About Us

The 15-member volunteer Utah Seismic Safety Commission (USSC) with representatives from state and local governments, academia, and private sector professionals, and its staff from the Utah Division of Emergency Management and the Utah Geological Survey, was established in 1994 to advise the Legislature, Governor, state and local government agencies, and the private sector on earthquake safety issues.  The mission of the USSC is to review earthquake-related hazards and risks to the state of Utah and its inhabitants, prepare recommendations to identify and mitigate those hazards and risks, prioritize recommendations and present them to state and local governments for adoption as policy or loss reduction measures, act as a source of information with those concerned with earthquake safety and as a promotor of earthquake loss reduction measures, and to periodically update a strategic seismic planning document that helps monitor the progress toward achieving the goal of seismic risk reduction in the state of Utah.

Efforts to promote earthquake safety public policy began decades ago with the Utah Seismic Safety Advisory Council (1977-1981), the Earthquake Task Force of the Utah Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Affairs (1989-1991), and the Utah Earthquake Advisory Board (1991-1994).

The USSC meets quarterly at several locations in the Salt Lake Valley, with most meetings being held at the Utah State Capitol, Utah Senate Building, Kletting Room. Meeting announcements are posted in the red news box shown on most USSC pages at the right. USSC members and staff are listed under the Contact Us link below. The USSC invites citizen participation in its meetings and activities. If you wish to attend a meeting, recommend an topic for consideration, or participate on a committee, please contact us at ussc@utah.gov.


2015 USSC Commission Members and Staff