Bridge For Kids:

Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared!

Contact:          Najja Bullock 253.227.7978                                                         Nov. 15, 2004

UPS students assess Orting's lahar preparedness

 Tacoma-- Citizens of Orting, Washington, look east to one of the biggest dangers of living in the shadow of a volcano: lahars. These mudflows, with the consistency of concrete that can travel up to 50 m.p.h., travel off volcanic slopes destroying everything in their paths.

            University of Puget Sound students are studying this threat and evaluating the options for these residents. As part of their Science in Context course, the five students are in contact with Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, city, state and federal officials and local community leaders to assess Orting's current plan of action and suggest what it should do next.  One part of Orting’s preparedness plan is a pedestrian bridge to facilitate a faster evacuation.

            The Bridge for Kids organization is spearheading this project, and is aimed for the school children and school community of Orting, which number up to 2,000 people.  The bridge would take children on an evacuation route that is directed away from the car traffic, minimizing accidents that may occur during the panic of trying to leave the city.

The group of UPS students plans to explore, discuss, and analyze this option, as well as other volcano alert/warning systems and the political aspect of these plans.  How is this proposed bridge going to be financed?  What other warning systems are available for lahar hazards?  How do local political figures feel about this situation?  This project will allow the students to examine the Pierce County Emergency Response Plan and offer suggestions for improvement, as well as other aspects of volcano preparedness that need to be added to the plan. 

            Current activities of the group include visiting Orting and looking at the present and proposed evacuation routes, meeting with Chuck Morrision (head of Bridge For Kids), and meeting with Rex Kerbs, principal of Ptarmigan Ridge School (one of the schools in Orting that would be using the new evacuation bridge).

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For more information, contact any of the Team Members:

Team members: 

Najja Bullock (nbullock@ups.edu)                  Cheryl Christian (clapidario@ups.edu)

Laura Smouse (lsmouse@ups.edu) Katie Rose  (cjrose@ups.edu)

Marianne Tweedie (mtweedie@ups.edu)