Emergency Preparedness and Response Division

• What is emergency preparedness?

  Answer:  Emergency preparedness means taking action to be ready for emergencies before they happen. It involves advanced plans and actions necessary to respond to a possible disaster. Emergency plans are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect a continually changing environment.

• What can county residents do to prepare for public health emergencies?

  Answer:  At a minimum, families should maintain a 72-hour emergency kit, a family emergency contact list, and a meeting place in case of separation. Make sure each member of your family knows what to do no matter where they are when an emergencysuch as an earthquakeoccurs. In your home, know where your gas, electric and water main shutoffs are and how to turn them off. Also, get to know your neighbors, and put an action plan in place of how they can help you and vice versa.

• What should be in an emergency supply kit?

  Answer:  Everyones kit will look different, but most kits should include the following: emergency contact information, first aid kit, water, matches or a lighter, food (non-perishable), medicines, blanket, comfortable and sturdy shoes, change of clothes, battery-powered radio, glasses, flashlight, cash, non-electric can opener, and a bottle opener. Ideally, your kit will also include prescription names and dosages; names, addresses, and phone numbers of doctors; and detailed information about your prescriptions.

• Are emergency preparedness exercises effective?

  Answer:  Yes; they have proven to be effective and life-saving for many decades. The emergency response to the 1989 San Francisco earthquake demonstrated that good training, drills and exercises are the key to success.

• How real is the threat of bioterrorism?

  Answer:  That is difficult to assess and we have no evidence that Los Angeles County would be targeted for such an attack, but with such a large population the possibility of an attack cannot be ignored. We do know that the technology to produce and use dangerous biological agents is potentially available to people who might be willing to use them. Because the consequences of such an attack could be devastating, we need to be prepared to respond as quickly and effectively as possible.

• Why are we spending money and resources on bioterrorism when we have other immediate health needs?

  Answer:  The effects of bioterrorism are so potentially devastating that we need to do all we can to prepare for a possible attack. However, most of what we do to strengthen our public health system against bioterrorist attacks also strengthens our ability to respond to emerging infectious diseases and other health emergencies.

• Should gas masks be part of the 72-hour emergency kit?

  Answer:  No; it is discouraged. Unless a mask is worn all the time, which is both impractical and dangerous, it will not protect one against the release of biological agents. Improper use of gas masks can cause serious injury or accidental suffocation, especially among persons with heart or lung disease.

• Is the countys water supply safe from a public health disaster?

  Answer:  It is believed that methods already in place to filter and clean the drinking water supply are effective against most biological agents. Chlorine protects drinking water from waterborne bacteria. Also, the large quantity of water supply would significantly dilute a biological agent.

• Should I store antibiotics to protect my family and me against bioterrorism?

  Answer:  No. Using antibiotics without a doctors prescription may cause harmful effects. Antibiotics have a limited shelf life with expiration dates. Lastly, stockpiling could lead to shortages of national supplies that are maintained by the federal government for delivery in the event of a bioterrorist attack.

• What is anthrax?

  Answer:  Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by a spore-forming bacterium. It most commonly occurs in grazing animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats. Infection can occur following the intentional release of anthrax spores as a biological weapon.

• Whatever happened to smallpox and the smallpox vaccination program?

  Answer:  Smallpox is a highly contagious and deadly disease for which there is no treatment. More than 30 years ago there was a successful worldwide vaccination program, and the World Health Organization was able to declare smallpox eliminated in 1980. However, samples of smallpox exist in some laboratories and there is concern that terrorists may have obtained smallpox to develop as a biological weapon. In 2002, to strengthen our national defense against a possible smallpox attack, the federal government directed states to begin vaccinating limited numbers of people who could immediately provide essential medical and health services should a potential smallpox case be detected. Due to risks associated with the smallpox vaccination, the federal government has not made it available to the general public. However, large amounts of smallpox vaccine have stockpiled and are ready to be used if necessary. The vaccine protects a person even when given two to three days after exposure to the disease and may prevent a fatal outcome even when given as late as four to five days after exposure.

• Can animals predict earthquakes?

  Answer:  That is an old wives tale. Anecdotal evidence abounds of animals, fish, birds, reptiles, and insects exhibiting strange behavior anywhere from weeks to seconds before an earthquake. However, consistent and reliable behavior prior to seismic events, and a mechanism explaining how it could work, still eludes us.

• Do you make presentations to groups on emergency preparedness?

  Answer:  Yes, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is available for presentations to local groups and organizations. To arrange, please call us at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

• How can I help ensure that my family and neighbors help one another in the event of an emergency?

  Answer:  You cant make the horse drink the water, but there are things to do to improve the chances. First, find out whats going on in your neighborhood. Get to know the people on your block, exchange contact information, learn the resources they may have to offer, and any special needs they may have. Secondly, you may want to consider being an Emergency Preparedness Block Captain for your local homeowners association or group.

• Can you predict earthquakes?

  Answer:  No scientist has ever successfully predicted a major earthquake. Some psychics boast they have correctly predicted major earthquakes, but they are usually more accurate after the event. In the real world, probabilities can be calculated for potential future quakes. Scientists estimate that the probability of a major earthquake in Southern California in the next 30 years is 60%.

• Are earthquakes more prevalent certain times of the day, month, year?

  Answer:  No. Earthquakes are equally as likely to occur at any time of the day, month or year.

• Can the ground open up during an earthquake?

  Answer:  Shallow crevasses can form during earthquake-induced landslides or other types of ground failures. Faults, however, do not open up during an earthquake. Movement occurs along the plane of a fault, not perpendicular to it. If faults opened up, no earthquake would occur because there would be no friction to lock them together.

• Do earthquakes cause volcanoes?

  Answer:  Earthquakes may occur in an area before, during, or after a volcanic eruption, but they are the result of the active forces connected with the eruption, and not the cause of the volcanic activity.

• Can a large earthquake be prevented by lubricating a fault with water or other materials?

  Answer:  Injecting high-pressure fluids deep into the ground could trigger an earthquake sooner than would have been the case without the injection. This would be a dangerous pursuit in a populated area.