PROPOSAL CALLS FOR SEISMIC SAFETY RATINGS.

Byline: RACHEL URANGA Staff Writer

NORTHRIDGE -- Thirteen years after the Northridge Earthquake killed 57 people and left thousands injured, Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith proposed Wednesday to rate public buildings for quake safety and require gas stations to operate emergency generators.

Smith's proposals are part of an earthquake preparedness legislative package introduced to the council on Wednesday.

``We know that the big one is long overdue and it's coming,'' Smith said. ``The Northridge Earthquake was a big one, but not the big one.''

Experts say tension along the San Andreas Fault -- by far the country's most dangerous -- continues to build, and the next big quake is likely to be far more powerful and widespread than the 6.7 Northridge Quake that caused $40 billion in damage.

Smith is asking city staff to outline a grading system for buildings constructed with nonductile concrete, a material commonly used between 1933 and 1977. Experts say those structures are dangerous in earthquake zones and tend to crumble quickly under strain.

The Berkeley-based Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center estimates there are 40,000 such buildings in California. It is unclear how many are in L.A.

Smith's grading system would also include parking structures that lack supporting walls.

Though the task could take years, Ellis Stanley, general manager for the city's Emergency Preparedness Department, said rating buildings would encourage owners to fix unsafe structures.

``At one time, the buildings with hazardous materials weren't rated,'' he said. ``It's going to take some time, but when you live in earthquake country you have to ask yourself, `What is the cost of not doing that?'''

Smith is also asking the city to determine how and if it could require gas stations to operate backup generators so fuel can be pumped even when power is out.

After Hurricane Katrina, tens of thousands of New Orleans residents found themselves stranded when they could not get gas because of widespread outages.

rachel.uranga(at)dailynews.com

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PROPOSALS

The following are City Councilman Greig Smith's proposals for earthquake preparedness:

Rate high-occupancy buildings built between 1933 and 1977 and parking structures without enclosed walls.

Require gas stations to have backup generators for pumping stations.

Equip city vehicles with emergency kits and fire extinguishers.

Establish an inventory of all city buildings that could be open during emergencies.

Create a centralized, Web-based emergency information center.

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PROPOSALS (see text)