Operation Pinecone prepares emergency responders for ‘the big one’

Seattle’s KIRO TV is reporting that ,” a major emergency operations scenario is taking place all over Western Washington to help teams prepare for “the big one.”

Hundreds of emergency workers in six counties, state agencies, private businesses, FEMA and even officials from British Colombia are taking part in the biggest disaster drill of its kind.

“Five earthquakes went off simultaneously across the Puget Sound region,” says Sherry Badger with Pierce County Emergency Management.

Major earthquakes are simulated in Tacoma, Seattle, Olympia and Everett. Even local college students are preparing for the worst.

“Outside of California we have the highest annualized losses to earthquakes of anywhere in the country,” says Bill Steele with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network based at the University of Washington.

We have fault lines from Olympia and Tacoma to Seattle and Everett.

“So every major city in our region has a pretty major fault right next to it,” Steele says.

Kim Shepard, 97.3 KIRO FM Anchor

For regular news and updates on Preparedness and Emergency News, visit and bookmark the Preparedness Center's new web site.... Preparedness News Network.

Sincerely.
Michael Knight
Editor - Preparedness News