Overview

• The 2024 “Secure Your Space” Mini Awards Program is designed to quickly provide fastening straps, putty, cabinet latches, and similar items for immediate installation. The goal is to improve earthquake safety in workplaces and other locations across California.
   
• The program is supported with funding from FEMA’s National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP), to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), which provides a subaward to the Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC), headquartered at USC) to administer ECA activities.
   
• After an initial online application is reviewed and if eligibility is confirmed, applicants will be sent an order form to request materials costing up to $500. The order form includes fastening items from Ready America or Safe-T-Proof (which provide discounted pricing).
   
• After a final review, requested items will then be purchased by SCEC and shipped directly by each vendor to approved applicants.
   
• Applicants must complete all installations and required reporting by January 31, 2025.

 
Eligible Applicants

• Any not-for-profit organization (government agency, school, non-profit, faith-based organization, neighborhood association, etc.) in California may propose a fastening project that improves earthquake safety in their workplace or other locations (by January 31, 2025).
• The application must be submitted by the project manager, who must be an Earthquake Country Alliance member (join for free at EarthquakeCountry.org/join).
   
• Applicants must confirm full support of their organization’s leadership for implementing their project via a signed agreement form which will be provided.

Download our Step 1: Secure Your Space document for instructions on how to prevent items from falling during earthquakes (available in 15 languages).

Eligible Items

• 2024 Mini Award Projects must be focused on installing straps, putty, cabinet latches, and other fasteners to “Secure Your Space” including those described in the document at right. Requests for other materials or supplies (first aid supplies, radios, flashlights, etc.) are NOT eligible.
   
• Specific items available are those listed on the order form which will be provided to eligible applicants (see above).
   
• Purchases can be used to secure items within the applicant’s workplace, or for clients or other constituents (for example, your organization could propose to secure furniture within a senior facility, within a school, or elsewhere) – as long as all installations can be completed by January 31. Given the limited time, it may be best to focus on fastening items within your own workplace. The 2025 Mini Award Program will allow a broader range of projects and longer timeline for installation in other locations.
   

Coordination and Reporting

Approved Mini Award recipients must:

• Coordinate with ECA staff to quickly finalize award packages and to provide status updates when requested.
   
• Closely follow instructions provided with each fastening item received. Most items only take a few minutes to install; some may require a drill to bolt straps to studs within walls.
   
• Attend an online training webinar on December 12 or view its recording (suggestion: both the project manager and whoever will do the installations, if someone else).
   
• Finish installation of ALL items received before January 31, 2025. Items will be delivered between mid-December and early January.
   
• Complete an ECA survey by January 31 (including a project overview, the impact and/or lessons learned) and share photos or videos of fastener installations.
   
• Be willing (on request) to present a brief (2-3 minute) summary of their project at an ECA Regional Workshop in February (location and date to be determined).

Application Instructions

1. First, look around your workplace or where you will install your fasteners to determine what types you will need (see above for examples).
    
2. Once you have identified the items, consider how you will make sure the items you receive will be able to be installed by January 31, 2025. Will you or your staff do the work, or will you hire someone?
    
3. Next, complete and submit the Online Application, as soon as possible, before the priority deadline of December 5, 2024.
    
   • Don’t wait! The online application is very simple and is just the start of the process described above. We will place orders for each project as soon as its final documents are received, to get materials to everyone as soon as possible.

 
Questions?

Contact Vanessa Nava, ECA Mini Awards Program Manager, at navav@usc.edu.