Binational Border Disaster Plan OKd

Authorities from San Diego and Imperial counties and the neighboring Mexican state of Baja California formally agreed Friday to speed binational communications in the event of an earthquake or other emergency along the California-Mexico border.

The accord, established during a ceremony in El Centro, is essentially a “contact list” of telephone numbers and radio frequencies to be employed if an emergency occurs, said Dan Eberle, director of San Diego County’s Office of Disaster Preparedness.

Emergency planners from San Diego County and Tijuana have long shared such information informally, Eberle said, but the new accord now ties in Imperial County and the Mexican border city of Mexicali.

“If something happens, this could be very important,” Eberle said. “If you don’t have those numbers, you may not be able to do anything.”

The plan is informational and does not oblige authorities of either nation to commit resources or otherwise participate, officials say.

In recent years, there has been increasing concern about the possibility of a catastrophic incident--such as earthquakes, floods, fires and spills of hazardous materials--in the fast-growing border region.