San Francisco Chief Resiliency Officer and USGS Expert to Address Businesses at Free Earthquake Summit

News provided by

Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)

Oct 30, 2015, 02:59 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)® and the Bay Area Earthquake Country Alliance will present QuakeSmart® Earthquake Business Preparedness Summits in Dublin and San Francisco on November 3 and November 4. The San Francisco Summit will feature Chief Resiliency Officer Patrick Otellini who will discuss the successful Earthquake Safety Implementation Program. U.S. Geological Survey Seismologist David Schwartz will speak at both summits regarding the risk and likely outcomes of an earthquake in the Bay Area. Other experts will discuss the response implications of a large-scale disaster, as well as specific, actionable steps businesses can take to improve preparedness and avoid business interruption.

The Quake Cottage earthquake simulator will be on hand for attendees to experience shaking similar to a large magnitude earthquake. The Cottage has been featured on major television programs including Dateline and Anderson Live. The experience helps demonstrate the importance of securing items in homes, schools, and workplaces to prevent injury and damage.

The Summits will continue a series of free earthquake damage prevention summits offered nationally that feature the FEMA QuakeSmart Community Resilience Program. QuakeSmart provides comprehensive earthquake assessments, and engineering and retrofit information designed to keep businesses open after a seismic event. Summit attendees will complete initial QuakeSmart assessments, and learn how to budget for business retrofit projects. The information is relevant for all personnel, especially business owners and managers, facility managers, maintenance staff, risk managers, and anyone with disaster preparedness responsibilities. The summits are free but registration is required.

Summit co-presenters include the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, Bay Area Earthquake Alliance, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Disaster Resistant Business Toolkit, ETC Building & Design, FEMA, FLASH, Safe-T-Proof Earthquake Fasteners, San Francisco Division of Emergency Services, and Simpson Strong-Tie Co.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
East Bay QuakeSmart Business Preparedness Summit
Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Services
4985 Broder Blvd
Dublin, CA 94568
Assembly Room

Wednesday, November 4, 2015, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
San Francisco QuakeSmart Business Preparedness Summit
The San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Koret Auditorium, Lower Level
Editor's note: This is not a Library sponsored program.

Contact Barbara Harrison at [email protected] to attend the summits, or visit earthquakesummit.com to register.

About FLASH
Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. FLASH collaborates with more than 120 innovative and diverse partners that share its vision of making America a more disasterresilient nation including: BASF, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida Division of Emergency Management, The Home Depot®, International Code Council, Kohler® Generators, National Weather Service, Portland Cement Association, Simpson Strong-Tie®, State Farm™, and USAA®. In 2008, FLASH® and Disney opened the interactive weather experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes® in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Learn more about FLASH and gain access to its free consumer resources by visiting www.flash.org or calling (877) 221- SAFE (7233). Also, get timely safety tips to ensure that you and your family are protected from natural and manmade disasters by subscribing to the FLASH blog – Protect Your Home in a FLASH, and following the FLASH Twitter and Facebook accounts.

SOURCE Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)