Earthquake Preparedness at the Office

W

Wapiti

Joined
Sep 25, 1999
Messages
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Not really a Wilderness related topic, but an indoor surival skill...

I’m finally getting around to building in some earthquake preparedness at my office. Although I only spend about a quarter of my year in my office, I figure it would be good to address this situation, since I have all the other basses covered.

I am a little unsure what to include or how to go about it. Since I don’t spend much time in my office I guess I just don’t have the office- preparedness mindset. But I am hoping you can help me change that. I have done considerable consultation on vehicle , home and personal emergency preparedness, but this just has not be an area I have to put my mind to, yet. I am hoping others here might have already tackled this and have some insight to share.

I am also hoping some folks that have experience in working in collapsed buildings or earthquake situations will jump in with their experiences and thoughts. Of course any other ideas or criticisms are most welcome.

My situation is my office is on the ground floor of a three story classic 1950/60’s bureaucratic cement and wood framed building. My office is on an outside wall of the building and has a floor to ceiling 3’ wide window, so egress seems relatively safe. I am primarily preparing for earthquakes as that is the most plausible large scale emergency I would expect in my area (Cascadia subduction).

Here is what I am considering so far. I am trying to keep it reasonable and not overdo it.
I plan to have two parts to this, a pack based kit for most of the items, and a Rubbermaid tub for some extra items I might not take with me if I leave the building.
I also am trying to keep this kit practical for all seasons.

In tub:
Water- 2 qrts
Food-2 Mt House meals, 1 jar peanut butter
Old hiking boots and heavy boot sox
Old BDU trousers
Old heavy button shirt
Heavy wool emergency blanket
Boxers-1pr
Empty water bladder
Spoon

In Pack:
Water bottle full – 1 qrt
Powerbars-3
Water bottle empty
Esbit stove
Trioxane/hexamine
Mini cook pot and lid
Spoon
Folding knife
Trashbags – 3 black, 1 orange
Headlamp and spare batteries
Radio-crank, solar, etc type
Gloves-both leather and rubber/cloth
N95 masks- 3
Zipties-large, 15
Paracord-50 feet
Duct tape-30’
Gerber multi plier
Fiskers folding saw
Ziplock bags-various
Safety glasses (goggle style)
Hardhat
Caution/hazard tape-30’
TP
Boxers-1pr
Bandana
Wool Toque
Medium towel and washcloth
Floss, toothbrush and paste
EmergenC drink mix-4 packets
City map
Lighter/matches/candle
Poncho
Rite-rain notebook and pencil
Orange safety vest
Lineman’s pliers
6-7” fixed blade knife
6x8’ tarp
Whistle
Silva Ranger compass (w/mirror)
Hand-soap
Hand sanitizer
Twist wire-8’
FA kit-heavy on trauma pads and 4x4s

My main questions are:
Any thoughts on the list so far? Seems like it is bordering on too much. It does all fit, however. Anything you think unnecessary? Anything obvious (or not obvious) that I missed?

Pry bar: Large, small, medium; what would you recommend as a reasonable option. I know a large one translates to more leverage and that is good. But too big and it would be impractical to transport. I was thinking a basic bar at about 24”. But should I add a smaller flat bar (some come with the gas shutoff wrench built in). This one is nice and bright…
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-24-in-Wrecking-Bar-DWHT55129/202985576?N=c24o
I like that it has a more pointed claw, although I may grind it a little sharper to fit in to tight spots.

Hacksaw and blades: Any value to this? I thought it might be handy, but not sure it is worth its weight…this kind seems the most useful, but I find the blade bends easily when I have used them in construction/demo work.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-10-in-Mini-Hacksaw-15-809/100026795

Tin snips: Same thoughts as the hacksaw

Knee pads: Any value to these? Seems like they would be useful (crawling, rescuing, etc.) but will also take up a bit of space in my kit.

I plan to put the pack right next to my desk within easy reach, and the tub will be on the bottom shelf of a bookshelf about 6’ from where I sit.

The funny thing is I already have most of this stuff, left over from other kits or just extra stuff from around the house/shop.

Thanks,
Brome
 
You might consider the pilfer factor in your plans. If a coworker will swipe your pen or sammich... and then there is the cleaning staff who come around when noboby is there.
 
Pack sounds pretty extensive. I think for me I would substitute good cable cutters for linesman pliers/tinsnips.

2 prybars definitely work well together.

A handful of chemlights would also be nice.

