In the News: Newspaper

Daily News, Monday, January 16, 1995

.....At Loral Libra Scope, employees take disaster preparedness just as seriously as the bottom line.
.....The Glendale-based aerospace company has designated sites for a command post and assembly area, trained search and rescue team members, established employee roll-call procedures, stocked first-aid, water and food supplies, and installed special communications equipment.
.....That sophisticated emergency response plan should put the company and its 230 employees on firm footing if the next big earthquake hits during business hours, said facilities manager Kim Jones.
....."It's just a natural thing to have," Jones said of the plan. "In California we have every disaster you can think of."
.....The pre-dawn Northridge Earthquake prompted a number of companies to review their disaster plans, which range from the basic evacuation and safety plans required by the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration to elaborate, coordinated responses like Libra Scope's.
.....Safety experts said it makes sense for business owners to take more than the basic steps to protect not only their investment, but also their workers. The reason, they said, is that when it comes to earthquakes, it is not a question of if, but when the next one will strike.
.....Consultants said their business took a big jump after the Northridge quake. Clients either wanted new preparedness plans drawn up or existing ones modified.
.....But some experts disagree on just how prepared area business are for the next earthquake.
....."About 90 percent of the medium to large companies out there are not prepared," said Michael Essrig, president of Safe-T-Proof in Westlake Village, a consulting firm and retail outlet that sells safety and fastening supplies.
.....Geography has a lot to do with it, he said.
....."A lot of the big (Valley-area) companies have their corporate offices in different parts of the country that are not prone to earthquakes. So the presidents and the CEOs running the companies don't care about the earthquakes because they are not affected by them," Essrig reasons. "It's the vice president running the (units) out in Los Angeles that have to convince the corporate offices that it's a smart move."
........Essrig did some work at the Prudential Insurance Co. of America's regional office in Woodland Hills about six months before the quake. He installed fasteners on computer terminals and other equipment in the building manager's office.
.....That equipment came through the quake undamaged.
....."We were very happy with the performance It kept the computers on the desktop in a building that was severely hit," said Bill Whinn, the associate building manager.
.....Other departments were not so lucky...