SCEC and local TV station launch "Care and Prepare" campaign

Los Angeles' community television station, KTLA Channel 5, has launched its "Care and Prepare" Earthquake Preparedness Campaign in partnership with the Southern California Earthquake Center and several corporate sponsors, including McDonald's, Toyota, Sparkletts Water, Sprint PCS and Blockbuster video store.

The campaign, ongoing through April (California's earthquake preparedness month) is an extension of KTLA's commitment to the people of Los Angeles. It includes television news specials, a series of earthquake-related vignettes with preparedness tips, an on-air promotional campaign, and online "earthquake tips." As a centerpiece to the campaign, KTLA has created the KTLA Care and Prepare brochure, using 16 pages of excerpts from Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country, a booklet originally written by Lucy Jones of the U.S. Geological Survey and produced by SCEC in 1995 with support from NSF and the local business community.

Two million copies of Care and Prepare in English and Spanish languages have been printed for distribution to residents of the Los Angeles metropolitan region. About 500,000 copies will go directly to the Los Angeles Unified School District. Each booklet has an eight-page children's brochure insert, featuring Michigan J Frog, the WB network's "spokesphibian," who presents friendly and educational earthquake lessons and games to teach understanding and preparing for an earthquake.

During April, KTLA will air two half-hour news specials, one for adults and one for children. The adult special will focus on technological advances in the study of earthquakes and will feature SCEC Director Tom Henyey and USGS scientists Lucy Jones and Dave Wald. The children's special will concentrate on delivering age-appropriate preparedness information while presenting earthquake facts in an interesting and lighthearted manner.

For more information on the campaign, or to find out more about the Care and Prepare and Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country booklets, contact the SCEC Outreach Office (see below).