Let's be shaken to our senses
It shouldn't take the shifting of two enormous tectonic plates to get us thinking about emergency preparedness. Still, Thursday's early morning earthquake that hit just outside of Simi Valley is as good a reason as any to start planning for the next major Los Angeles-area disaster.

It's been 13 years since the Northridge Earthquake shook the Southland to its core, and during that time millions of new residents have moved to the state who don't have the memory of that terrible event to remind them of how everything we take for granted- water, power, food, transportation, phones- can be gone or rendered useless in an instant.

Start by asking yourself this vital question: How long would my household be able to sustain itself if cut off from the outside world?

We need look no further than the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to show what can happen when a whole city is left unprepared and forced to rely on the federal government for help.

It's important to keep in mind that if the "Big One" were to actually hit, our local police and firefighters would be excellent first responders but might be left in the same bind as the rest of us.

The message being- We must be able to help ourselves, and the ability to do so completely depends on what we do before the day of reckoning.

The first and most important step is to prepare a disaster supplies kit for your home and car. The Ventura County Fire Department recommends you include such items as a first aid kit and essential medications, canned food and can opener, at least three gallons of water per person, protective clothing, sleeping bags, battery-powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries.

The next step is to create a detailed disaster action plan with other family members and rehearse it on a periodic basis. Remember, practice makes perfect. Mother Nature has had plenty of practice shaking the earth; it's time for us to get ready, too.

For more information about earthquake preparedness, visit the American Red Cross website at www.redcross.org or the Ventura County Fire Department at fire.countyofventura.org.