Bush to Visit Earthquake Area Friday : Federal aid: White House vows ‘all-out effort’ after criticism for slow response to oil spill and hurricane.

WASHINGTON —  President Bush said today he will visit Northern California on Friday to get a firsthand look at earthquake damage and “to provide encouragement” to victims.

“We will stay on top of it,” the President vowed.

He announced his travel plans at a picture-taking session in the Oval Office as he met with Vice President Dan Quayle and Transportation Secretary Samuel K. Skinner, just back from their own inspection tour of the stricken San Francisco Bay area.

The President, who came under criticism from Congress and local officials for not responding faster when Hurricane Hugo devastated South Carolina last month and during the Exxon Valdez oil spill, has been making forceful promises over the last two days of federal aid to earthquake victims.

White House aides said Bush would spend about three hours in the Bay Area.

The visit will include a helicopter survey of the affected areas and Bush will also meet with local officials, White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater said.

Bush cited an “all-out federal effort” in responding to the earthquake.

“Our hearts go out to the victims of this disaster and I will be going out there tomorrow to take a look and to provide encouragement to people,” he said.

Bush voiced special praise for the Red Cross and other volunteer efforts, saying: “Thank God for the volunteers.”

He praised volunteer organizations for responding with “this concern for their neighbors that just exemplifies the volunteer concept.”

He said volunteers helping in the earthquake effort exemplified what he meant in various speeches by “a thousand points of light.”

Bush thanked Quayle and Skinner for visiting the stricken area. The President also said he spoke by phone Wednesday night with California Gov. George Deukmejian, who Bush said expressed satisfaction with federal efforts.

Bush said the visit by Quayle and Skinner “did signal very much of a concern on the part of the federal government.”

“We will stay on top of it. We will be in touch with the state officials who in turn are dealing with the local officials there. . . . We’re doing what we should do,” Bush said.