VOLCANO MADNESS: [Geology2] The Great Central US ShakeOut is Two Days Away

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

[Geology2] The Great Central US ShakeOut is Two Days Away

The ShakeOut is now just two days away! At 10:15 a.m. this Thursday, more than 2.3 million people throughout the region are expected to participate in earthquake and disaster drills. Please help us share the ShakeOut with as many people as possible. By sharing this information, you are teaching others how to stay safe and be better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters. Also, we continue to share and discuss earthquake safety information via social media and invite you to joint the conversations on Twitter and Facebook. Remember, on ShakeOut drill day, use #ShakeOut on social media to show others your involvement in disaster preparedness activities.

If this is your first ShakeOut update, you can view previous editions on our "Email Updates" page at: www.shakeout.org/centralus/updates/

Jump To
ShakeOut Drill Registration
American Red Cross Earthquake App
Considerations for Schools and Other Organizations
Basic Instructions for Your Drill
Drill Resources
Share the ShakeOut

ShakeOut Drill Registration
If you are going to have a ShakeOut drill and have not yet registered to participate, it is not too late to do so! Simply visit shakeout.org/centralus/ and take a few moments to either register yourself, your family, or your organization to participate. Below, you will find information on how to hold your drill and some good resources you can use in your planning.

American Red Cross Earthquake App: Download it today!

Be ready for an earthquake with Earthquake by American Red Cross. Get notified when an earthquake occurs, prepare your family and home, find help and let others know you are safe even if the power is out – a must have for anyone who lives in an earthquake-prone area or has loved ones who do.

From your mobile phone phone, call "**REDCROSS" (**73327677) and you will be sent a text message link to download the app to your smartphone or you can download it directly from the iTunes or Google Play app stores. Features of the app include:

Step-by-step instructions let you know what to do even before/during/after an earthquake, even if no data connectivity.
Get notified when an earthquake occurs with notifications generated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
See the perceived shaking impact to your area or those of loved-ones.
Let family and friends know you are okay with the customizable "I'm Safe" alert for Facebook, Twitter, email and text.
Find open Red Cross shelters in your area when you need help.
Stay safe when the lights are out with the Toolkit, including a strobe light, flashlight and audible alert functions.
Prepare for the worst by learning how to assemble an emergency kit for your family in the event of power outage or evacuation.
Empower your family to stay safe and remain calm in an emergency by learning how to make and practice an emergency plan.
Know how to what to do about food and drinking water when your area has been impacted & much more.

Considerations for Schools and Other Organizations

What other emergency preparedness activities might your organization wish to include as part of the ShakeOut? (See our drill manuals with instructions for additional drill ideas)
Is your drill on your organization's calendar? Are your drill leaders and key participants ready to ShakeOut?
How can you make the drill fun for your participants? Examples include raffle tickets taped under desks, playing the ShakeOut Drill Broadcast during your drill, and much more. Following the ShakeOut, you can be post what you've done on Facebook or on our website at www.shakeout.org/southeast/share (you can also share photos on our website).
Have you registered the full amount of people who are participating, not just your own department? If not, please login to include the total number of students, faculty, and staff who will participate in the drill
Is your drill open to the public, or would it be of potential interest to the news media? If so, please complete our event submission form. We will add your drill to the ShakeOut Calendar and if applicable, include it on our list of ShakeOut media venues

Basic Instructions for your Drill

Some ShakeOut drills may last all day, while most are just a few minutes. Here is how to have a basic Drop, Cover, and Hold On drill, and what to do afterwards (additional instructions for how to participate are also available for each ShakeOut participation category).

If you have downloaded the drill broadcast, prepare in advance to play it at 10:15 (test your speakers or P.A. system). You may also be interested in reading the drill transcript over your P.A. system. It can be found at shakeout.org/centralus/drill/transcript.html

Let others know you are participating by Tweeting #ShakeOut before your drill

At 10:15a.m. on 2/07, practice how you would Drop, Cover, and Hold On during an earthquake (for at least 60 seconds):
- DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you!)
- Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table (or against a wall with your arms covering your head/neck), and
- HOLD ON to your shelter until the shaking stops

Then, importantly, talk to people you are with about what might happen in a real earthquake, what you learned by practicing, and how you can reduce the risk of injury (at home, work, or school) by securing your space
When you are done, we encourage you to share photos, stories, or videos, and Tweet or post Facebook photos from your drill (use #ShakeOut)

Drill Manuals and Other Resources
To help you plan and hold your drill, we have several resources available on the ShakeOut website, including:

Drill Manuals with instructions for different kinds of ShakeOut drills, from a very basic Drop, Cover, and Hold On drill to a more comprehensive exercise of your disaster plan.
NEW! Recommended Earthquake Safety Actions (including situations when you cannot get beneath a table) PDF | RTF
NEW! Earthquake Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities and Other Access or Functional Needs PDF | RTF
NEW! Key Earthquake Safety Tips for People with Disabilities and Other Access or Functional Needs PDF | RTF
60-second ShakeOut Drill Broadcast audio and video recordings and transcripts (including versions with earthquake sound effects)
Simple instructions for how to participate for a variety of participant categories, with custom preparedness information

Share the ShakeOut
The ShakeOut has grown because of people like you, who see the value in practicing how to protect themselves from disasters and for getting prepared for earthquakes. Please forward this email to colleagues, friends, family, and others to make sure they are aware of the ShakeOut and so they will learn how to better protect themselves and their families. Also, we continue to share and discuss earthquake safety information via social media and invite you to joint the conversations on Twitter and Facebook.

Thank you for your participation in this historic event and for your commitment to earthquake safety and disaster preparedness!

*The official date of the ShakeOut is February 7, 2013, however you may hold your drill at another time if you have scheduling conflicts on that day.http://www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/earthquake-app
--