Communities Should Have Plans to Seek Help
from Local Healthcare Providers in Case of a Disaster

by Don Farkas

January 29, 2004

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Communities Should Have Plans to Seek Help from
Local Healthcare Providers in Case of a Disaster

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This January marked the tenth anniversary of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, and is a good time to review some of the hard learned lessons from that earthquake. Many seismologists believe the degree of risk that an even larger earthquake will hit the Los Angeles area in the future is probably substantial. In 1995, the United States Geological Survey estimated that the chance of a large earthquake (over 7.0 on the Richter Scale) hitting Los Angeles before the year 2025 was 86%. The risk of fatalities, injuries, and damage due to such a large quake would be substantially greater than occurred due to the "moderate" sized 1994 Northridge earthquake, which was measured at 6.7 magnitude. In 1995, researchers from Stanford University and the quake mitigation firm of Risk Management Solutions jointly announced their estimate that a prospective 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Los Angeles would cause between 3,000 to 8,000 fatalities, and up to 20,000 injuries.

Some insight as to the types of injuries that might occur, and the kinds of preparations that may be useful, can be obtained by reviewing the tragic toll of the1994 Northridge earthquake. In that earthquake, 72 persons were determined to have died from causes attributed to the earthquake although 30 of those deaths (42%) were due to heart attacks classified as "indirectly" earthquake related. Another 22 persons (30%) died due to collapse of structures, including 16 who died in the collapse of the Northridge Meadows Apartments, 4 who died due to structural collapse at three, separate, wood frame, single family homes, 1 who died in the collapse of a mobile home, and 1 who died while riding a motorcycle over a collapsing freeway overpass.

Other types of injuries were more sporadic. These include 6 persons who died for reasons related to falls. 3 died after being hit or buried by non-structural items in their homes (i.e., microwave oven, books). 3 persons died due to power failure of mechanical ventilators. 3 persons died due to traffic accidents, including 2 who died at two, separate intersections having disabled traffic signals and 1 who died after overturning at an earthquake-caused break in the road. 2 persons died due to exposure, 1 died due to electrocution while attempting to remove a power line that had fallen on his car. 1 woman died due to smoke inhalation after a fire started from a ruptured gas line. 1 man died due to suicide after finding his business destroyed.

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the American Red Cross analyzed data from the 102 Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County hospitals and determined that 10,802 persons were treated at local hospital Emergency Rooms and released while another 1,044 persons were admitted for hospitalization. Approximate percentages of medical problems were as follows: 31 percent of the presenting injuries consisted of lacerations while 29 percent were due to other soft tissue or orthopedic injuries, consisting of approximately 45% sprains, 30% fractures, 20% contusions, and 4% shoulder dislocations. 10 percent of hospital visits were due to cardiovascular conditions including chest pain, dysrhythmia, hypertension, and cardiac arrest. 7 percent were complaints of gastrointestinal problems. 5 percent were psychiatric and neurological complaints including anxiety and seizures. 5 percent were respiratory problems including asthma attacks, toxic inhalation, and respiratory infections. 3 percent were obstetrical problems including threatened spontaneous abortion, pre-term labor, and labor. Only one burn injury was treated despite the numerous fires that occurred after the earthquake.

The data regarding the moderate sized Northridge earthquake seems to illustrate that injuries resulting from an earthquake affecting a city as large as Los Angeles has the potential to overwhelm the capacity of paramedics, ambulances, and available hospitals and emergency rooms. There would also likely be substantial delays for persons obtaining emergency medical treatment, even if all existing hospitals and emergency rooms remained fully operational after such a quake. In actuality, hospital closures may be anticipated to occur as was the case after the 1994 Northridge earthquake in which eleven hospitals were completely or partially closed due to earthquake damage. It is easy to see why simple measures to prevent injuries (such as properly securing structures to foundations, installing structural bracing and shear walls where appropriate, supporting or reinforcing masonry, installing proper earthquake restraints to furniture and appliances such as microwaves and water heaters, and teaching people how to turn off electrical, gas, and water service when disrupted) are essential.

The "Community Emergency Plan" that volunteers from several communities in the Bel Air-Beverly Crest area have been working towards implementing over the past year or so, calls, in part, for participating neighborhoods to ask local health care providers (e.g., doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.) to be on an emergency contact list that could be consulted in the event of a major disaster. Assistance from those health care providers would be sought only in the event of some cataclysmic happening such as a massive earthquake and only when normal paramedic, ambulance, or hospital services were not otherwise obtainable. The plan is that a contact list of these health care providers would be stored for reference at each of the community's designated "Command Posts." The goal of this precautionary measure is to help save valuable time in locating medical help, if there is no other recourse available.

Anyone who has any questions or comments is invited to contact or call:

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Don Farkas

BABC Public Safety Committee Chairman

Email: donfarkas@belairmail.com

Phone - (310) 472-4822

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