Valley Councilman Calls for Earthquake Preparedness

Valley City Councilman Greig Smith has introduced legislation that would require all buildings in the city to have an earthquake safety rating indicating the structure’s seismic strength. The move is part of a package of earthquake preparedness bills Smith introduced Wednesday, the 13th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake. Along with the posting requirement, Smith wants to establish earthquake safety standards for concrete, non-ductile buildings; add emergency kits and fire extinguishers to all city vehicles; and require all gas stations to have generators to power pumps in case of an outage. Smith also wants the city to prepare a report on which city buildings will be open during an emergency and what resources will be hand.