Program Name Daycare Retrofit and Preschool
Earthquake Safety Program
Administering Agency Partners for Loss Prevention
Contact Angie Karel, Director of Education
Address P.O. Box 2884, Portland, OR 97208-2884
Telephone Number 503-292-5167
Fax Number 503-292-5167 *51
E-mail plpak@msn.com
Partners for Loss Prevention (PLP) has only been in existence for 3½
years but has already made a great impact. PLP is a non-profit
organization that focuses on protection of vulnerable
communities/populations by doing predisaster mitigation before disasters.
They have coordinated the retrofit of thirty-three child care centers in
Oregon and Washington. Volunteers, from private and public organizations,
do the retrofit work, except for installation of security safety film on
glass windows and doors. A retrofitted day care center in Tacoma reported
success following the Nisqually Earthquake. No injuries or damage to
secured items were reported. PLP recently completed a day care retrofit in
Clackamas County using pre-disaster mitigation money set aside by Oregon
Emergency Management for such purposes. Clackamas County is the first
jurisdiction in the nation to have a mitigation plan approved by FEMA,
making them eligible for pre-disaster mitigation funds. PLP is currently
working on a non-structural retrofit project as part of the Clackamas
County Project Impact effort.
PLP is also developing an age-appropriate preschool earthquake safety
program to complement their retrofit program. They have written a draft
that has been recently reviewed and pilot-tested by early childhood
educators in Oregon, Washington, and California.
