San Francisco residents may not be concerned with natural disasters striking the city, but when something occurs—such as an earthquake—in the quake-prone state of California, the health and lives of approximately 744,230 individuals living in San Francisco could be in jeopardy.

Earthquakes are more likely to hit San Francisco and the Bay Area than tsunamis, hurricanes or other forces of nature due to the San Andreas Fault -­ a continuous narrow fracture of the earth’s crust extending more than 800 miles long from northern California southward to Cajon Pass near San Bernardino - which lies in the Pacific Ocean 20 miles off San Francisco’s coastline.

When a disaster hits, blood donation centers in San Francisco, such as Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP), may not be able to supply the amount of blood needed to help those living in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

Lisa Bloch, the Irwin Center’s director of communications at Blood Centers of the Pacific, explained that if—and when—a natural disaster strikes, “the city will probably be in trouble, and although we have the staff qualified to handle (the situation), we will need help and need to import blood from other cities and/or states” since the city annually experiences an average of three blood shortages.

According to Bloch, three winters ago there was a blood shortage so severe that emergency surgeries—organ transplants and open-heart—had to be cancelled.

“We often have critical shortages,” said Bloch, 34, who is a blood donor herself.

A “healthy” supply of blood at BCP consists of five days worth. However, the center is usually at a three-day amount.

Bloch said BCP supplies blood to 41 Bay Area hospitals, including all of San Francisco’s hospitals.

BCP collects 120,000 pints yearly from approximately 400 daily donors at the center and its blood mobile drives. Blood drives occur daily, and 50 percent of the blood supply from them, while the other half comes from walk-in donors.

It may sound as though BCP receives a large amount of blood, but blood only has a shelf life of 42 days.

It takes 72 hours to get blood to a patient in need because it must be tested and tagged prior to reaching the hospital. One pint of blood can save three lives, and can be divided into three parts – red blood cells, plasma and platelets – which can then be sent to separate hospitals if needed.

If an earthquake hits San Francisco, Bloch said she hopes those wanting to save the lives of others will come forward and donate to those in need.

She said she really hopes to see high school and college students donate more often, since they often help the “inventory.” The most difficult times meeting the needs for blood occurs during vacation times when blood is needed the most during traveling season.

“We’re always better off in the spring and fall when school’s in session and people aren’t traveling as often,” Bloch said, “but we’re never in great shape because there’s always a need for blood.”

Christina Colombo, a junior majoring in business management at SF State, began donating blood when she was in high school at a blood drive.

She expressed that because she has a rare blood type (A-), she donates whenever she has time, and encourages anyone who wants to help others and perform a good deed to donate blood.

“I think it’s good to donate whenever possible, not just when a natural disaster occurs,” said Colombo, 22. “Blood is always needed, especially on a daily basis because accidents happen all the time.”

For 33-year-old Joe Darden, his decision to donate blood is a simple one.

“(I) do it whenever possible and whenever I am able to,” he said.

The avid two-year universal donor visits BCP every three to four months to contribute his blood, Type O-.

“You should always donate blood whenever possible because donating blood has nothing to do with arising situations,” said Darden.

The contribution to save lives is immense when individuals decide to donate what they can replenish.

“This is something that is really easy to do because it helps ensure that there’s enough blood for all on a daily basis,” said Bloch.

“At BCP, you get to find out your blood type if you’re a first-time donor, receive a mini-physical and great snacks when you finish. And you can literally save lives with this unique way to connect with others by giving something that will help others because it’s essentially a karmic thing.”