Emergency Preparedness

Dear Friend of the LAFD:

It's been 12 years since that brisk January morning when the ground rumbled beneath the Los Angeles suburban community of Northridge.

In time, most will know the Northridge Earthquake merely by statistics. However, to the families and friends of those killed or injured in the quake and its aftermath, and to the countless members of our community whose lives were disrupted or homes disheveled, there will be indelible and often painful memories.

Yet the purpose of this message is not merely to remember this natural disaster, but also to frankly remind you that much remains to be done in personal, family, home, neighborhood, community, school and workplace preparedness.

Because disasters will come.

In the words of a well-respected Los Angeles Fire Department Assistant Chief, "the only thing that outnumbers disasters in our region are the excuses offered by people not to prepare for them".

And so along with a simple reminder that "Disaster Preparedness" information remains available at all times via a prominent pull-down menu on the LAFD.ORG Home Page:

http://www.lafd.org

...we kindly ask you and your loved ones to take a moment this week to better understand and prepare for earthquakes through a fantastic website and companion publication from our friends at the Southern California Earthquake Center:

http://www.earthquakecountry.info

...and:

http://www.earthquakecountry.info/roots/roots.html

We're confident that like us, you'll learn a thing or two about earthquakes, while finding simple low-cost ways of minimizing their impact.

Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,

Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department

LAFD Home Page: http://www.lafd.org
LAFD News Blog: http://www.lafd.org/blog.htm