Exercises for the Great Southern California Shakeout event were orderly, but in a real earthquake, firefighters would have had to respond to other emergencies in their district.
If in a real earthquake they noticed damage to buildings along their route, firefighters are to notify the battalion chief and determine their next move.
The last major earthquake to cause severe damage in the city was the 6.7-magnitude Northridge earthquake, which killed 72 people and injured 9,000 others.
Carrillo was at home during that earthquake, but later rushed to work to help with local damage and emergencies.
“We had a lot of damage as a result of the earthquake,” he said.
During the quake, the back wall of an apartment building fell to the ground, and parking lots for the Glendale Galleria, city and police collapsed, he said.
Practicing an earthquake emergency route yearly is critical, Carrillo said.
Firefighters weren’t the only group to practice Thursday. Other public safety agencies, schools, cities, businesses and residents throughout Southern California also participated.
About 6.9 million people statewide signed up at the Great Southern California Shakeout website, agreeing to participate in the “Drop, cover and hold on” earthquake drill, said Lance Webster, Earthquake Country Alliance spokesman.
The drill, he said, will become an annual event.
Southern California, specifically Los Angeles County, is due for a large earthquake because the southern portion of the San Andreas Fault hasn’t experienced a major tremor in 150 years, he said.
“That means it could happen any day or in the next 10 or 20 years,” Webster said.
The earthquake could be as strong as 7.8 in magnitude.