Do you drive to work? Maybe some of the more supportive "get home gear" could be kept in car(you did mention car preparedness was good) and indoor gear could be limited to "trapped inside for a day and egress/extrication from collapsed structure". My indoor gear is a couple of flea market prybars and an old scissor jack hidden under floor(raised floor IT). Along with a 1/2 gallon of water and cereal bars/FAK/Chemlights and headlamp in my file drawer.
 
Looks like you've got it pretty well covered, and a very good idea, too, considering where you're situated. About the only thing I'd add would be water purification such as PolarPure or filters, and some of those foldable water bags. Plus some good luck tokens, a flask of whisky and your choice of firearm. (The last time the Cascadia Fault busted loose was on Jan. 26, 1700, and tsunamis hit Japan 10 or 11 hours later, according to records there. Several aboriginal villages along Vancouver Island's west coast were drowned, and there was extensive devastation all along the west coast. Lewis & Clark's journals from about a century later relate evidence of some huge disturbance -- fallen trees, etc. Today the damage will be incalculable, extending from northern Vancouver Island down to northern California. It's not a matter of if, but when...)
 
You had to bring that up, Codger. I am trying to not consider that, too much, because it is always in the back of my head.
I have gear in my vehicles, too. And often wonder about the possibility of theft. It is a very valid, sad, concern.
I do have an office door I lock when I am away, but that is no real barrier from cleaning staff, etc. Any suggestions on guarding against that? If I lock it in the cabinet I keep my field electronics in, it won't be much use to me in an emergency...

I do keep a fairly well rounded amount of gear in my truck, and park well away from the building to try and guard against debris falling on it. I do like your idea, Imalterna, of focusing the office gear on just the building and egress issues.

I will look into the firearms option, but assume it is a no-no in this building; and I think I am comfortable without one.

Good book if you are interested:
Cascadia’s Fault by Thompson

I recommend it as must read for those in the Northwest.
There is a lot of info on the issue, and as hobby geologist, I am pretty versed on it, but that book is fairly well written and covers most of the science without being too dry.
Thanks for all the thoughts so far; keep 'em coming.
 
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Only thing I would suggest is to have the whistle and light on you at all times. If you're pinned and can't move it would be nice to have a whistle in your pocket to call rescuers. The light just always comes in handy and is nice if you don't have emergency lighting. Especially if you're on the can. ;)
 
Excellent point, Shotgun.

I do carry, pretty much all-time-but-in-the-shower (or plane, I guess) a Jetscream whistle, Micro Photon light, Bic w/ductape, cotton bandana and Spyderco Manix (lock back) in my pockets to try and cover those time when I might be away from "the stash".

But, very good reminder about carrying some items on you.
 
I would add an LED flasher light, something that can attract attention from the air. Also, good info to have is where gas lines are, either in or near your building. I understand that in built up areas, most of the earthquake injuries happen from the resulting gas-line fires. if it runs right under your desk, then you know that leaving at the first tremble is your goal!

My priorities would be escape, and then get emergency services, since there will probably be more people hurt than you can look after. I would also consider keeping a case of smaller water bottles in your office. they would be good for rinsing concrete grit and ceiling tile out of peoples eyes.

Does your local fire service have any standing plans? They might include info on emergency shelters/ better constructed buildings, in case you need to leave the building and head somewhere else. Or somewhere to direct your colleagues. Does your office have a head-count protocol? you say you are out of the office lots, would your co-works know if you were away or trapped inside?

Your kit seems to have covered lots of the bases, and by gearing up in an emergency, like it or not, the hard hat and vest will probably give you de-facto command authority.

My thoughts on prybars, if it comes to something like opening doors due to the building shifting a bit, you don't need finesse. Id go with a bigger bar, like a large fu-bar, which also gets you some impact capability. My thought pattern is this. First shocks happen, windows break and everyone evacs. But some of the doors are stuck shut, (I'm guessing a building that age has had some interior wall re-arranged) so if you are the type to go back in, (or get everyone else first) then a big bar saves your energy while you go around clearing the building. A flat bar might then be helpful to you on your walk home (if that's your plan) so have one in your pack. If you drive away, take the big bar, if not, oh well. also, you might not need to open a door, but a wall, and in that case, bigger is better.
 
Interesting question....

Stuff that could be useful to havr in a pack specifically for the event.
- A mask to keep out dust and debris
- Hard hat + long duration headlamp + batteries
- Fire ax/ exfiltration tools/ pry bars
- Rope and pulleys (for moving rubble or exiting out a window)
- Signaling gear in case trapped
- Water + food to shelter in place if trapped
- Lots and lots of first aid gear

Once out have a second kit with the gear to get you home. To save weight you can dump most of the first kit once you are clear of the building.
 
