Interviewer: I'd just like to ask you a few questions
regarding the ShakeOut. How are you connected to the
USGS Earthquake ShakeOut Scenario?
Jay Alan: Well we began at the very beginning with
this correlation and relationship with USGS by
asking the Geological Survey to come up with a
robust but realistic scenario of what could happen
here in southern California if there was a major
earthquake along the San Andreas Fault. We are in
charge of putting on an exercise to test
first-responder capabilities. We needed the
science to actually make that plan happen and that's
where the USGS came in and that's where
the partnership began.
Great. Can you describe a little bit more about how
science is helping your organization and the State
of California be more prepared for earthquakes?
Well you don't want to go through a training exercise
first of all for naught. Secondly, without some
kind of realistic basis for it to find out how
you're responding, what's working. What may need
some improvement and you need the scientific factual
foundation to do that.
If you have that science in place, if you know where
the areas are that are going to be more likely to
need first-responder services, that's where the
science comes in. If you're just sort of putting
something out as a blanket and sending first-responders
everywhere, that's not realistic. And that's not
going to give the people of California and the people
of the United States of America the best bang for
the buck when it comes to emergency response.
So tell me a little bit about it. If you had a key
message to deliver or two three key messages to
deliver to the public about science and its
usefulness or about the ShakeOut, what would it be?
Well first and foremost, the message is preparedness. I
mean we're in partnership with your organization and
a lot of other organizations to make first-responders
more prepared and to make the general public more
prepared for any kind of natural or man made disaster.
And if families can have family preparedness kits,
be ready to take care of themselves and their family
and their neighbors for 72 hours. For their pets to
have the kind of medication on hand, that frees up the
first responders to do their job and to save lives.
So you in essence at home, your family, your family
preparedness plan can help save lives. Not just
yours but those of the people in your community.
And to have all of these different venues coming
together, people from the scientific community, people
from the first-responder community. And people from
the general public in a public awareness campaign,
all coming together on the same message, the same
theme of we're in this together, let's prepare
together and we'll be all better off at the end of
the day because of it.
Great. What are you most proud of with the
ShakeOut and everything?
I'm very proud of how all the organizations are
coming together on this same theme. The same message
that we're in this together, let's be prepared.
Preparedness is the key. And this has come from
the leadership on down. From my boss, Governor
Schwarzenegger and Homeland Security Director
Matthew Bettenhausen. From people like the various
mayors and county supervisors in the region.
From Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne who
provides fantastic leadership and is a good
friend with California. He and the Governor were
governors together for a while. So these kind of
relationships, both personal and professional have
just been very rewarding to see and I'm real
excited to see the outcome of this event.
Is there anything I forgot to ask that you'd
like to add?
I think we've covered it.
Thank you, sir.
You're welcome.