Prepare Tierrasanta

Forming a Preparedness Culture in Tierrasanta

What you can do before the next wildfire, earthquake or other emergency

PREPAREDNESS

OUR MISSION:

To educate Tierrasanta community members on emergency preparedness, how to prepare, and what to do in an earthquake and wildfire, and other emergency situations.

In doing so, residents:

Embody the principle that they are their own “first responder”
Are prepared and empowered so they can properly respond in an emergency

OUR TEAM:

We are new. We are forming our team of volunteers, our construct, our website, and our priorities. Please focus on the General Preparedness section of this website.

DETAILS

Tierrasanta Community Council approves forming a Disaster Committee – Press Release April 2, 2025

The Tierrasanta Community Council (TCC) officially approved the formation of a Disaster Preparedness Committee. This was done for or multiple reasons, including the recent devastating fires in the LA area and the risk of catastrophic earthquakes in the San Diego region. The committee will educate Tierrasanta community members on emergency preparedness, how to prepare, and what to do in disasters and emergency situations.

“Our community of 32,000 people deserve to live in a population where a real preparedness-culture exists.” stated TCC President Chris Shamoon. “We have seen how people work together when faced with a disaster. The Prepare Tierrasanta program, under the leadership of the Disaster Preparedness Committee, will enable people to better prepare, respond and help each other in an emergency situation.”

To develop a preparedness culture the new TCC committee will use communications and collaboration in manner that simplifies preparedness actions. They will develop a website of knowledge and provide opportunities for people to learn the latest information that will help us all when the next emergency or disaster comes near.

NOTICE
The information presented and electronically linked to in this program and website is believed to be accurate and of practical value in preparing for a

disaster, however, no guarantee can be given that the guidance presented will provide protection. PREPARE TIERRASANTA, The County of San Diego, the County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services, the Unified San Diego County Emergency Services Organization, the Unified Disaster Council and each organization’s officers, employees, and agents, assume no legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product, or process disclosed herein, or for any injuries or damages arising from any disaster or occurrence giving rise to the use or application of the information, products or processes described or disclosed herein.

PREPAREDNESS TRAINING

Earthquake activity in San Diego County has doubled over that of the preceding 50 years. Since all of these earthquakes have been minor in intensity, most San Diegians are not very concerned. The likelihood of a major earthquake on the Rose Canyon Fault in the next decade is low, less than 10%. But please read on…

Studies suggest the largest credible earthquake predicted for Tierrasanta is a magnitude M7.2 on the Rose Canyon Fault going right through San Diego. See the planning scenario map of a M6.9 hypothetical earthquake below. (Tierrasanta is under the “g” of Diego.) This would be a catastrophic earthquake for the region.

In this scenario, shaking in Tierrasanta could be between Moderate / Strong / Very Strong and damage might be Light to moderate depending on many factors.

A large earthquake like this will damage buildings, cause broken gas and water lines, fires and a significant amount of “non-structural” incidents. Many of your house-hold contents including mirrors, tall furniture and appliances could topple to the ground within seconds of the starting of the quake. People who do not quickly drop, cover and hold-on when an earthquake begins run a higher risk of serious injury. Unless they prepare.

Preparing is what this section is about. The chance of a major earthquake in the next 10 years is small. But the risk exists and the consequences, if you are not ready, could be high.

Before the next big earthquake get prepared so you will avoid injury and recover quickly. The following link takes you to four steps and a basic set of recommended actions for how to get prepared at home or in the workplace. Many are free or low-cost solutions.

https://www.shakeout.org/messaging/index.html#animatedgraphics

https://www.earthquakecountry.org/prepare/

What is left after you prepare? Proper response in the earthquake. Toss out the old tales about standing in a doorway. That was in the ‘50s. Instead of that learn and practice the most current earthquake response and recover actions found at this link.

https://giphy.com/gifs/scec-drop-survival-cover-fnt5GqPa8EkZCqc0JX?utm_source=iframe&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=Embeds&utm_term=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shakeout.org%2F

https://www.earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps/

https://www.shakeout.org/messaging/index.html#animatedgraphics

Finally. We live in the “Island in the Hills” but nearly as important to us is the severity of the possible damage along the Rose Canyon fault down the hill. We depend on the rest of the San Diego Community infrastructure for water, food, electricity, natural gas, gasoline, police, Fire Department, etc. That is another reason to be prepared to be on our own in a disaster.

Earthquake graphic

AlertSanDiego.org link

Earthquake

Earthquake

Earthquakes can happen with little warning. If you feel shaking, remember to Drop, Cover and Hold On!

WILDFIRES

Will you be prepared for the next wildfire?

Wildfires, both naturally occurring and human caused, are a major hazard to Tierrasanta.

You are urged to take steps now to assess your wildfire risk, safeguard your homes and prepare for the next firestorm.

You not only increase the safety of your property, but more importantly, you increase the safety of your family if you are prepared for a wildfire.

Be Ready. Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildland fire so your home is ready in case of a wildfire. Create defensible space by clearing brush away from your home. Use fire-resistant landscaping and harden your home with fire-safe construction measures. For personal preparedness, assemble emergency supplies and belongings in a safe place, using your Personal Disaster Plan as a guide. Plan escape routes and make sure all those residing within the home know the plan of action.

Get Set. Pack your emergency items. Stay aware of the latest news and information on the fire from local media, your local fire department and public safety. Visit www.AlertSanDiego.org and install the free SD Emergency mobile app.

