Inland Empire Community Newspapers • May 10, 2012 • Page A19 American Red Cross conducts major disaster evaluation drill By Ricardo Tomboc T he American Red Cross Desert to the Sea region; consisting of three coun- ties (San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange Counties) had a major disaster table top evaluation exer- cise that took place last Saturday, May 5. The "table top evaluation exercise" involved only the Red Crosschapters and their leadership. The purpose of the exercise was to evaluate the current response plans and capabilities of the region. The scenario was a 7.8 magni- tude earthquake that occurred in the Coachella Valley on the San Andreas Fault Zone, and a separate 6.9 earthquake occurring on the Newport-Inglewood Fault zone. In this scenario, the cities of Fontana, Rialto, and San Bernardino had 115,000 people displaced (including 65,000 from San Bernardino alone), 5 fatalities reported, and several evacuation centers activated. The I-215 and the I-91 freeways were shut down, and many major roads were damaged and not pass- able. Downtown San Bernardino was heavily damaged and roads not usable. Power throughout the city was out, the water supply was compromised, and the natural gas supply was disrupted. The area was declared a "State of Emer- gency" by the Governor. The city's mayor declared an emer- gency curfew. Every few minutes the scenario changed, and contin- gencies altered plans, and the abil- ity to moralize shelters and personnel. After a short briefing via a tele- phonic conference call involving all three counties, over 25 San Bernardino Red Cross disaster vol- unteers got right to work. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) quickly turned into chaos as disaster workers strived to man- age the emergency. April Wing, the Emergency Serv- ices Manager for the San Bernardino Chapter of the Red Cross, was assigned the role of "Job Director", and Marta Gastelum Chapter Duty Officer (a Disaster Volunteer) was assigned the responsibility of Operations Manager. Between the two, they directed the operations and the flow of in- formation, following established guidelines, protocols, and proce- dures; that didn't always match up with the circumstances. April stated that "the drill was an exer- cise for the evaluation and assess- ment of the chapter's ability to react, and to provide the adequate staffing necessary to respond to a major disaster". This table top ex- ercise was successful in that it gave newer volunteer workers a taste of a real life situation. Marta Gastelum is an accountant in real life and has been an Amer- ican Red Cross volunteer for over 11 years. Marta actually functions in many capacities in the chapter, as many of the volunteers do. Marta stated that "the disaster ex- ercise was an opportunity to cross- train many of the volunteers in positions they would not have nor- mally been in. “The exercise tested what we already knew, and helped us learn and improve on the things that we didn't know," she said. Towards the end of the exercise several "Mega Shelters" were set up throughout the county. Food and emergency services were being delivered. Several sponta- neous evacuation sites were form- ing in parks, churches, and in large open areas. Several hundred peo- ple have already set up tents. The scenario kept on going through various phases. Disaster workers labored to maintain a structured plan to provide shelter, water, food, and other basic needs to the communities. During the exercise, there were several ob- servers, controllers, and evaluators monitoring the activity. After the exercise, all those in- volved participated in a debriefing and a self evaluation. A real life scenario for San Bernardino is to expect a 7.8 mag- nitude earthquake with shaking for about three minutes, and for the ground to raise about twenty feet up and to fall back down! The key for survival is preparation and ed- ucation. The damage expected would be similar to the scenario in this exercise. Do you know what to do? How do you contact you family mem- bers after an event? Where will you meet after a major disaster? The cities selected in the exercise were selected randomly, and could have very well have been the cities of Highland, Rancho Cucamonga, or Loma Linda. Do you have enough food and water to last you and your family seven days? Do you have enough cash on hand to sustain you when all power is out, and credit cards and ATM machines may not be functioning due to power failure? Do you have enough medication and emergency supplies to last you until pharmacies are open and stores are operable? Do you have First Aid skills and supplies to cope with a crisis? In reality, depending upon the severity of the event, it may take up to seven days for emergency services to be restored and func- tioning, and/or for help to come from outside to the stricken com- munities. We can all remember what happened in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The American Red Cross Inland Empire Chapter is led by CEO Yvette Ramos, who offers free "Earthquake and Disaster Pre- paredness" presentations; along with First Aid CPR classes. Prac- ticing preparedness will give you the ability to stay safe, remain calm while caring for yourself and family during an emergency. Pre- sentations are available for your school, workplace, church, neigh- borhood, homeowners association, or groups; and can be scheduled almost anytime. The American Red Cross is a hu- manitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Con- gressional Charter and the funda- mental principles of the International Red Cross Move- ment, which will provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The American Red Cross receives no monies from the U.S. government and ex- ists only from the generosity of the American people. You can contact the American Red Cross Inland Empire Chapter at (909) 888-1481, Monday to Fri- day 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or by e-mail: [email protected]; and sched- ule your presentation. Spanish speaking presenters are available. IECN PHOTO RICARDO TOMBOC April Wing (right) is the Emergency Services Manager for the San Bernardino Chapter of the Red Cross assigned the role of "Job Director", and Marta Gastelum (left) is a Disaster Volunteer with an official title of Chapter Duty Officer, who was assigned the responsibility of Operations Manager during the disaster exercise. IECN PHOTO RICARDO TOMBOC 24 American Red Cross Volunteer Disaster Workers pose for a photograph after a deferring on a major disaster drill that involved 115,000 displaced San Bernardino County residents that took place at the American Red Cross Inland Empire Chapter in San Bernardino. T he local Ad Club is host- ing a student art auction to benefit its scholarship pro- gram on Thursday evening, May 11 at Cal State San Bernardino, 6 - 9 p.m. The second annual event will be held on campus at the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art. This year’s theme, “When Art and Advertising Collide,” invites students to create a piece of art on blank canvasses that the Ad Club donated to student artists around the Inland Empire. The art pieces will be auctioned at The Art Bash. The event is hosted by the Inland Empire Chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF). Proceeds will benefit winning stu- dents and the Ad Club academic scholarship program. Bidding for art pieces at the silent auction begins at $25. Admission for the evening is $10 for Ad Club members and $15 for the general public. A wine bar and appetizers are included. “This was a very successful event last year,” said Jon Burgess, Pres- ident of the Ad Club. “We are ex- cited to again recognize student artists and grow our scholarship program. Everyone is invited to come out and support this worth- while event.” For more information visit www.aaf-inlandempire.com. Or contact Jacob Poore at CSUSB at [email protected]. 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