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AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE the Milpitas Fire Department Office of Emergency Services recommends that that you take these first steps:
- Check on those around you. You'll find first aid instructions in the front pages of your telephone directory.
- Along with important first aid instructions, you'll find information about checking and, if necessary, securing your home utilities in the 'Survival Guide' section at the front of your telephone directory.
- Use a fire extinguisher to put out small fires. Do not use water on electrical or gas fed fires. If you can't put the fire out quickly, get everyone out of the building right away, call 9-1-1 from outside, and don’t go back in for any reason.
- Look and listen for leaking natural gas. If you smell gas in a building, open the windows and doors and move everyone outside.
- Closely inspect your building's foundation, walls, and chimney. Look and listen for any signs of imminent collapse.
- Treat all downed and exposed wires as energized and potentially lethal, and avoid contact with liquids or fumes from any spilled household chemicals.
Please read and follow these instructions carefully and only turn off power, water or gas service when indicated.
The Police and Fire Departments know about the earthquake and are busy responding to the most serious problems first. You can help them by only using 9-1-1 to report a life-threatening emergency. Do not call 9-1-1 to ask questions.
Please.…stay off the telephone.…including your cell phone at this time.…unless you are reporting a life-threatening injury or fire. Unnecessary calls to report the earthquake or to check on friends or relatives at this time could keep life-saving calls to 9-1-1 from getting through.
We remind local residents to prepare for more earthquake activity. If indoors when the shaking starts again, protect yourself by staying away from windows and taking cover under a sturdy piece of furniture or by an inside wall. Cover your head and neck with your arms and hold on until the shaking stops.
If you're outdoors when an aftershock begins, stay in the open away from buildings, bridges, signs and overhead wires. If you're in a car, pull over and stop at the first safe spot you come to, being careful to avoid similar hazards while remaining in your vehicle.
We encourage everyone to limit travel after an earthquake and to avoid the temptation to sightsee. If you must travel, please do so slowly and with extreme caution. Be certain to yield for emergency vehicles and treat all darkened traffic signals as four-way stops.
Along with family and friends, please review the emergency self-help instructions in the front pages of your telephone book. Monitor the City of Milpitas’ radio station at 1620 AM and cable television channel 15 for emergency information and updates.
To become better prepared for the aftermath of earthquakes and other emergencies…
- Join your neighborhood Strategic Actions For Emergencies (S.A.F.E) team.
- SAFE is the Community Emergency Response Team program in the City of Milpitas.
- Participants learn fire suppression, triage and first aid, light search and rescue, and team operations over seven weekday evenings and a Saturday drill.
- Graduates receive personal protective equipment, are assigned to the SAFE team in their neighborhood, and have access to strategically located caches of tools and supplies. SAFE teams are an integral part of the emergency response apparatus in our City.
Phone 408-586-2810 or email SAFE@ci.milpitas.ca.gov.
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