Go! Act early. Follow your personal wildfire action plan. Do not wait to be advised to leave if there is a possible threat to your home or evacuation route. Leave early enough to avoid being caught in fire, smoke or road congestion. If you are advised to leave by local authorities, do not hesitate! Doing so will not only support your safety, but will allow firefighters to best maneuver resources to combat the fire.

For more details on Wildfire preparedness and Response go to

Alert San Diego at this link: https://www.alertsandiego.org/en-us/preparedness/wildfire.html

Wildfire Wildfire

Be prepared for wildfires by learning about defensible space and evacuation planning.

EARTHQUAKES

The Personal Disaster Plan was developed by the County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services to help you, your loved ones and neighbors better prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency or disaster. Practice this plan yourself or with your loved ones at least twice a year and be READY.

The Personal Disaster Plan is available in 12 languages:

The Personal Disaster Plan For People Who May Need Assistance was developed in partnership with the County's Department of Aging & Independence Services, to help the whole community, including older adults, people with disabilities, and anyone with access or functional needs, better prepare for emergencies or disasters.

The Personal Disaster Plan For People Who May Need Assistance is available in 12 languages:

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

PREPARE TIERRASANTA Program Overview – Businesses and Organizations

A major disaster can pose significant challenges for businesses, non-profit organizations, schools, and faith-based organizations. Even a minor disaster or emergency can interfere with your ability to function. There are steps your organization can take to be prepared. The information we have provided on this webpage can help you. You may want to take basic steps to prepare your organization. You may want to create a full-scale preparedness program with the goal to develop a “Preparedness Culture”. Either way, we are here to help.

We encourage businesses and organizations to think of all the hazards they may face. Tierrasanta is in an area with risks of wildfires, earthquakes, windstorms, and medical emergencies. If you visit other areas in San Diego County there may be risks of tsunamis and flooding. Cybercrime and other human-caused problems/incidents are also a danger to organizations.

Many organizations place their preparedness activities in two areas.

Individual Preparedness - Helping organization staff, members, and their families prepare so that they can be safe in a disaster and more easily respond and recover after a disaster. This enables them to help others, and also enables the organization to recover quickly.

Organization Preparedness – We have provided information about preparing for wildfires and earthquakes in this website. Avoiding damaged property and injuries is always better than dealing with them after a disaster. If prioritized and delt with one at a time, hazard correction is usually easy and helps to involve members of the organization, helping to influence other preparedness measures.

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

Preparedness – Medical Emergencies

There are situations where a medical emergency occurs, and a quick response could be a life saver. Such is the case with a cardiac arrest, arterial bleeding, and serious auto accidents. The first action is almost always to call 911 to get the medics rolling. Once Emergency Services is activated you can provide care.

If you are trained in CPR and First Aid you can provide care at a higher level than most people because in that training you learned how to care for choking, electrical shock, cardiac arrests, severe lacerations, infant and child medical emergencies. Those skills might be desperately needed in the even of a disaster. Now might be time for a First Aid class.

There are several organizations that teach CPR and First Aid classes in San Diego. We will list those organizations on this website.

One life saving technique that you can learn in less than 2 minutes online or at a lunch break at work or at a wellness fair. It is Hands Only CPR . Many people choose not to give CPR to a victim because it is a bit complicated and they don’t want to give breaths to the victim. Hands only CPR is used to save a Cardiac Arrest victim. Watch the training and see what you think.

Another life saving tool you can use as Joe or Jane citizen is using an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) on a Sudden Cardiac Arrest victim. In this case the AED will tell you what to do. Many lives have been saved by untrained people using an AED. An AED will not give a shock to a person unless that person has a “shockable” heart rhythm.

One final item in this section is the Vial of Life. Check it out.

Hands Only CPR link

AED link

Vial of Life link

Earthquake Preparedness 2

Earthquake Preparedness

Since all of our recent earthquakes have been minor in intensity, most San Diegians are not very concerned.

Studies suggest the largest credible earthquake predicted for Tierrasanta is a magnitude M7.2 on the Rose Canyon Fault going right through San Diego. See the planning scenario map of a M6.9 hypothetical earthquake below. (Tierrasanta is under the “e” of “San Diego”.) This would be a catastrophic earthquake for the entire region.

In this scenario, shaking in Tierrasanta could be between Moderate and Very Strong and damage might be Light to Moderate depending on many factors.

A large earthquake like this will damage buildings, cause fires and a significant number of injuries. People who do not quickly drop, cover and hold-on when an earthquake begins run a higher risk of serious injury.

We depend on the rest of region for water, food, electricity, natural gas, gasoline, Police, Fire Department and Hospitals!

The chance of a major earthquake in the next 10 years is small. But if it does occur the consequences, if you are not ready, could be high.

Before the next big earthquake get prepared so you can avoid injury and recover quickly. This link takes you to four steps and a basic set of recommended actions for how to get prepared at home or in the workplace. Many are free or low-cost solutions.

Add the Alert San Diego app on your phone. You might get notification of a major earthquake before it gets to you.

What is left after you prepare? You being ready to properly respond during the earthquake. Toss out the old tales about standing in a doorway. That was in the ‘50s. Instead learn and practice the most current earthquake response and recover actions on this graphic

Earthquake

Earthquakes can happen with little warning. If you feel shaking, remember to Drop, Cover and Hold On! For more information https://www.earthquakecountry.org/.