San Francisco Apartment Association

Feature

American Red Cross Prepares the Bay Area

by Joyce Perry

Since the great quake of April 1906, residents have looked to the American Red Cross for disaster-prevention education and relief. Following the magnitude 7.7 to 7.9 quake, thousands of San Franciscans relied on the American Red Cross for food, shelter, first aid, funds and supplies. According to Dr. George Blumer, an eyewitness whose story is preserved in the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco, no grocery stores were open and most of the banks were in the fire zone, which left people completely dependent on Red Cross distribution stations to meet their basic needs.

Frederick H. Collins, another 1906 eyewitness whose memories are recorded in the Virtual Museum, recalls the story of a Red Cross volunteer named Mrs. Young. Struck by the horror of dozens of newborn babies being clothed in rolled-up old coats or rags, she decided to volunteer with the Red Cross and find clothing for them. According to the report, she clothed 18 infants in one day.

Implications for Property Owners
The quake and the resulting fire in many ways laid the groundwork for the American Red Cross preparedness training that exists today. Had property owners known the importance of securing their buildings, teaching residents to shut off gas, and basic safety and first aid, they might have prevented some of the estimated 3,000 deaths that day and possibly limited the severity of property damage.

Instead, more than 50 fires burned at one time on the morning of the earthquake, causing $350 million in property damage, more than 10 times the $24 million in damage caused by the quake itself. One of these fires, now known as the “Ham and Eggs” fire, began when a mother started a fire in her stove to cook breakfast without realizing that her chimney had caved in from the quake. The destruction of the Mission District and Hayes Valley, including the Mechanics Pavilion and City Hall, is attributed to this one fire.
Further lessons were learned when the magnitude 7.1 Loma Prieta quake shook the Bay Area on October 17, 1989, damaging 16,000 San Francisco-based rental units in its wake. Following that disaster, the American Red Cross served more than 211,000 meals in two weeks; and it set up dozens of shelters, which provided temporary housing for 6,000 people.

The Association of Bay Area Governments has estimated that another large quake on the San Andreas Fault could leave 82,354 multifamily units uninhabitable. A repeat of San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake, or a slightly smaller magnitude 6.9 rupture of the entire Hayward Fault, could result in as many as 150,000 uninhabitable units. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there is a 62% probability of at least one magnitude 6.7 or greater quake striking the San Francisco Bay region before 2030. Taking action based on the likelihood of another large quake could help save your tenants’ lives and will ensure that they know what to do when it strikes.

A great concern is “soft-story” construction: wood-frame buildings in which apartments sit atop a parking structure or open commercial space. According to ABAG, over half a million Bay Area residents live in such buildings. These buildings are of particular concern because they often house those who are most economically and physically vulnerable. Estimates from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute show that these buildings house 300,000 people in San Francisco alone.

Prepare Bay Area
Seeking to save lives and prevent property damage, the American Red Cross Bay Area (ARCBA) has launched “Prepare Bay Area,” a three-year campaign to motivate at least one million local residents and business owners to make a plan, build a kit and get training in first aid or CPR. Information on how to complete these three steps is available at www.preparebayarea.com.

Bay Area preparedness levels are directly dependent upon individuals and companies working together. For example, hundreds of Red Cross youth volunteers have helped their communities by assisting elderly and low-income people with nonstructural retrofitting, including installing water and heat straps, cabinet latches, and smoke detectors as well as removing fire hazards. They have also provided education on the importance of emergency preparedness.

Recognizing the unique cultural needs in the Bay Area, ARCBA has established a Latino and an Asian Preparedness Program. This need also surfaced after the 1906 earthquake, when thousands of Chinese immigrants received shelter from the Red Cross.

Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast in August 2005, displayed the importance of preparedness as never before. It required the largest mobilization of volunteers in Red Cross history. Hundreds of ARCBA volunteers were needed to assist with feeding and shelter operations.

Though many years have passed since 1906, ARCBA continues to meet many of the same emergency-relief needs today. The biggest difference is the organization’s emphasis on preparedness. “Those apartment owners who act now can help save lives and protect their properties,” said Harold Brooks, CEO of ARCBA. “The greatest tragedy that could happen to the Bay Area would be for residents and business owners not to be prepared.” Find out the critical role that you can play by calling your local Red Cross chapter at 888-4 HELP BAY (888-443-5722).

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Joyce Perry served as a member of the American Red Cross Bay Area Communications Task Force during the early 1990s. Since that time, she has assisted the organization with public affairs for Hurricane Katrina and two smaller relief efforts in Northern California. Copyright © 2006 by the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.