my name is tom tobin. i'm here to ask you to improve the city's ability to provide critical medical services following earthquakes. from 1985-1995 i was executive director of the seismic safety commission. i drafted and advocated a bill in 1953, a measure that reare requires acute care hospitals to -- medical facilities that fail critical standards. the hospital -- the seismic safety act became law after the 1971 san fernando earthquake. 52 of the 65 deaths were in hospitals. today hospital fatilts in san francisco are no better -- facilities in san francisco are no better than in 1971. hospital buildings constructed after 1973 performed well but those built earlier did not. about 1,000 patients were evacuated from damaged hospitals. it took years and years to replace those damaged facilities. as it stands, patience in san francisco hospitals could die and san franciscans would remain untreated because the hospitals cannot function and some of those will die. it will take years and years to replace. the ci