With news of destruction continuing to emerge from earthquake zones in Myanmar and Thailand, and two recent minor tremors rattling the South Coast of B.C., the issue of seismic resilience is top of mind for many.
"These relatively minor earthquakes are hopefully a wake-up call for all of us around what to do when an earthquake is happening and how best to prepare for the impact of a large-scale seismic event, said Rae Ann Aldridge, executive director of Safety and Risk Services. "Earthquakes can come without warning, and we all need to know how to respond.
"If you're inside, drop to the floor. Find cover under a desk or table and hold on. If you're outside, get away from buildings, trees, power lines and things overhead, drop to the ground, try and find cover and hold on."
While the immediate reaction to an earthquake is relatively straightforward, preparing the UBC campus and its infrastructure, where some buildings were built many decades ago, is more complex.
Since 2012, UBC has invested more than $200 million in seismic upgrades to buildings and infrastructure. This figure does not include new construction, or the replacement of buildings at risk.
All new UBC buildings (including student residences) are built to meet or exceed current building codes while seismic retrofit guidelines are informed by the latest research, with advice and input from UBC faculty subject matter experts and specialist consultants.
"The safety of UBC students, faculty and staff is our highest priority," said John Metras, associate vice-president UBC Facilities. "That is why we are working across the campus to focus on mitigating the risks of seismic events. We've made good progress on key actions highlighted in the 2022 Seismic Resilience Plan Report to the Board of Governors, but the work is ongoing."
"We learn from global and local seismic events and the lessons from those events, as well as incredible advances being made in seismic science here at UBC and around the world to evolve our planning and our approach to seismic upgrade projects," added Metras.
Recent examples of that work include the $40-million, 18-month seismic upgrade of the Museum of Anthropology, and the $51 million Macleod Building renewal. Renewal of the Jack Bell Building for the School of Social Work is underway (at an estimated cost of $27 million) while proposed upgrades to the Anthropology and Sociology Building (ANSO) are nearing the end of the design process.
An updated building risk assessment is currently underway, which will inform prioritization of future projects.
"After life safety, our secondary focus is ensuring resiliency, meaning that the campus can resume operations safely and as quickly as possible," added Aldridge.
UBC's Emergency Plan provides a management framework for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies affecting the UBC Vancouver community. The plan has been recently updated to align with the Emergency Disaster Management Act (2023) and is available for review on the UBC Safety & Risk Services website.
The plan outlines:
- Roles and Responsibilities: Who does what during an emergency.
- Emergency Operations Activation: How UBC will respond to emergencies.
- Regional Coordination: How UBC will work with Metro Vancouver and other stakeholders for coordinated response efforts.
- Response Priorities: Saving lives, reducing suffering, protecting public health, infrastructure, property, and the environment.
Key areas of focus include developing and testing plans for mass care (providing shelter, food and potable water to displaced community members), strengthening emergency communications capabilities, and ensuring our faculty experts can help to inform the work and that disaster resilience and response are incorporated into existing academic programs.
For more guidance on basic earthquake safety and planning, visit https://srs.ubc.ca/emergency/emergency-response/take-action/#earthquake
