Sum Emergency 428 983

statewide seismic needs assessment of Oregon education and emergency services buildings, as directed by the 73rd Legislative Assembly (Senate Bill 2, 2005). This assessment is but one step in the multi-decade process aimed at improving the life safety of Oregonians from the risks associated with earthquakes. The awareness of earthquake hazards in Oregon increased significantly as geologic evidence of “Great Earthquakes ” along the Cascadia Subduction Zone was uncovered beginning in 1986. DOGAMI began mapping earthquake hazards in the Portland area in 1987. Today, the statewide building code and engineering design take into account the significant lateral forces generated by the ground motions associated with earthquakes. Most damage during an earthquake is caused by ground motion. However, buildings constructed in Oregon prior to the 1990s were built to lower seismic standards and are especially at risk of collapse and other forms of structural failure during an earthquake. An integral piece of this assessment makes use of a federal technique known as FEMA 154, the rapid visual screening (RVS) of buildings for potential seismic hazards, to identify, inventory, and rank buildings that are potentially seismically hazardous