12 years in an Israel Army SAR unit
Specializing in resuce from collapsed buildings or evacuation from gas attacks
Collapsed from rockets or earthquakes

If there is an eathquake, then OUT OUT OUT
you have seconds.......
Reality is you do not have time to get any gear out

3 Senarios:
Trapped
Your building collapses and loss of the building contents
The infrastuctue collapses, you have your building and its contents

Plan for the third senario
Three days for the relief to get organized
Water, canned protein food, and cracker
Basic tent shelter and sleeping bag
If winters are cold, then fire stuff

Are you a rescuer?
Then rescue gear
But as you write you are not........
So work gloves and simple dust masks
 
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Very comprehensive pack/kit.

My only comments are in line with Neeman's above; get out of the structure if you can, but if the likely scenario is that you are trapped and unable to move? Also, in terms of accessibility, what if you are in another part of the building/structure when the event happens and you can't get to your gear in time?

That's why always with me, literally worn on my person is my Urban Ready keychain which has my version of the 5 C's of Personal Readiness.

EDC.jpg


1. Cut - A SAK (Swiss Army Knife) Explorer. Good selection of tools at the just the right size and can be carried almost anywhere.

2. Combustion - a Bic lighter (in sheath)

3. Cord - 10" long paracord. The "chain" should be knotted in such a way as to be quickly deployed if needed for emergencies.

4. Call Attention - For signalling, a metal whistle and small coin-battery flashlight near carabiner attachment.

5. Convenient Carry - All packaged small and compact enough to be brought along always, attached to your pants or inside your EDC bag.

In the office setting however, the knife and rope "cord" might not be too acceptable.

For dust masks, 3M's N95 model has very fine filter for particulates.

Rubber-lined work gloves are also of benefit; crude insulator both for open, dislodged wires as well as other liquids when groping about in confined dark spaces. Get a high-visibility color like yellow or orange.
 
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I am not sure I understand the purpose of the pack. Where are you going? Home? Mexico? How far? I would concentrate on some basic food, a few things like pry bars (several), leather gloves, wire cutters, perhaps rubber boots if you envision electrical issues, water, a portable cooking stove or even not so portable if you leave it at the office (like a Coleman stove). Blankets, tarp, good walking boots, and so forth in the tub... Definitely a pack of 3M masks with the N95 filter. They aren't bad.

I'd take a look at the building from a strength stand point and make my plans on that basis.
 
All very good ideas to think about.

I like the point to review the structural specs and gas routing for the building. That would be good to know.

Neeman: I appreciate you jumping in with your experience; very valuable.

I like your base kit, untamed. I have always kept my items separate, though.
I have lanyards tied to each one, but none of them are tied together. For some reason I thought that might keep me from losing the whole kit and caboodle. Of course I guess I am more likely to lose one part of it… Anyways, it works for me. (I also find it easier to retrieve just the one tool I need when I need one item, which I often do).

I base all my emergency preparedness kits on packs.
That comes from my need to have as much multi-functionality built in as possible.
I need something to organize and contain the items I think might be useful. A duffle, or tub would work, but they are more challenging to transport if I need to or can.
I may not be able to or need to take it with me, but if I can, I would prefer the option over the limitation.
The same tools that might help me here in my office might help me somewhere else in the building, outside, or somewhere down the road (on the way home, or Mexico-well, maybe not Mexico). I would like the option to take at least some of it with me.

I wear a pack (or field vest/”pest”) more days of my life than I don’t, between work and non-work, so it just comes naturally to me to organize my stuff into packs, I guess.

My experience has been, if I prepare to help myself that does make me someone many people turn to in an emergency, time and time again. Even when some of those same folks kind of rib me, prior to the emergency, about my preparations.
It is all good.

So I am not planning to be a “rescuer” or a person in command, but as some have pointed out it just ends up happening. And I have no problem helping others within my training and comfort zone, of course always yielding to those with more advanced training.

I think I will shift some of this gear to my vehicle kits, to round them out, instead of keeping it all in my office. That will lighten the amount of stuff I might have to carry, and it makes sense.
Good suggestions.

Thanks again,
Brome
 
The pack is fine, it is a matter of all the stuff you are including in that pack. I'd put most of that in a Rubbermaid tub and store it there. I would think you'd weather the initial event, hopefully free yourself and help others free themselves from the office building if necessary, and either jump in your car or start walking (with a back pack). Once you have all of this stuff collected and you know what's there, you can pick and choose what goes into the pack after some of the basics are covered based on the emergency.

The hard hat is a good idea, but I would put it in the tub and then wear it if you have to hike out on your way home.
 
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