Dyersburg's Tommy Gibbons was reviewing the results of an earthquake preparedness drill staged in Dyersburg last Thursday when news of the killer 6.5 magnitude quake in Southern California broke in the national media.

It confirmed for him the results of the emergency drill, training is everything when it comes to managing a crisis.

This was the very first time a drill of this magnitude had been held at the Emergency Operations Center. The scenario was the aftermath of an earthquake registering 6.5 on the Richter scale in the heart of the New Madrid fault zone. The goal of the drill was to teach the city's "crisis managers" how to prioritize emergency calls and allocate limited resources properly.

"In a major event like a devastating earthquake or a tornado, the truth is emergency services are overwhelmed," said Gibbon, who directs emergency response for Dyersburg. "The goal of this drill was to teach the management team that serves as the brain center of the emergency response how to react to the flood of calls."

Gibbons said 13 managers representing every city department manned telephones at the EOC building on Harrell Avenue and fended calls ranging from a call from Dyersburg Electric that 70 percent of the area was without power to an order from public works to announce a boil-water advisory to the public as a result of damaged water lines.

According to Lt. Steve Isbell, a spokesman for the Dyersburg Police Department and coordinator of this training drill, earthquake preparedness training was critically needed in this region. He said the greatest risk east of the Rocky Mountains for a devastating earthquake is along the New Madrid fault system and scientists estimate the probability of a six to seven magnitude earthquake occurring in this seismic zone within the next 50 years to be higher than 90 percent.

The earthquake that hit the San Simeon, Calif., area on Monday was of the same size as the one used as the basis for the drill, however, Isbell pointed out that had the epicenter been near Dyersburg, professional estimates tag structural damage and loss of life at much higher levels. The drill last Thursday calculated some 165 deaths as opposed to the two that actually occurred in California. The big different is the age of buildings and the fact that California building codes are geared towards preparing a structure to resist quake damage.

Monday's quake was California's most powerful since 1999, when a nonfatal magnitude-7.1 quake struck the desert near Joshua Tree. The 1994 Northridge quake hit a densely populated area near Los Angeles and killed 72 people, injured 9,000 and caused an estimated $15.3 billion in insured losses.

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Isbell explained that in such an emergency, the EOC dispatchers would be flooded with calls from frightened citizens. They would form the first screening wall, eliminating non-critical calls and funneling those considered priority back to the crisis management team. A total of 63 calls were handled by the participants.

"We wanted to find our weak points," Gibbons said. "We discovered that adequate staffing in an event like this is crucial. While we basically had one person from every department assigned to the drill, we learned that we actually needed two."

Isbell said, for example, that while he had though he could handle postings on the statistics board as well as maintain communications with the press and city leaders, he quickly discovered he could not manage both.

"Robert Reed from city hall sent us two people to help with clerical work," Isbell stated. "We couldn't have kept up the stat board without them. Not only did we need them, we could have used two more people just to handle clerical work."

Another simple matter that created problems for responders was that the paper forms they used were not adequate for the task and would have to be revised.

But such issues were exactly what last week's drill was designed to uncover.

Isbell and Gibbons both praised the mayor and aldermen for their support of training operations. They said that while training exercises consumed time and money, they were crucial for preparing emergency responders.

Gibbons said that in January, he and Isbell would hold a review of the earthquake drill with department heads and other staff members. Another emergency drill will be held in February for many of the same personnel. This one will be in conjunction with "Severe Weather Week" and will center around a possible tornado touchdown in the city. Surviving an earthquake

Should a magnitude 6.5 earthquake actually hit Dyersburg or the immediate environs, director of emergency operations for the city Tommy Gibbons, said response from citizens was as critical as the actions of emergency responders.

He said that due to Dyersburg's location in relationship to the New Madrid fault, families should be prepared for the worst.

He said that during a major earthquake event it was important to remain calm. If indoors a person should stand in doorway, or crouch under a desk or table, well away from windows or glass dividers. Outside, stand away from buildings, trees, telephones and electrical lines, and, if on the road, drive away from underpasses and overpasses, stop in a safe area and stay in vehicle.

He advised families to keep an earthquake survival kit on hand. This would include the following: water-2 quarts to 1 gallon per person, per day. First Aid Kit-ample, and freshly stocked. First Aid Manual-know how to use it. Food-canned or individually packaged; precooked, requiring minimum heat and water. Consider infants, pets, and other special dietary requirements. Critical medication, extra eyeglasses Can opener Blankets Radio-portable battery operated, spare batteries Critical medication and eyeglasses, contact cases and supplies Fire Extinguisher-dry chemical, type ABC Flashlight-spare batteries and bulbs Watch or clock-battery or spring wound.

Cooking: Families should consider barbeque-use outdoors with only charcoal and lighter, or Sterno stoves. Paper plates, plastic utensils, and paper towels are useful.

Sanitation: Store large plastic trash bags-for trash, waste, water protection Ground cloth Large trash cans Hand soap, liquid detergent, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, deodorant, feminine supplies, infant supplies, toilet paper and powdered chlorinated lime to add to sewage. Newspapers can be utilized to wrap waste or garbage and may also be used for warmth.

Safety: Keep a pair of heavy shoes or boots for every family member as well as heavy gloves, candles matches dipped in wax and kept in waterproof container, a sharp knife, razor blades, garden hose for siphoning, and a complete change of clothes.

Tools: Always have handy and axe, shovel, broom and crescent wrench for turning off gas main. Also keep screwdrivers, pliers, a hammer, rope or bailing wire, plastic tape and pen and paper

Mini Survival Kit for Automobile: Non-perishable food stored in coffee cans, fresh water, a first aid kit and manual, a fire extinguisher, a blanket, resealable plastic bags, a spare flashlight, fresh batteries and bulb, critical medication, extra eyeglasses, basic tools, a short rubber hose, pre-moistened towelettes, feminine supplies and sturdy shoes and gloves.

Gibbons said emergency supplies should be adequate for at least 72 hours.

A 10-day supply of water, food, and medicine is recommended for homes.

All family members should know how to turn off gas, water, and electricity. They should also know emergency telephone numbers, such as doctor, hospital, police, 911, and so forth and there should be a location for reuniting the family in the aftermath of a quake.

Following an earthquake, people should check for injuries and be prepared to deliver basic first aid; check for gas, water, sewage breaks, downed power lines and electrical shorts; be prepared to turn off appropriate utilities; check for building damage and potential problems during aftershocks; clean up dangerous spills; always wear heavy shoes; turn on the radio and listen for instructions from public safety agencies; and use the telephone for emergencies only.