33rd Anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

San Francisco, CA – The San Francisco Fire Department and the Marina Earthquake Monument Committee (mEQm) invite you to commemorate the 33rd Anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake and the First Annual recognition of the Bow monument.
 

The Loma Prieta Earthquake struck San Francisco on October. 17th, 1989, at 5:04 pm. The Marina District was severely damaged due to liquefaction which caused the collapse of many buildings. Water mains cracked, and ruptured gas mains caused structural fires. The SFFD Fireboat Phoenix, along with the Portable Water Supply System (PWSS), saved the Marina from major conflagration. The Phoenix drew water from S.F. Bay while citizens spontaneously joined firefighters laying the hose, with the portable hydrants many blocks away. This was the grassroots beginnings of the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) and the mEQm group, whose mission has been to create a monument to remember the Loma Prieta earthquake and its impact on the Bay Area; to honor the Phoenix, the SFFD, and the NERT program; and to educate the public about the importance of disaster preparedness.

There is a historical connection between the 1906 Earthquake, the 1915 Pan-Pacific Exposition (PPIE), and the Marina District: The PPIE was created to showcase San Francisco’s recovery from the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire; the Marina District was created using landfill for the building of the PPIE, and it is the landfill that caused the liquefaction damage in 1989. The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) took over the mEQm monument project in 2014 after initial public funding was arranged by Supervisor Mark Farrell. After numerous designs, the SFAC selected and commissioned
artist and landscape architect Walter Hood of Oakland-based Hood Design Studio to create Bow. This observation platform now stands in front of Station 35. The artwork, suggesting the bow of a boat, is made of wood, painted steel, aluminum, and glass, and it is partially enclosed by translucent panels that feature historic photographs.

Invite Only: Reception from 3:00 p.m. at EPIC Steak -Media can RSVP with the P.I.O.

Open to the public: Media questions and answers from 4:00 PM to 4:45- PM Representatives from San Francisco Fire, Emergency Management, and NERT will be available to answer questions Commemoration Event at Pier 22.5 Program promptly at 5:04 pm San Francisco Fire Paramedic Gerald Colbert will sing “SF Open Your Golden Gate.”