Warning System

The launch of a warning system that would telephone San Bernardino County residents when wildfires, flash floods or other disasters are threatening is more than a month behind schedule and could be delayed at least another week, according to officials. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors agreed in January to spend $170,000 on the project in hopes that it would be in place by mid-February to alert mountain residents of flash floods caused by spring storms.

Efforts by scientists to predict earthquakes have proven disappointing. But hopes that big cities can get at least some warning after a quake has occurred but before its shock waves hit got a big boost from the Sept. 14 experience of Mexico City. Twelve accelerometers placed along the coast of Guerrero state gave residents in the capital, 190 miles from the epicenter, a 40-to-50-second warning that a destructive temblor was coming--enough time to take cover or flee unreinforced buildings.

In the wake of history's deadliest tsunami last week, scientists say an early-warning system would have saved many lives. But if preventing disasters were easy, everyone would be doing it. Geoscientists have long struggled to find reliable predictors of earthquakes -- the main cause of tsunamis -- without success. Studies of possible signs, such as small tremor patterns, electric ground currents and even odd behaviors of dogs, snakes or clams, have produced few usable results.

The U.S. government will launch a system next month that uses a ring of laser lights around the Washington area to alert all pilots who breach restricted airspace. Officials from the North American Aerospace Defense Command said the visual warning system was designed to quickly warn commercial, government and private pilots of planes and helicopters by shining alternating red and green lights at their aircraft.

Q My company has a misconduct policy that covers everything from wearing your hair too long to beating someone up. What the company can issue is a final written warning or a termination notice. Is this right, or is it necessary to have an initial warning system of some kind? -R.M., Rancho Santa Margarita * A No. Employers establish workplace rules for two essential purposes: 1) maintain a safe and enjoyable workplace, and 2) to promote a positive image to customers and clients.

Todd Collart, Deputy mayor, Ventura I have not made a decision, nor has the council, on the future of the park. We have asked the city staff to give us a full report on the matter, so we know exactly what options the city has regarding future dealings with the RV park. We need to see copies of the present permit conditions, whether or not they've been adhered to, and what it would take to amend the conditions, or to close the park down. There should be a discussion of flood plains, flood channels and 100-year storms.

When Mexico City radio stations sounded a warning 50 seconds before a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on Sept. 14, queries poured in to the Pasadena field office of the U.S. Geological Survey. "People wanted to know why we don't have a warning system here," said Jim Mori, the Geological Survey's scientist-in-charge in Pasadena. "Even a member of the [Los Angeles County] Board of Supervisors was curious." And the answer? "We had to tell them that here, it's more difficult."

If a devastating earthquake were about to strike, would you want to know about it 30 to 60 seconds before it hit? That might not be enough time to run out and buy quake insurance, but it is enough to take some precautions and possibly save a few lives, according to scientists who are looking into the possibility of setting up an earthquake warning system in California.

I was disappointed but not surprised to learn that Gov. George Deukmejian vetoed the "field-posting" bill introduced by Sen. Nicholas C. Petris (D-Oakland). The posting bill would have required California growers to post warning signs to protect farm workers from early reentry into pesticide-contaminated fields. Despite the bill's passage in both the Assembly and the Senate, the governor exercised his power in favor of certain powerful agribusiness opponents of the bill--the same lobby that contributed so much to his gubernatorial campaign war chest.