A former long-time Richmond resident and teacher, who is presently sifting through rubble in the streets of Mexico City following a devastating earthquake Tuesday, has a message to B.C.’s past and present governments tasked to seismically upgrade 25 Richmond elementary schools that are at high risk of failure from a similar event.
“Get on it,” said Chester Rutkowski, 35, an English teacher and academic consultant based in Mexico City.
“When I was in elementary school (William Bridge) 25 years ago, I remember teachers warning and preparing us for ‘the big one’ that was to hit within the next 50-100 years. And what has been done since then?”
To date, very little, particularly after the Richmond School District updated its seismic reporting in 2012, showing a majority of schools need remediation. Engineering reports show parts of some 25 schools could collapse in a major earthquake, such as the one that struck Mexico City.
That quake has shaken Rutkowski to the core, particularly because he is in the epicentre of a natural disaster scene that has taken the lives of numerous children.
Associated Press reported Thursday dozens of buildings have collapsed and at least 245 people are dead.
“There is a school (that I could have had a work service in) — Colegio Enrique Rébsamen — where many children and teachers died and they are currently trying to save those trapped inside,” Rutkowski told the Richmond News on Wednesday, via Facebook.
Rutkowski said he’s been helping fellow locals on the street clear rubble from fallen structures.
He said, for the most part, everyone has been kind; he was heartened to see numerous bucket brigades forming to clear areas. However, there are reports of criminal opportunists robbing people in the mayhem.
Mexico was struck by an earthquake two weeks prior, noted Rutkowski.
Tuesday’s quake “was more up and down and also left and right. Where I was, it felt less intense except the first 10 or so seconds, which were sense-numbing . . . For 30 or more minutes afterwards, the ground felt unstable, quite similar to the feeling of vertigo I’ve experienced,” he said.
The experience stresses the need for proper emergency planning and leadership in workplaces and schools. He said while he remained calm inside his school, others didn’t.
“We had just had a drill where everything was orderly. In our room at work, we all stood by the walls in ‘safe zones.’ But when the real one hit, everyone lost their shit and ran for the stairs (we were on the third floor),” said Rutkowski.
In his neighbourhood, gas and electricity shut off for 10 hours. A few buildings collapsed just down the street.
“I went to help bring water and medicine in and move rubble out,” said Rutkowski.
“You cannot imagine the feeling unless you experience it. All the [things] I’ve seen on TV have been irrelevant until now . . . It was extremely sobering. My mentality, or worldview, has changed and the same for almost all my housemates . . . The full scope of it all didn’t hit me until I was helping clear rubble from a collapsed home,” he added.
