RE
PRACTICING FOR THE REAL THING.
SIERRA: EARTHQUAKE TRACKERS SHOW
SANTA CRUZ AND THE SURROUNDING
AREAS HAVE HAD 24 EARTHQUAKES IN
THE PAST 30 DAYS.
THESE HAVE ALL BEEN PRETTY SMALL
IN SIZE WITH NO MAJOR DAMAGE.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THE
NEXT BIG EARTHQUAKE WILL HIT,
BUT THIS GROUP OF PILOTS SAYS
WHEN IT DOES, THEY WANT TO BE
READY.
RICHARD LIPPI IS A PILOT BY
TRADE, BUT TODAY HE'S IN THE
PASSENGER'S SEAT.
>> I'M SIMULATING BEING A
SPECIALIST IN CARDIAC SURGERY.
SIERRA: PLAYING A DOCTOR IN AN
EMERGENCY DRILL AT THE
WATSONVILLE AIRPORT.
>> WE'RE SIMULATING THAT THERES
A 6.9 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE UP IN
THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS.
THE ROADS HAVE BEEN CUT OFF IN
AND OUT OF THE COUNTY.
THE CELL PHONE LINES, THE
LANDLINES HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN.
THE LEVEE IS POTENTIALLY
DAMAGED.
SIERRA: MARJORIE BACHMAN IS A
MEMBER OF THE WATSONVILLE
EMERGENCY AIRLIFT COMMAND TEAM,
KNOWN AS WE-ACT.
>> WE KNOW ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IS
GOING TO HIT.
SIERRA: SHOULD AN EARTHQUAKE
STRIKE, SHE AND HER FELLOW
PILOTS PLAN TO FLY INTO ACTION.
>> CHECKING FOR DAMAGE
ASSESSMENT, OF THE ROADS, THE
LEVEE.
WE'VE SIMULATED VARIOUS MISSIONS
TO SEND THE PILOTS OUT.
SIERRA: MISSIONS, LIKE THE ONE
LIPPI IS SIMULATING.
>> A PATIENT THAT HAS BEEN
AFFECTED BY THE EARTHQUAKE
SITUATION.
ROADS ARE CLOSED.
THEY'RE GOING TO FLY ME OVER TO
TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION, AND
IT'S URGENT THAT I GET THERE AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SIERRA: TODAY IS JUST A DRILL,
BUT BACHMAN SAYS THESE PILOTS
PRACTICE, BECAUSE THEIR PLANES
ARE ONE OF THE FIRST LINES OF
RESPONSE SHOULD A REAL
EARTHQUAKE DO REAL DAMAGE.
>> WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BE
PREPARED FOR THE NEXT ONE.
BACK IN 1989, THE PILOTS IN
WATSONVILLE CAME OUT AND THEY
DID AMAZING THINGS TO PICK UP
SUPPLIES, TO CARRY PEOPLE
PLACES. 
THEY REALLY HELPED THE
COMMUNITY. 
SIERRA: THEIR PLANES MAY BE
SMALL, BUT THEY'VE GOT A BIG JOB
TO DO THE NEXT TIME MOTHER
NATURE HAS A SHAKEDOWN IN STORE
FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.
MOST RECENTLY, THE COMMUNITY OF
WATSONVILLE PILOTS VOLUNTEERED
THEIR TIME DURING THIS WINTER'S
FLOODING.
BACHMAN SAYS WE-ACT LAUNCHED A
NUMBER OF FLIGHTS TO ASSESS THE
DAMAGE AT ONE OF THE LOCAL
LEVEES, AND SHE SAYS THEY WERE
ACTUALLY ABLE TO HELP THE CITY
OF SANTA CRUZ GET SOME FUNDING
FROM FEMA.
LAUREN: WE-ACT IS LOOKING FOR
MORE VOLUNTEERS TO JOIN THEIR
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM.
IF YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED, WE
