MEDIA ADVISORY

TO:                      News Directors, Science and Education Reporters

SUBJECT:            Quake Cottage to visit UAF

LOCATION:          UAF Fairbanks Campus, Constitution Park

DATE & TIME:     Aug. 2, 2001 10 a.m. —1 p.m.

Ever imagine what it might feel like to be in a large earthquake? You'll have the opportunity to find out Thursday, Aug. 2, 2001 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Constitution Park. The Alaska Division of Emergency Services is bringing the "Quake Cottage," to UAF to illustrate the need to be prepared in the event of a big temblor. The cottage serves as a mobile earthquake simulator that can simulate up to an 8.0 magnitude earthquake.

UAF is one of five universities nationwide to participate in a pilot program with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a Disaster Resistant University (DRU) to develop a response plan in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake. UAF is a prime center for higher learning in the state, an employer of more than 3,000 people and a major international research center with responsibilities to a wide contingent of affiliated agencies.

"Good response plans and partnerships are in place to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff," said UAF Chancellor Marshall Lind. "We know that we’re vulnerable to earthquakes and extreme weather conditions, but with a disaster resistant plan we won’t be unprepared."

Part of the plan includes getting better sense of damages to building and cost estimates as a result of failed experiments and lost data as well as the damages to libraries and collections. Alaska has 11 percent of the world's earthquakes and three of the seven largest earthquakes in the world occurred in Alaska.

UAF scientists are working to understand earthquakes and their impact on populations and structures. Some of the scientists will be on hand to explain the science behind the demonstration. Chancellor Lind will ride in the Quake Cottage at 10 a.m.

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For more information and earthquake safety checklists, visit the following web sites: http://www.safetyservices.uaf.edu/codesweb/, http://www.giseis.Alaska.edu/, http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/eservice/eop.htm, http://www.ak-prepared.com.

CONTACT: Edith Curry, Director UAF Codes and Safety, at (907) 474-5413 or e-mail: fneic@uaf.edu or Carla Browning, UAF Public Information Officer at (907) 474-7778.

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