Prepare for Earthquakes

January 17, 1995…It is the day when Japan was hit by a devastating earthquake―the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. It broke out at 5:46 a.m. as a magnitude 7.3 quake. Now, the day−January 17−is called the Disaster Preparedness and Volunteers’ Day. In addition, the period from January 15 to January 21 is the Disaster Preparedness and Volunteers’ Week.
At the Hanshin-Awaji temblor scenes, numerous volunteers rallied around from both within Japan and abroad for extensive aid. Their activities were marked as the start of overall emergency teamwork. A survey by Hyogo Prefecture found that a total of 1,170,000 volunteers were at work in quake-stricken areas for three months―from January 17 to April 18.
Volunteers of valor also joined their hands for rescue and restoration work immediately after the Mid Niigata Prefecture Earthquake (a magnitude 6.8 jolt at 5:56 p.m. on October 23, 2004) and the Great East Japan Earthquake (a magnitude 9.0 jolt at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011). Most importantly, saving people’s lives must come first right after a serious quake. Then, the damage by fire must be reduced. Getting people from under flattened houses and debris and sending them to the hospital right away―these are what must be done in no time, too.
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake kept on letting fires occur, bringing about many victims being trapped and seriously hurt. Roads were down, communications were down…Fire departments were not able to handle the situation only by themselves. Lessons were learned…Community teamwork along with your own action does work.
Now, we have a 70-percent possibility of having a “Tokyo Inland Earthquake” within 30 years.
The Disaster Preparedness and Volunteers’ Week is for you to think more of life safety and prepare for disasters.

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