Cities’ unseen heroes

However heroically the cities’ mayors might act -- think Rudy

Giuliani -- if a catastrophe struck Newport-Mesa, the real honchos

would be the city managers.

They’d be at the head of city operations during and after an

earthquake, flood or terrorist attack -- so they’ve been practicing.

Costa Mesa and Newport Beach have well-defined disaster response

plans that mesh with those of surrounding cities so they can work

together in an emergency. In fact, state law requires local

governments to have compatible, thorough disaster plans, Costa Mesa

City Manager Allan Roeder said.

The plans cover incidents such as a tsunami, an earthquake, a fire

or a major gas leak.

“All of those things, we have a good idea as to what to do, and

most importantly how to implement the response,” Newport Beach

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said. “The disaster can change but

our response is always pretty similar.”

While public safety officials would handle immediate physical

dangers to residents, city staff members would play a vital

supporting role. Both cities follow the basic rule of operating for

up to 72 hours without outside help.

Nearly every city department would have a job during a disaster,

Kiff said. For example, in an earthquake, city inspectors would check

the structural integrity of buildings, bridges and sewer lines. The

finance department would requisition supplies, and recreation

employees would be in charge of setting up temporary shelters for

residents whose homes were damaged.

Evacuation, if it’s necessary, would be a little trickier. Routes

to get out of Newport-Mesa aren’t chosen until after an incident

occurs, because where people need to go depends on what they’re

fleeing. Local freeways can be strained beyond capacity just during

daily rush hours, so if a freeway was damaged or closed off, drivers

would be diverted to local streets.

“We’re fortunate that in most of the areas we do at least have

parallel arterials” to the various freeways, Roeder said. “Where you

run into a major problem is where there are freeway failures and

there are no parallel routes.”

While they try to prepare for everything, Newport-Mesa city

officials have their own specific worries.

“The No. 1 natural disaster that could affect the Costa

Mesa-Newport Beach area is probably earthquake,” said Victoria

Basolo, associate professor in UC Irvine’s planning, policy and

design department. “Second or equal to that, or in conjunction with

an earthquake, might be a tsunami.”

Roeder said the Costa Mesa City Hall just went through a seismic

retrofit a few years ago, but the police station -- which houses the

command center for disasters -- is awaiting upgrades to add space and

make it earthquake safe. Those improvements are likely to start in

mid-2006.

Because it’s on higher ground, Costa Mesa would be a likely

evacuation point for people fleeing high waters in Newport Beach or

Huntington Beach. The 150-acre Orange County Fairgrounds in

particular would be a prime site for temporary shelters or the

staging of emergency equipment, Roeder said.

“Our big fear, of course, is a plane crash into the community from

John Wayne [Airport],” Kiff said.

A problem during takeoff or landing could result in a plane

hitting Balboa Island or ending up in the bay.

A wildfire like the one that ravaged Laguna Beach in 1993 is less

of a concern here now that Newport Coast has fire protection

standards and residents must landscape with fire-resistant plants.

Kiff said Buck Gully is still at risk, but the city just took

ownership of the upper portion and will be clearing brush to make it

fire safe.

The Santa Ana River could flood, sending water into both cities,

but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has constructed major

improvements in Orange County and upstream in recent years, Roeder

said.

Regardless of the scenario, it’s important that local agencies be

ready because it may be some time before they get outside help. To

that end, officials from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa hold drills on

a regular basis. Newport officials last week prepared for a major

fire, and Costa Mesa sent staffers to a multi-city exercise that

imagined dirty bombs at South Coast Plaza and in Irvine.

As much time as the cities spend planning for disasters, officials

said it’s just as important for citizens to take a few steps of their

own.

“There is a time during a disaster that each individual should be

able to help themselves and their family, and that means taking some

steps to prepare your home and your car so you can take care of

yourselves until help gets there,” Kiff said.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at

[email protected].

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa have several opportunities for

citizens to become involved in disaster preparedness.

* Community Emergency Response Training: The purpose of the CERT

program is to improve community preparedness in the event of a

disaster and to teach residents basic skills that are important

during an emergency. For Newport Beach, the next CERT class is

scheduled to begin in February or March, 2006. Applications are being

accepted now. Information: (949) 644-3110. For Costa Mesa, call for

CERT class scheduling. Information: (714) 327-7406.

* Police Department Citizen Academy: The Costa Mesa and Newport

Beach police departments offer academies designed to provide people

with an understanding of local law enforcement. Students learn from

police department personnel who are experts in K9 units, SWAT,

narcotics, helicopter patrol, traffic laws and criminal laws. Call

for information on class schedules and how to apply. Information: If

interested in the Costa Mesa academy, call (714) 754-5658. For the

Newport Beach academy, call (949) 644-3662.