Transcript
SAN DIEGO ROADS AND BUILDINGS APPEAR TO HAVE SUSTAINED LITTLE DAMAGE FROM WEDNESDAY'S 5.4 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE. SEISMIC ENGINEERS SAY CURRENT BUILDING CODES PROTECT NEWER STRUCTURES FROM THE KIND OF SHAKING EXPERIENCE HERE. OLDER STRUCTURES ARE VULNERABLE. A 10 NEWS INVESTIGATION FOUND MORE THAN 100 BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO THAT DO NOT MEET EARTHQUAKE CODES. J.W. AUGUST OF 10 NEWS IS HERE WITH US TO EXPLAIN. J.W. WHAT DID YOUR INVESTIGATION UNCOVER?
THAT THE PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE SOME OF THE OLDER BUILDINGS WERE RETROFITTED, UM, UH, 100 +, 106 BUILDINGS AREN'T UP TO CODE. 106, MASONRY BUILDINGS. BUILDINGS BUILT BEFORE 1939. THERE'S A LOT OF THEM.
AND WHEN YOU SAY THEY'RE NOT UP TO CODE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
A LOT OF THESE BUILDINGS WHEN THEY'RE BUILT BACK THEN, THE ROOF WOULD BE ATTACHED TO THE WALLS. SITS ON TOP OF IT, THINGS LIKE THAT. WHEN YOU GET THE SHAKING, STUFF STARTS FALLING ON PEOPLE, INSIDE THE BUILDING OR OUT ON THE STREET. THAT'S THE CONCERN. THAT'S WHY THE LAWS WERE INITIALLY PASSED 25 YEARS AGO TO START SEEING HOW MANY BUILDINGS THERE WERE AND LOCAL UH, CITIES. WE LOOK AT WAYS TO RETROFIT THEM.
WHO IS IN THESE BUILDINGS? WORKERS? UM....
EVERYTHING, IT'S UM, IT'S RESTAURANTS, THERE WERE APARTMENT BUILDINGS, RETAIL STORES, UH, OFFICE BUILDINGS, THE WHOLE GAMUT. IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT GOES FROM THE GAP LAST DISTRICT AND SWEEPS UP BANKERS HILL.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO CHECK INTO THIS STORY?
WELL, ON EASTER, THE EARTHQUAKE AT EASTER TIME, I SAW THE VIDEO COMING BACK AND UH, FROM CLEXICO AND OTHER AREAS, IT WAS MASONRY, I THINKING THERE ARE RETROFITTING RULES AND REGS AT THE STATE LEVEL, I WONDER WHAT THE CITY'S DOING.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THESE BUILDINGS, DO THEY HAVE ANY IDEA THAT THEIR BUILDINGS DON'T MEET CODE?
MAYBE THE OWNERS DO. I DON'T THINK ALL THE TENANTS DO. IN RESEARCHING THIS, I FOUND OUT A YOUNG LADY WAS KILLED IN A VERY BAD EARTHQUAKE, THAT HE ACTUALLY CREATED A LAW AFTER HER THAT REQUIRED A POSTING IN THESE BUILDINGS, THIS BUILDING'S NOT UP TO CODE. JUST BE AWARE OF THAT.
WHAT'S THE REACTION FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING?
ALL THE PEOPLE WE TALKED TO DIDN'T KNOW THAT. THE OWNERS WE TALKED TO WERE ANGRY. BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY. IT'S EXPENSIVE TO RETROFIT.
AN OWNER WE TALKED TO THAT EVENED THE BUILDING IN LA HOY WAS TICKED OFF, HE DID THE RETROFITTING AS HE WAS MANDATED TO DO. HE WAS WONDERING, IF I HAD TO DO IT, WHAT ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT. THAT'S WHAT THE STORY WAS BASED ON.
WHO'S JOB IS IT TO REGULATE?
CODE COMPLIANCE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING UP ON THIS. THAT'S ONE OF THE CITY AGENCIES, CUT WAY BACK BECAUSE OF BUDGET CUTS. THOSE GUYS ARE LIKE ONE-ARM PAPER HANGERS. I THINK THEY FORGET ABOUT IT OR IT GOT TUCKED AWAY AND NOBODY'S PAYING ATTENTION. I HAVE A FEELING THEY'LL PAY ATTENTION TO IT NOW.
YOU'VE REMINDED THEM ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. WHAT'S THE CITY'S REACTION TO YOUR FINDING?
MIXED. FOR THE MOST PART, UH, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AREN'T HAPPY WHEN YOU BRING THIS KIND OF INFORMATION TO THEM. USUALLY WHEN WE DO THIS, THEY UH, THEY EITHER PRETEND IT'S NOT HAPPENING OR IGNORE IT. BUT IN THIS CASE, CODE COMPLIANCE, THEY'LL BEGIN STARTING ACTIONS AGAINST SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN BOTHERED TO BEGIN THE COMPLIANCE EFFORT. THERE'S LIKE 39 OF THEM THAT HAVEN'T BOTHERED TO DO ANYTHING.
WHAT ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST THEM?
IN SAN FRANCISCO THEY REFERRED THE CASES TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THERE WAS A LEVEL OF FINES. IF THEY DON'T START TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS. IT'S AN ISSUE OF SAFETY. THEY JUST WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE ENOUGH TIME TO GET OUT OF THEM. AS THE BREEZE STARTS COMING DOWN.
FINAL QUESTION: IF A PERSON LIVES AND WORKS IN ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS, HOW CAN THEY FIND OUT?
GO ON OUR WEBSITE, WE HAVE THE MAP LEAD OUT THAT WILL SHOW YOU ADDRESSES. THEY'RE ALL LISTED THERE AND WHERE THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE.
J.W. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
