A community training session on "Reducing the Risks of Nonstructural Earthquake Damage" will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Emergency Operations Center of the Alameda County Office of Emergency Services, 4985 Broder Blvd. in Dublin.
The Alameda County office of Emergency Services is hosting the training, which is "encouraged for property owners, facility managers, local officials, engineers, architects, small businesses and emergency preparedness individuals," the county agency said in an announcement.
The center said that the majority of damage from recent earthquakes in California, around the United States, and overseas is due to nonstructural failures, such as architectural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as furniture, fixtures, equipment, and other contents of a building.
"In many cases, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other organizations had to spend excessive time and dollars for clean-up and repair due to nonstructural failures," delaying recovery and the resumption of operations," the office said.
"Moreover, nonstructural component failures also impeded safe evacuation, delayed rescue, and caused additional hazards, such as fire, resulting in serious life-safety issues.
The training will cover sources and types of nonstructural earthquake damage, and steps to take beforehand to minimize injuries and property losses from nonstructural risks in an earthquake.
Those who want to register for the training should email their name, organization, address, and phone number to tlangdon@acgov.org. For more details call (925) 803-7807.
