A Lesson Well-Learned.

• Author: Mackenzie, Kathryn
• Position: FROM THE EDITOR

Alaska set a stunning example of resilience after the November 30 earthquake, thanks in part to lessons learned from the 1964 Good Friday earthquake that have held up for more than five decades (with a few additions here and there). As news outlets nationwide were lauding the state's road crews for repairing a partially collapsed off-ramp connecting International Airport Road and Minnesota Drive in Anchorage by December 4--fewer than four full days after the temblor--Alaskans were doing what they do best, getting on with life.

Many retailers opened sections of the store they deemed safe the very next day, despite shelves askew, floors dotted with remnants of broken products, and limited staff. Utilities worked to get power and heat to Anchorage and Mat-Su Valley residents... and did so successfully for nearly the entire area the same day.

Generally when a natural or other disaster hits, it's first responders we think of for safety and assurance, and for good reason: they move heaven and earth to take us out of danger, not letting up until we're in the right hands.

But there's another group, less visible perhaps, that is still out in droves as of mid-January making sure we're safe in the buildings where we work and live. Since the earthquake and thousands of subsequent aftershocks, engineers have been working overtime making structural assessments, handing out green, yellow, and red tags depending on how much damage a building sustained. Many engineering firms have brought in extra help to meet...