On the 35th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake, the National Institute of Building Sciences leadership joined U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, CA-15, in his announcement of critical legislation to improve the nation’s preparation for and recovery from earthquakes.

The Earthquake Resilience Act would direct federal agencies to study the nation’s earthquake resiliency to better understand how communities can prepare for future disasters. It also would require the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program to develop standards for designing resilient lifeline infrastructure, which would reduce community recovery time following an event.

In his address to San Francisco media, NIBS CEO Dr. George Guszcza referenced the anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake – one of the most devastating events to strike California.

“Thirty-five years ago, first responders in the Marina district could not use the water-distribution system to extinguish fires because it had failed under large soil movements,” Guszcza said. “The region’s telecommunications were challenged from both network congestion and lack of electrical power. Thousands, on TV, witnessed the effects of bridge failures. Because of the extensive damage, the USGS referred to Loma Prieta as a ‘lifelines earthquake.’ This legislation protects the entire nation.”

To support the introduction of the bill, Guszcza joined Mullin, San Francisco mayor London Breed, Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman, San Francisco fire chief Sandy Tong, San Francisco police chief Bill Scott and Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative general manager Adrienne Bechelli.

NIBS Seismic and Lifeline Activities

The NIBS has studied resilience and mitigation for decades as a convener of the public and private sectors.

The NIBS Building Seismic Safety Council ensures that the latest seismic design research from private practice and academia is included in model building code language through its development of the NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures.

Last year, the NIBS formally unveiled the Lifeline Infrastructure Hub – a platform that fosters collaboration among lifeline infrastructure industry experts, stakeholders and policymakers.

Through the hub, the NIBS aims to establish private and public partnerships, building a fundamental understanding of current lifeline infrastructure vulnerabilities and potential cascading failures due to their dependencies and prioritizing investments and policies for resilience improvement and modernization of lifeline infrastructure.