City working to prepare for potential future earthquake activity

The City of Dallas is working to develop contingency plans to deal with future seismic activity in the wake of numerous small earthquakes, including a 3.5 temblor felt in Dallas recently. Office of Emergency Management Director Rocky Vaz said the City is prepared to respond to any future earthquake emergencies.

“The city conducts multiple exercises each year and we’ve developed potential earthquake scenarios to better prepare departments for a future emergency,” Vaz said. “We want to be sure that we’re ready to handle any public safety, infrastructure and utility restoration issues that may come up as the result of a future seismic event,” he said.

What should you do during an earthquake? Here are some suggestions:

Be sure to have an emergency kit that includes items such as bottled water, several days’ worth of food, a flashlight, a first aid kit, pet food, and a battery powered radio (see the full list at www.Ready.gov)

Fasten shelves securely to walls
Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves
Locate safe spots in each room under a sturdy table or against an inside wall
Hold earthquake drills with your family members: Drop, cover and hold on!
- DROP to your hands and knees
- COVER your head and neck with your arms and only move if you need to get away from the danger of falling objects
- HOLD ON to any sturdy shelter until the shaking stops