Buildings and other structures erected under these new laws have resulted in safer and more durable construction than ever before. Because of the frequency of earthquake tremors, the people living in and around the greater Los Angeles area are among the most knowledgeable of this subject in the United States. Earthquake mitigation and preparedness is an ongoing process and each tremor brings new information on how to deal with the next one. Children are taught earthquake drills in elementary school. Police and Fire Departments practice building rescues.
Municipalities conduct table top disaster management exercises.
Freeway overpasses, bridges and dams are reinforced. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena is regarded as one of the foremost earthquake research centers in the world. This photo, courtesy of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department EOB, depicts law enforcement officers checking a damaged highway after an earthquake. One of the most active earthquake fault systems anywhere on the globe runs through Southern California. The San Andreas Fault emerges from the Pacific Ocean and runs through more than 600 miles through California.