CITY NEWS:

Katie Eing, Newport Beach’s emergency services coordinator, stepped to the front and said, “In the event of the big earthquake, be prepared to take care of yourself for up to three days.”

If I had any doubt that it would be worthwhile to spend four Saturdays in training, she and Matt Brisbois, Community Emergency Response Team coordinator and veteran lifeguard, dispelled them right up front with a clear overview of Newport Beach geography and disaster scenarios.

So here are some of the top lessons I learned from CERT training:

 The real estate mantra “location, location, location,” is true. In the event of an earthquake (highly likely), a tsunami (much less likely) or other disaster, where you live or work makes a difference. In a tsunami, the police would direct peninsula residents and beachgoers to head up Superior, Jamboree or MacArthur boulevards, three of the seven designated exit routes. Newport Coast or Corona del Mar Flower Street residents should stay put to keep traffic off evacuation routes.

 There is no place like home. When a disaster hits, stay at your home, or go to the CERT-designated command center (this assumes you and your neighbors have taken the initiative to organize a Community Emergency Response Team). Do not go to the police and fire stations. They will likely not be there. And putting more people on the road just makes it harder for the rescue personnel to get where they need to go.

 The Newport Beach firefighters are handsome and smart. The city utilizes emergency operations techniques used worldwide for disaster training. We got to meet firefighters and police officers with experience in fire, emergency, hazmat, first aid, victim psychology and crowd control.

 CERT means shopping and shoes. You may be on your own for three days, so it’s important to stock up on emergency supplies for your home, your car and your office, with sturdy shoes by your bed and a gas meter shut-off tool. Remember, your water heater holds hundreds of gallons of backup water supply.

 CERT teaches “triage,” or prioritizing actions for a situation. For example, when the fire truck drives through on its “windshield survey” after a disaster, you should wave and let them drive by. They are assessing the situation and deciding who needs the most help.

 CERT training includes experience with real fire situations at the new Santa Ana Heights fire and training station. We practiced putting out diesel fires twice. Training also includes practicing on destroyed buildings once you’ve mastered the art of “cribbing,” or raising a wall using mechanical advantage. My suspicion about dogs in Newport Beach was confirmed — dogs really are considered to be people. In our rescue drill, a team of three of us, crawling on our knees and blindfolded, pulled a 10-year-old boy out of the rescue tower. When we asked about other people in the building, our “victim” told us, “Make sure you get my dog first; you can leave my sister.”

 It takes county agencies, fire and police departments, and city staff working together to address disasters. The city’s firefighters repeatedly praised the cooperative spirit of the fire, police, and emergency preparedness community in Orange County, and the integrated radio and training systems already in place. All city staff complete disaster service emergency training annually.

 My neighbors and I will be better prepared in the event of a disaster. Residents representing many Newport Beach community associations and neighborhoods attended. We exchanged information and now can work with our neighbors to pick a meeting spot and build a store of emergency supplies. For more information, contact the Disaster Preparedness Hotline at (949) 644-3112, or go to www.nbcert.org.

LAURA C. CURRAN is Newport Beach resident.