Get ready for Camosun’s ShakeOut | 10:20am October 20
On Thursday, October 20 at 10:20am Camosun College will participate in the second province-wide Great British Columbia ShakeOut.
Recent events in Japan and New Zealand have heightened awareness of the earthquake risk that also exists in BC. We are located in a seismically active region where a few thousand earthquakes occur each year in and adjacent to the province. BC recently decided to align the Great BC ShakeOut with synchronized mass earthquake drills in California, Guam, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and the Yukon held on the third Thursday of each October.
This drill is part of Camosun’s overall emergency response planning and provides our college community with the chance to practice earthquake preparedness.
Camosun will not be evacuating buildings but we are encouraging everyone to participate in a Drop, Cover and Hold-on exercise.
ShakeOut details...Drop, cover and hold on!:
- At 10:20AM on October 20 air horns will sound outside each building on both campuses to announce the start of ShakeOut. We encourage our satellite locations to participate as close to 10:20 as possible.
- A simulation earthquake has hit! Everyone finds an appropriate place to Drop, Cover & Hold-on (under a desk, table, etc.).
- Start counting. When you get to 20, the earthquake has stopped. Now count to 60 to account for any aftershocks*. In this exercise there are no aftershocks so you can leave your safe spot. In a real earthquake this would mean leaving the building you are in and getting to a safe spot. * In a real earthquake, if there are aftershocks within the 60 second period you need to restart counting to 60 following every aftershock until all shaking has stopped.
- At approximately 10:22, three short air horn blasts will signal the conclusion of the drill portion of the ShakeOut exercise.
Now for the heart of the simulation–the follow-up discussion:
Stop! Think! Don’t panic! The ground has stopped shaking - for the moment.
You are alive, and you are not hurt. You have made it safely out of the building but now what?
The following discussion topics–truly, the heart of the simulation exercise–will enhance the learning opportunities of the ShakeOut drill. You don’t need to answer these questions immediately, and Camosun will not be collecting answers, but you might be interested in what you discover when you debrief with classmates and colleagues. Discuss the questions in groups (classes or work groups), and take them home to consider and discuss with loved-ones and close friends. If you think about these questions beforehand, and discuss them with your family and friends, you will be more comfortable knowing what you have to do to keep yourself safe and to help the people who are near you now, until you are able to get to your loved ones.
- Who are the people who are important to you?
Parents? Spouses? Partners? Children? Brothers and sisters? Close friends? Pets? - Where are they right now?
After an earthquake you may not be able to use your cell phone, and there may not be any land lines available. The roads will be damaged, and vehicles not allowed to go anywhere. - How are you going to let your loved ones know that you are okay?
How are they going to let you know that they are okay? - Where are you going to meet them?
How are you going to get there?
How will they get there?
Online resources to help you prepare
Check out the following resources to develop your personal and family emergency plan. As a first step, fill out the Out-of-Province Emergency Contact Information Card. Then, talk through the most likely scenarios with your family and friends.
- Out-of-Province Emergency Contact information (pdf)
- Great British Columbia Shake-Out
- Emergency Management B.C.
- Government of Canada Emergency Preparedness
Join us
Camosun College encourages everyone to participate in the Great ShakeOut. And, tell us what you think using the following comment box.
Comments: 4. Page 1 of 1.
Gloriana says:
22-Oct-2011 7:18pm
Well done artclie that. I'll make sure to use it wisely.
Spencer Diamond says:
19-Oct-2011 9:26am
This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard off.
Tim Henderson says:
17-Oct-2011 4:46pm
Send a text message to your Out-of-Province contacts, rather than a phone call. A text message uses far fewer resources, and may keep the cellular networks from being shut down because of overload.
1 says:
11-Apr-2012 8:48am
-1'