Are you ready for "The big one" ?
For years now, residents of Oregon have talked about “The Big One.” A massive earthquake tsunami combo that is set to go off at any moment just off the coast of Oregon!
This large earthquake is projected to be a magnitude 9.5 or higher on the Richter scale, according to research.
Oregon Department of Emergency Management : Cascadia Subduction Zone : Hazards and Preparedness
This large scale shift of tectonic plating is more than likely going to shake a few buildings loose all over the state of Oregon. However, for the last decade, Oregon has been upgrading its earthquake readiness, improving its coastal towns with better infrastructure, early detection systems and safe areas to evacuate too .
But how safe is Linn-Benton Community College from an earthquake of that size? Is the structure strong enough to stay standing? Is the ground solid enough to hold the foundation? Are there emergency shelters or supplies in case of a natural disaster like an earthquake?
Q: “What is your role here at Linn Benton?”
Stacie Braun: “I am the assistant facilities director and for right now I am acting director."
Q: “What type of natural disaster infrastructure does LBCC have?”
S: “A lot of the buildings have been retrofitted with seismic rated material to help withstand shaking and moving around. These seismic walls are rated to stay upright longer during an earthquake. The rest however is just brick, built in the 60s, so those are going to need to be upgraded here soon.”
Q: “What are some of the preparations that LBCC does for a natural disaster?”
S: “Well we used to have our own cert team for LBCC. We practiced drills for emergency situations and for natural disasters. We still plan our earthquake drills and other stuff like that, but we don't do the certification training anymore. Not enough people would show up from LB to do the course and so we decided to get together with Albany and we do joint training with them now.”
Q: “And what type of training does that involve?”
S: “So we do pretty much your standard drills for weather, earthquake, tornadoes and fires like that. But we also make sure our equipment is up to date, our procedures are what the people over in public safety are doing.”
N. “Oh like Rhonda Jaasko?”
S: “Yeah, exactly. We have meetings with them about what to do and how to do it. We even have a system to help people get down from the 2nd floor if the elevators aren’t working, so we liked to try and be prepared for as much as we can.”
At a glance:
What: LBCCs natural disaster readiness
Who: Interviewed assistant facilities director Stacie Braun
Why: To dive deeper into LBCCs readiness in case of a natural disaster emergency
Analysis: LBCC was built in the 60s. A lot of the walls have been reinforced, but there is still more work to be done.
LBCC: Works with the Albany community doing emergency drills and exercises.
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