Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Student Manual

CA Emergency Mgmt. Agency Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Manual April 2011IntroductionThe Safety Assessment Program (SAP) provides professional resources to local governments tohelp with the safety evaluation of buildings and infrastructure after a disaster. The goal of theSafety Assessment Program is to perform these safety assessments as quickly as possible. Withits origins in the response to the 1971 San Fernando Earthquake, SAP has been successful duringmore recent earthquakes such as Loma Prieta (1989), Landers – Big Bear (1992), Humboldt(1992), Northridge (1994), Napa (2000), San Simeon (2003), and the Baja Earthquake (2010).SAP was also used under the interstate Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) tohelp local governments in Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina (2005).Private industry volunteers, local government mutual aid, and state agency resources are used toprovide professional engineers, architects, geologists, and certified building inspectors to helplocal governments perform safety evaluations of their built environment after a disaster. TheCalifornia Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) manages the Safety AssessmentProgram, in cooperation with partnering professional organizations.SAP provides two types of resources: SAP Evaluators, who work in the field performing safetyevaluations, and SAP Coordinators, who are local government lead personnel that coordinate thefield activities. The Evaluator training is the focus of this manual.Cal EMA is pleased that you are interested in participating in this program as an Evaluator.Your role will be essential in the first days after a destructive event to evaluate the safety ofpotentially damaged structures. There are also some examples of “best practices” obtained overthe years that will be passed on to you. Finally, the information that you gather will be veryuseful for the recovery of the community you are assisting. We look forward to working withyou in this program.5