Local Forum Stresses Emergency Measures

When Councilman Bill Rosendahl awoke during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, he climbed out of bed and went into his dark bathroom, where he promptly cut his foot. The medicine cabinet door had swung open and the contents had fallen to the floor, resulting in several broken bottles.   From that experience Rosendahl now offers three easy steps people can take to prepare for a disaster: 1) have slippers or shoes next to your bed, 2) if you’re on medication, have extras stored in a safe place, and 3) have a first-aid kit in your home to deal with small scrapes and cuts.   ’In a disaster, you are the first responder,’ Rosendahl told more than 100 people assembled for a forum on disaster preparedness at the Palisades Woman’s Club on June 29. ‘If it is serious, the police and firefighters will be all over the place, but in limited numbers in some areas.’   The event was co-chaired by Trish Bowe, president of the Woman’s Club, Chamber of Commerce board member Joyce Brunelle (president of Suntricity, Inc.) and Flo Elfant, the town’s disaster preparedness chairperson.   ’There is no ‘they’ can help us,’ said Elfant, who has lived here since 1958. ‘The way Pacific Palisades is geographically situated, we could easily be isolated’ by flooding, another earthquake or a brushfire, and it might be impossible to get in or out of this area for days.   Recalling the November 1961 Bel-Air fire that destroyed close to 500 homes, she warned: ‘Even though the fire wasn’t in this area, Sunset was wall to wall cars. [In a future disaster], the firefighters at Station 23 and 69 may not be there to take care of your individual needs. So you need to be prepared for a week.’   Emphasizing self-sufficiency, Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore said that residents should not expect to see a large number of police in this area. ‘Be aware that whatever part of the city is most damaged is where your patrol car will end up.’   Rosendahl encouraged every family to have enough water for each member for seven days; canned food and a can opener (not electric); a way to communicate with family members; medical supplies and a fire extinguisher.   Nurse Karen Doncho, a member of the Santa Monica Red Cross disaster preparedness team, said that after a disaster there is chaos. ‘We try to create calm out of chaos as soon as possible,’ Doncho said. ‘The more prepared people are, the calmer the situation is after a disaster.’   If residents believe they can go to the grocery store and purchase food after a disaster, this may prove impossible. ‘Our local supermarkets do not have generators to preserve perishable food,’ Elfant said, ‘and may only be able to take cash. If the electricity is out, the ATM’s won’t be working,’ so keep cash on hand.   Additionally, communication could be down. If you have a land telephone line, that system may be overburdened or down. Cell phones may work for a while, but without electricity to charge them, they will also become useless.   Experts suggest that everyone in a family have the same out-of-state contact to call, so that this person can account for everyone. Each family member should also know where to go in case of a fire or earthquake.   William Branch of American Legion Post 283 described how his group has organized a ham radio operation at its facility on La Cruz in order to keep lines of communication open to the outside world.   Monica Iannessa, the assistant principal and emergency coordinator at Palisades High, said that the high school’s large gym is a designated Red Cross site, and people can come there if they have been drive from their home. The Red Cross has a storage trailer on campus.   Parents are reminded to check a child’s school to make sure the school has a plan and supplies, in the event of a disaster.   Elfant advised people who have already prepared for a disaster to urge their neighbors to do the same, because if your family is the only one on the block with supplies, you may have thirsty and hungry neighbors to take care of, too.   Visit: www.Palisadespost.com and click on helpful links for a disaster preparedness booklet. Copies of the booklet are available at the Chamber of Commerce office on Antioch, the Palisades Branch Library, and the post office.