City, HSU gird against the Big One By Matt Kapko Eye Reporter The Arcata Eye January 28, 2003 The City of Arcata and Humboldt State University are in the initial stages of planning to ensure that emergency vehicles will have cross-freeway access to the university across U.S. Highway 101 in case of a severe, bridge-crumbling earthquake or other natural disaster isolating the school from Arcata. “We’re looking at worst-case scenario with all the overpasses coming down … the highly unlikely ‘Big One,’ so to speak,” Fire Chief Dave White said. “Being in the Cascadia Subduction Zone there is potential for large earthquakes here and if the bridges were put out of commission … we would have no easy way to get the vehicles across, because there is no access,” Councilmember Michael Machi said. The project has been in the plans for the past four to five years at the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department, though little actual progress has been made. But recently renewed impetus was initiated by Machi, who as council liaison to HSU, brought it to the attention of the City/HSU working group in July. “It just came up, how we gonna get our safety equipment and police equipment across the freeway there,” Machi said, reminding that “We have no emergency services at all on the other side of the freeway.” He added, “The potential for a very large earthquake is greater than any of the bridges could stand. This is just for emergency and trying to get something done very quickly.” White described the project as finding “a way that we can cross the freeway without using the overpasses, basically using on and off-ramps then putting a section in the divider that we can put vehicles across.” Plans are to implement these emergency roads at Samoa Boulevard, Sunset Avenue and Giuntoli Lane. White joked, “You know, HSU was concerned about Samoa or Sunset (exits nearby the school), but we were also concerned about out at Valley West.” Motivating Caltrans City staff and HSU approached the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) with the project and said it is in favor of moving it into completion. City staff and Machi said they were informed by Caltrans that the project would be complete within two years; however, Caltrans Public Affairs Officer Ann Jones still describes the project as “premature.” “This was discussed and agreed that, yes, we would look into doing a project, but there is no plans drawn up, it’s still in preliminary study phase,” Jones said, implying environmental studies would still need to be conducted. Jones emphasized that “Should an event occur, our maintenance employees and materials and equipment we have on hand would be enough to be able to move emergency vehicles through and handle the situation accordingly.” Jones re-emphasized the premature nature of the project, asking “Where are the funds gonna come from?” In the state’s current budget crisis, “We’re redefining our priorities statewide at every state agency right now,” she said. On-campus fire station Another development that came from the discussions is the possibility of integrating a fire substation into HSU’s campus, reducing dependence on cross-freeway services. HSU President Rollin Richmond went further and suggested a fire academy be established, White said. “We’re trying to incorporate it into a public safety educational component on the campus.” A fire academy would provide the opportunity for more readily available funding. Students in the program would be volunteer, staffing fire apparatus, which would significantly bring down the costs, White added. According to Machi, the City is also “looking possibly to get some Sept. 11 anti-terrorism funds to put together” for adding a substation on the other side of the freeway. A pilot steering committee, comprised of various departments, is being put together to start moving forward with the substation project, he said. Home