ATC 20 About ATC 20 About ATC 21

Post Earthquake
Safety Evaluation of Buildings
ATC 21 (FEMA 154)
Rapid Visual Screening of
Buildings for Potential Seismic
Hazards
October 30, 2009
Searcy, Arkansas
When earthquake disaster strikes a community, Rapid Visual Screening of Building for
there is an immediate need for damage
inspections throughout the affected areas.
People need to be kept from using unsafe
buildings, and safe shelter must be provided for
those left homeless. It is essential that qualified
building inspectors quickly identify structures
that are safe for re-entry and those that must be
avoided. Regular building inspection officials
may become overloaded instantly and require
additional help.
Under such emergency conditions, qualified
volunteer inspectors, including architects,
engineers, and building inspectors are needed
from unaffected regions and certain other
qualified design and construction professionals
can provide help with the post earthquake safety
evaluations. These volunteers will typically be
activated through a pre-existing agreement with
state and local emergency management officials.
Potential Seismic Hazards (RVS) was
developed as a pre-disaster procedure that can
be implemented relatively quickly and
inexpensively within a community to develop a
list of potentially hazardous buildings without
the high cost of a detailed seismic analysis of
individual buildings.
Who Should Attend
Architects, professional engineers, building
inspectors or skilled construction industry
personnel with at least 5 years of verifiable
general building design, construction, or
inspection experience that are willing to
volunteer as building inspectors after a disaster.
Co-Sponsored by:

Attendees of this course will receive inspector

qualification training, experience to become a
team member for inspecting earthquake damaged
buildings, and a field manual to guide their Central U.S.
future work. A panel of earthquake and Earthquake Consortium
FEMA File Photo
structural experts and building officials has
approved all training materials used in this
Sponsored by
course. During the course, procedures and
Arkansas Department of Emergency documents are presented which promote Arkansas Electric
Management uniformity in the rating of building damages so Cooperative Corp.
that different individuals examining the same
Instructed by building will arrive at the same conclusion about
Steve Sharp, P.E. its relative safety.
Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp.
Arkansas Section
 Course Outline Registration Information FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please pre-register for this course. Participant Mrs. Veronica Villalobos-Pogue
This course will be instructed in a classroom space is limited, and openings are on a first Earthquake Program Manager
style setting, although student interaction is come, first serve basis. Please complete the Arkansas Dept. of Emergency Management
welcomed and encouraged. Some of the topics online registration at http://register.cusec.org Phone: (501) 683-6700
that will be covered in the course are - by October 22, 2009. Email: Veronica.pogue@adem.arkansas.gov
or
Earthquake 101 Review COURSE LOCATION
Steve Sharp
Structural Basics Principal Engineer
Arkansas State University-Searcy
Steel Frame Structures Technology East Bldg, Rm. 124 Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp.
1800 E. Moore Ave Phone: (501) 570-2467
Concrete Structures
Searcy, AR 72467 Email: ssharp@aecc.com
Wood Frame Structures Phone: (501) 207-6249
Masonry Structures
Special thanks to the Arkansas State
Non-Structural Hazards University – Beebe Economic Development
COURSE INFORMATION
FEMA 154: Rapid Visual Screening Center and the Arkansas Geological Survey
for their support in this training effort.
ATC20: Post-Earthquake Safety Course will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at
5:00 p.m. Lunch will be on your own. If you
Evaluation of Structures
need directions to the course location, please
Hazardous Materials & Field Safety call the number listed above.
Discussion / Questions

SUGGESTED LOCAL HOTEL

Certificates of completion will be offered at the
end of the course. Professional Development Hampton Inn Searcy
Hours will be offered to participants who are 3204 E. Race Ave
interested. Searcy, AR 72143
Phone: (501) 268-0654
REGISTRATION FEES Please call ahead for rates & availability.

There is no charge for this workshop.

Materials are provided and include
ATC20-1 Field Manual for Inspectors and
FEMA 154: Rapid Visual Screening Handbook.