LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, along with the heads of city and county public safety departments, sought to calm fears today about the region's readiness for a major disaster and concerns about elevated radiation in the wake of Japan's nuclear crisis.

Villaraigosa issued five directives aimed at making the city's emergency response more efficient.

He called for the establishment of an Emergency Response Council, which he said will allow him to quickly activate only those city departments needed for a specific type of crisis.

He also announced the city's participation in a Federal Emergency Management Agency pilot program that will embed a FEMA representative in the city's emergency management team.

"Los Angeles has one of the most aggressive emergency management systems in place with highly trained responders and one of the most prolific, state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Centers in the country,'' Villaraigosa said. "But as a city, we are always looking for ways to better prepare
ourselves, so I have gathered these experts to discuss lessons learned from the disaster in Japan which can apply here in Los Angeles.''

The mayor also called for all city workers to become "disaster service workers'' in the event of a major crisis and promised to provide necessary additional training for public employees to adequately fill that role.

While stressing the need for all residents to be prepared for an emergency—including urging the public to have at least three days' supply of food, water and other materials required to weather a disaster—the mayor acknowledged that many city buildings have not yet been reinforced to withstand a major earthquake like the one that hit Japan one week ago.

"That's one of the reasons why we update our building standards every three years,'' Villaraigosa said. "But even with that, I'm asking building and safety to make another review.''

Meanwhile, Los Angeles County public health officer Jonathan Fielding stressed to reporters at the city's Emergency Operations Center that there is no immediate danger from radiation due to the situation in Japan.

"All the scenarios that I have seen result in levels of radiation that are not harmful to human beings,'' he said.

Pressed on the question of whether or not levels of ambient radiation in Southern California are expected to rise as a result of damage to nuclear reactors in Japan, Fielding conceded there could be increased levels, but he maintained they would not be harmful to people.

"The problem is any time people talk about radiation, it evokes a level of fear,'' he said.

By Richie Duchon | City News Service