Are Graduate Schools Prepared for an Earthquake? Readiness Assessment of a School in Tehran, Iran

The most important graduate schools of Iran are located in the earthquake prone city of Tehran and any damage to these centers will hinder the sustainable development of Iran’s higher education. This study aimed to assess the preparedness of School of Public Health (SPH) at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences for future probable earthquakes.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009 and has assessed the SPH preparedness for an earthquake in terms of organizational, individual, structural and non-structural readiness. Using a 30-items checklist, organizational readiness was assessed through documents review and interview with key informants. Individual readiness was assessed using a systematic sampling of 204 faculty members, staff and students. Vulnerability index was calculated for non-structural elements (Basic-installments, equipments and architectural elements). Rapid visual screening was applied for structural vulnerability and the loss rate (LR) was calculated.

The organizational readiness score was 20 (out of 100) and the mean of individual readiness was 36.0 (SD: 12.0, range: 7.8-76.3). Non-structural vulnerability for the Basic-installments, equipments and architectural elements were 65.55, 55.80 and 53.48, respectively. The LR of the Green building was between 0.5 and 0.75 that means need to retrofitting; The Nafisi and Administration buildings’ LR were >0.75 that means necessity of reconstruction.

The study revealed that SPH readiness for an earthquake should be enhanced in terms of organizational, individual, non-structural and structural elements. The authors hope that this study draws the attention of higher education authorities to the importance of readiness assessment and countermeasures for the earthquake.