Preparing for the Next Big One: Gardena’s Community Efforts and New ShakeAlert Upgrades

Summary:
In Gardena, California, Cindy Matsuda, a founding member of the Tri-City Community Emergency Response Team Association (CERT), emphasizes the importance of earthquake preparedness. Inspired by her experience during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Matsuda took a 20-hour CERT training course and subsequently introduced it to her church, Gardena Valley Baptist Church. The Tri-City CERT Association has since trained over 1,000 people and has 100 active members in Gardena, Hawthorne, Lawndale, and the South Bay area.
Bob de Groot from the United States Geological Survey’s Earthquake Science Center in Pasadena highlights recent upgrades to the ShakeAlert system, which now uses Global Navigation Satellite System and Global Positioning System data to better detect earthquake magnitudes.
To promote further preparedness, Gardena will host a free Quake Heroes Expo at the Nakaoka Center on August 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Matsuda stresses the necessity of being ready despite everyday distractions.