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Earthquakes
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| General Information What is an earthquake? An earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the ground caused by the breaking and shifting of rock beneath the Earth's surface. This shaking can cause buildings and bridges to collapse; disrupt gas, electric, and phone service; and sometimes trigger landslides, avalanches, flash floods, fires, and huge, destructive ocean waves (tsunamis). Buildings with foundations resting on unconsolidated landfill, old waterways, or other unstable soil are most at risk. Buildings or trailers and manufactured homes not tied to a reinforced foundation anchored to the ground are also at risk since they can be shaken off their mountings during an earthquake. Earthquakes can occur at any time of the year. What hazards are associated with earthquakes? When an earthquake occurs in a populated area, it may cause deaths and injuries and extensive property damage. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most earthquake-related injuries result from collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects as a result of the ground shaking, or people trying to move more than a few feet during the shaking. Much of the damage in earthquakes is predictable and preventable. What are aftershocks? Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that follow the main shock and can cause further damage to weakened buildings. After-shocks can occur in the first hours, days, weeks, or even months after the quake. Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks, and a larger earthquake might occur. What can I do to prepare before an earthquake occurs?
Collapsed structures are a common result of earthquakes. Rescue workers and emergency responders may have to enter collapsed structures to perform search and rescue activities, and it is vital that they perform their duties safely. What is a collapsed structure? When internal load bearing structural elements fail, a building will collapse into itself and exterior walls are pulled into the falling structure. This scenario may be caused by construction activity, an earthquake or fire and may result in a dense debris field with a small footprint. Alternatively, if the structural failure is caused by an explosion or natural forces such as weather, the building may collapse in an outward direction resulting in a less dense and scattered debris field. Who enters a collapsed structure?  Following
a catastrophic failure of a structure,
rescue workers and emergency responders may be required
to enter the collapsed structure. Emergency responders
include firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians,
construction workers and government representatives. Emergency
responders may be responsible for assisting survivors,
extinguishing fires, shutting off utilities, assessing
structural instabilities, shoring-up safe paths into the
structure and assessment of other hazards such as airborne
contaminants. Rescue workers such as Urban Search and Rescue
Teams focus on finding survivors and later removing victims
from collapsed structures. Organizing Rescue Workers and Emergency Responders What is the organizational structure for the response to these events? Although these catastrophic events may initially be quite chaotic, eventually site management will be under a unified command such as the recognized Incident Command Structure. Local responders and rescuers will obviously respond first with the State requesting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance if warranted. A trained Structures Specialist from Urban Search and Rescue will be responsible for:
Once the Incident Command System is established at a collapsed structure, the Incident Commander maintains accountability for all response personnel at the scene. A Safety Officer may also be mobilized and report directly to the Incident Commander. The Safety Officer is responsible for monitoring and assessing the safety aspects of the responders during the collapsed structure event. The Safety Officer’s responsibilities may include: 
The following hazards should be considered in order to protect rescue workers and emergency responders when preparing to enter a collapsed structure: 
Page last updated: 01/22/2010
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