Bracing for the Big One

Yes, I was a Boy Scout.  Not much of a Boy Scout but enough to have assimilated the "Be Prepared" motto.  It's not often we have much to learn from Ess Eff.  Usually it's a matter of learning what not to emulate.  But in this one case, we could learn from The City.  The Chron's front page says "S.F. is doing its best to brace for the Big One":

A crucial 5-year-old program requiring action by the owners of San Francisco’s 4,900 most earthquake-vulnerable buildings is well on its way to making the city safer, with nearly half of those structures now seismically retrofitted, city inspection officials said Thursday.

Meanwhile, geological experts pointed out that there is a 72 percent chance of a massive shaker on the 60-mile-long Hayward Fault or any other of the Bay Area’s big faults sometime in the next 25 years. Which really means any day now.

The city started talking about "soft story" retrofits after the Series quake and did something official in 2013

The program was created to compel the 4,900 owners of soft-story buildings — the ones that have several stories rising above an open garage or commercial space, deemed more susceptible than many other structures to collapse in a major quake — to seismically retrofit.

It seems to me emulating this would be a good use of the City of B'game's regulatory reach--much better for more people than getting into the sort-of-affordable housing business since

U.S. Geological Survey scientists say a 7.0 magnitude quake on the Hayward Fault is likely to kill at least 800 people throughout the Bay Area, leave 150,000 people homeless and cause losses of more than $1.5 trillion. At least 400 fires will ignite, potentially engulfing 50,000 homes.

It's not just about the residents in such "soft story" buildings but also their neighbors.  In the meantime, the next B'game city-wide emergency drill is coming up on October 13th.  If you neighborhood is organized to participate, please do.  If not yet, it's not too late to get the basics in place via the BNN.

Comments

[Charles Magnuson]

Judging by the squalid condition of most of Burlingame’s apartment buildings, I strongly doubt many building owners will want to sink even a penny into retrofitting their buildings. Their only interest is to milk as much money out of their buildings as possible before selling and retiring in the hills.

[hollyroller@gmailcom]

You are 100% right!
Look, my friends, I am a HO in Burlingame.

Paid in Full.
("microphone drop")

Obviously, being a Burlingame HO; as most of us are, consider ourselves far and above the "Poor of Burlingame."
If a person can not afford a Cute Little $3,100.00, plus a $3000.00 security deposit to live in a 70 Year Old Rollins Road Studio. (Aroma de Mold completely free.)
"Gosh Darned!"
How much longer are we supposed to support "these people?"
Surely "Hillsider" may have an answer.

I kind 'a got off the subject, sorry.
Anyway, here is my latest idea.
City of Burlingame via Oracle,(who cares)develops a template for all Man Made Structures, interior, underground utilities, tec.
Based on economic boundaries, develop a very narrowed price. Never to exceed the Unit.
I am sure that the Tech. out there could develop software.

[fred]

I'll have what she's having.

[hillsider]

Me too, no hashtag, but make it a double.