How Santa Clara is Preparing for the Next Big Earthquake
Students and Campus Safety offer insights on earthquake readiness
To address Santa Clara’s geographical predisposition to earthquakes, Campus Safety has implemented a number of procedures that ensure campus earthquake preparedness. The Great Shakeout Earthquake drill, for example, will be held on Oct. 20.
Even with the recent lull in Bay Area earthquake activity, the past 120 years have included some of California’s more notable earthquakes. In fact, Santa Clara archives contain references to how campus was impacted by two major earthquakes. The first of which occurred in 1906 and resulted in students sleeping outdoors due to structural damage in the dormitories. The Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 resulted in damage to the library, but the rest of campus was relatively unscathed.
Earthquakes pose a real and constant risk to campus due to Santa Clara’s proximity to three major fault lines. The California Earthquake Authority reports a 76% likelihood that a 7.0 magnitude earthquake will strike near Santa Clara within the next 22 years.
“Unlike other natural disasters, earthquakes strike with no warning. Because of this, earthquake preparedness is something Campus Safety Services promotes on the emergency planning webpage, and annually with the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill,” said Tyler Masamori, Santa Clara’s emergency planning manager. “On the day of the drill, SCU Bronco Alert will be utilized to send an SMS text, email, and a pre-recorded drill message to campus Cisco phones, and through the emergency blue phone system on campus.”
In the event of a severe earthquake, Campus Safety can offer immediate medical response to injured persons and conduct building assessments for possible damage.
“Other services include emergency preparedness presentations for students, tabletop exercises for staff and faculty, and emergency food and shelter options on campus,” Masamori said.
Santa Clara ensures building safety through the Preventative Maintenance Program that is managed by Building Maintenance. This program schedules services such as monthly building inspections and the bracing of equipment and furniture to be completed at specific times throughout the year.
After speaking to several Santa Clara students, most are generally comfortable with the structural integrity of campus buildings and believe they are safe when occupying those spaces.
“There’s nothing I would point to at Santa Clara and say ‘I feel unsafe’ in that,” said Zack Hage, a senior student. “Though I haven’t been at this school for too long, I haven’t noticed any creaky floorboards in the classrooms I’ve been in or seen anything questionable in that nature.”
Some students, however, feel more comfortable knowing that Santa Clara has an emergency action plan. Senior Arjun Singh, despite feeling safe in campus structures and trusting university staff, believes that university protocols may play an important role in keeping students safe.
“We might need to have more of a sanctioned plan if this is becoming a risk in California because as of now I’m unaware of SCU’s protocol in these situations,” Singh said.
Santa Clara recommends that students download the MyShake App to receive early earthquake warnings for the West Coast. In the event of an earthquake, Masamori emphasizes the following steps students should take:
Drop, Cover, Hold On is the best practice to keep yourself safe during an earthquake.
"The greatest danger is from falling and flying objects," Masamori said. Be mindful of unsecured items and, if outside, falling glass or other debris from buildings.
Relocate to your designated Emergency Assembly Point as safely as possible.