Catalina Island Medical Center has received a new grant for an emergency water project. The Earthquake Country Alliance is a partnership of public and private organizations and people who work together to improve earthquake preparedness. Their goal is to make any disaster less severe and to improve recovery options for those who are affected.
ECA provides information and resources to help everyone who lives, works, or travels in earthquake country to prepare for disaster, to survive and most importantly return to a normal state after an emergency.
Catalina Island Medical Center has received a new grant for an emergency water project. The Earthquake Country Alliance is a partnership of public and private organizations and people who work together to improve earthquake preparedness. Their goal is to make any disaster less severe and to improve recovery options for those who are affected.
ECA provides information and resources to help everyone who lives, works, or travels in earthquake country to prepare for disaster, to survive and most importantly return to a normal state after an emergency.
ECA selects worthy projects to fund with mini-awards that will fund resources or programs for earthquake preparedness.
CIMC applied for an ECA Emergency Water Project grant and was awarded $500.
Catalina Island Medical Center is the only source of medical services for 4,500 residents and up to 1 million visitors each year. In the case of a large scale emergency or disaster, relief supplies including water are very limited. Additional resources from the mainland could take several days to reach Avalon.
Disaster Preparedness protocols for Catalina Island, designate the Medical Center as a central location that residents and visitors will come to if traditional water and emergency resources are exhausted, become inaccessible or are no longer available.
This grant money pays for the purchase of a hospital grade system to drain up to 400 gallons of potable water from the Medical Center’s five hot water heaters. Approved containers to hold the drained water would make it portable and accessible in the case of an emergency within the hospital and the community. This is a new funding opportunity for a previously untapped water resource. CIMC needs to purchase government approved piping, tools and containers in compliance with all state health regulations. This grant will enable the Medical Center to follow specific guidelines set by federal agencies such as the Center of Disease Control to utilize any water drained from existing hot water tanks. Frequent disaster drills in coordination with local Fire and Sheriff personnel could incorporate the draining of one hot water heater to give “first responders” and hospital staff members the experience they need to access this emergency water source.
For more information on disaster or earthquake preparedness, call 310-510-0700. The Medical Center is committed to providing quality health care to each individual and improve the overall health of the community.
