Brace Yourself for the Emergency Preparedness Expo

For anyone who has ever sat on the beach and wondered what to do if a tsunami started rolling in, this weekend's event could provide some answers.

The Venice Neighborhood Council is hosting a free "Emergency Preparedness" expo on Saturday at the Electric Lodge. The topic? "Everything you always wanted to know about staying alive during an earthquake or tsunami in Venice (but were afraid to ask!)"

The event will include talks about putting together a home emergency kit, making a plan for your family, and being informed about emergency procedures and resources in Venice. An educational puppet show performed by members of the Red Cross will teach children how to respond in an emergency, and information booths will provide Venice residents with an opportunity to discuss procedures with Community Emergency Response Team.

"It's a simple Red Cross message: get a kit, be prepared and have a plan," said Nick Hippisley-Coxe, chair of the VNC's public safety committee. Hippisley-Coxe, who volunteers for the Red Cross, will be conducting three talks throughout the day.

L.A.'s Emergency Preparedness Department suggests preparing a "go-kit" for residents to take with them during an evacuation. The kit should include: food and water; medications and copies of prescriptions; a change of clothes and comfortable shoes; first aid supplies and any special provisions for pets or children. The kit should be kept in an easily accessible location.

According to the VNC, L.A. officials have warned that Venice will be "on its own" in an emergency and therefore should have an Emergency Preparedness Plan in place.

Any major natural disaster could mean a failure in utilities, including electricity, water, rail, roads and cell phones. The Community Emergency Response Team, an adjunct of the fire department, has a system of ham radios that are immediately activated in an emergency, along with low power emergency radios in Santa Monica and at Loyola Marymount University. Information will be relayed to residents through radio stations such as KNX 1070, so keeping a wind-up or solar-powered radio in your emergency kit is essential, according to Hippisley-Coxe.

Coxe also suggests having the telephone number of an out-of-state friend or family member to contact in an emergency. Cell phone signals within the Los Angeles area will most likely be disrupted during an emergency.

Being Californians, earthquakes come as part of the territory. There is always the chance of the "Big One" —the catastrophic earthquake along the San Andreas Fault that is now overdue, according to researchers at UC Irvine. And any of the multiple fault lines running across the Los Angeles area could mean trouble too.

But just how likely is a tsunami in Venice?

"There is no way of knowing if a particular earthquake will cause a tsunami," said Hippisley-Coxe. "It really depends on what direction the waves come from. We're quite protected in Venice because of the shape of the bay."

If a strong earthquake hits Venice and risks causing a local tsunami, residents who live in the tsunami evacuation area will be required to evacuate, according to city guidelines. The tsunami evacuation area runs from the beach to Lincoln Boulevard in Venice, and along the Marina Freeway out to Culver Boulevard and Centinela Avenue in Marina del Rey.

"It's about being aware," said Hippisley-Coxe. "That's the most important thing. It's better to have a plan you never need than need a plan you never have."