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Earthquake preparedness report being met with criticism

Governor Jay Inslee will be given a report Wednesday about how the state should prepare for a catastrophic earthquake.

KIRO 7 got an advance copy of the results, which are being met with some criticism.

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In the report, the subcommittee, put together by Inslee last fall, said they were constrained by a short time frame, zero funding and no additional staff.

And they were told by the governor to prioritize quick, cheap options, as opposed to longer-range, expensive solutions.

For instance, instead of identifying schools that are at risk of collapsing and budgeting money to fix them, the report favors mandatory earthquake drills in schools, which are currently optional.

That raises some eyebrows, especially in the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Mexico, where 19 children were killed when their school collapsed.

Here are some other quick-fix recommendations from the report:

  • Contracts for fuel: Negotiating advance contracts with refineries, to provide fuel after a major earthquake.
  • Train engineers: Training and certifying engineers to conduct quick assessments of damage to buildings.
  • Preps for small businesses: Establishing a group to help small businesses prepare.
  • Evaluate hospitals: Evaluating hospitals' preparedness.

There has been some criticism about these recommendations, because a thorough evaluation a few years ago showed the state's response plans were "grossly inadequate,” and there are no long-term plans to improve infrastructure.

Some say these points could lay a foundation for the Legislature to get serious about funding earthquake preparedness.

Cox Media Group

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