow pertinent information to be distributed to different neighborhoods, Smith said.

For residents who want to get more involved, Smith spoke about the Citizen Emergency Response Team.

People who complete a 20-hour training session are then invited to join the 200-strong team. Members of that team are then called on to help in various ways, such as directing traffic when roads are closed or staffing emergency shelters.

"The use of citizen volunteers would be very beneficial," Smith said.

Contact staff writer Nelsy Rodriguez at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2626, or nrodriguez@californian.com.

How to sign up

-- To sign up for the automated phone calling system, visit the Murrieta Fire Department Web site at www.murrieta.org/services/fire/index.asp and click on the "Disaster notification cell phone and VOIP registration," on the right side of the page.

-- To sign up for Murrieta's Citizen Emergency Response Team, visit the Web site listed above or call (951) 304-3473.

CLARIFICATION: System improperly identified

In an Oct. 10 article on a planned disaster drill, the emergency notification system the city of Murrieta uses was improperly identified. We apologize.

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