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Beyond Earthquakes: The Role of Emergency Management in Seismic Events

Description: 

This presentation will review the important role of emergency management before, during, and after a seismic event. A key focus will be on how the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) coordinates closely with the State Operations Center and the California Integrated Seismic Network, including partners such as the California Geological Survey (CGS), United States Geological Survey (USGS), the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and the University of California, Berkeley Seismology Lab (BSL).
The role of emergency managers is to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters in ways that support the protection and resilience of communities. Having the best information is key to those efforts. This presentation will explore how the integration of earthquake science with emergency management provides real-time data for decision making and socially relevant and expedient messaging for the public.
Additionally, discussion of the California Earthquake Early Warning System (CEEWS), powered by ShakeAlert, will show it to be a public safety tool aimed at providing life-saving seconds of notification before shaking occurs, enabling protective actions such as Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Real-world case studies will show how CEEWS has successfully notified millions of devices/people in recent years.
The MyShake app, developed by BSL with funding from Cal OES, serves as a primary earthquake early warning delivery method for the West Coast and has more than 4.3 million downloads in California, Oregon, and Washington. This presentation will also examine the expansion of the app over the last year, including its recent availability on Chromebooks and PCs, and the potential for system integration into all sectors and critical infrastructure throughout California.
Advancements in technology and public education are both crucial to California’s earthquake preparedness. California’s emergency managers and their science partners are leveraging both to mitigate seismic risk, thus reducing the impact of seismic events to save lives and property.

Session: Advancing Earthquake Early Warning: Science, Technology and Engagement in the U.S. and Beyond - III

Type: Oral

Date: 4/16/2026

Presentation Time: 02:15 PM (local time)

Presenting Author: Phillip Labra

Student Presenter: No

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