Riverside Officials Continue Leadership on State Seismic Safety Commission

Published: 7/11/2017

City Councilmember Mike Gardner and Fire Department Captain Tim Strack re-appointed

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Riverside City Councilmember Mike Gardner and Riverside City Fire Department Captain Tim Strack have been re-appointed to the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission, which advises the Legislature and the Governor on policies and programs to reduce the risks from earthquakes.

Gardner and Strack have more than a decade of combined experience on the commission and have led the group for the past three years. Gardner has served on the commission since 2010 and is currently its chairman, a post he previously held in 2014-15. Strack has been on the commission since 2011, and served as chairman in 2015-16.

“We’re fortunate to have such strong experts in the City of Riverside, and we’re proud to share their expertise with the rest of the state,” Mayor Rusty Bailey said. “California is better off with these two Riversiders providing assistance on such an important statewide board.”

The Seismic Safety Commission manages the state’s Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program; reviews seismic activities funded by the State; provides consistent policy direction for earthquake-related programs for agencies at all government levels; and proposes and reviews earthquake-related legislation.

The Commission also conducts public hearings on seismic safety issues; recommends earthquake safety programs to governmental agencies and the private sector; and investigates and evaluates earthquake damage and reconstruction efforts following damaging earthquakes.

“Earthquakes are fact of life in California, but we can still prepare our homes and businesses to prevent as much damage as possible,” said Gardner, Riverside’s Mayor Pro Tem. “I look forward to working with Capt. Strack to continue making our city, and our state, safer.”

Gardner has been a member of the Riverside City Council since 2007. He was director of sales and marketing at USA Fact from 2006 to 2007, operations manager at Archive Management Services from 2004 to 2006 and production manager at the ARC of Riverside County from 2003 to 2004. Gardner was a member of the City of Riverside Community Police Review Commission from 2000 to 2006 and held several positions at Southern California Edison from 1973 to 1996.

Strack has been with the City of Riverside Fire Department since 1995. He was a paid-call firefighter at the San Bernardino County Fire Department from 1987 to 1995 and a reserve deputy sheriff air medic for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Aviation Division from 1992 to 2002. Strack is president of the Riverside City Firefighters’ Association, 1st district vice president at California Professional Firefighters and a member of the California Fire Foundation Board of Directors and the California Firefighter Joint Apprentice Committee.

“As a firefighter, I know the importance of preparation and the value of reducing risk wherever possible,” Strack said. “The Seismic Safety Commission emphasizes these same values, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Compensation for the posts is a $100 per diem on meeting days.

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