On Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m., San Diego State will participate in an earthquake drill known as the Great California ShakeOut.
The ShakeOut is an annual opportunity to practice earthquake safety. There are than 9.4 million Californians participating this year, according to the website. There will be 822,221 people participating in the San Diego area.
The ShakeOut encourages communities, schools, businesses and residents to review and update their emergency preparedness plans and supplies. It also raises awareness about the importance of securing items in order to prevent damage and injuries. The drill emphasizes that measures taken now will determine the quality of life following the next big earthquake.
The event provides participants with information about how to take action during an earthquake. SDSU encourages students to be proactive in the event of an earthquake while on campus. Instead of participating in official “drop, cover and hold” drills and building evacuation, the campus will be focusing on campus emergency communication resources, according to SDSU NewsCenter. The SDSU Alert text messaging system and other social media outlets will also be tested.
Nancy Demich of Business and Financial Affairs, who is heading the event, said the SDSU Alert system is one of the many forms of communication available for students to use in an emergency situation. It may be used to provide initial information about a campus emergency, as well as updates.
“San Diego State University participates each year to help educate the campus community about emergency preparedness,” SDSU Media Relations Specialist Natalia Elko said. “Experts tell us ‘drop, cover and hold’ is the best way to protect yourself during an earthquake.”
Communications Specialist from the San Diego County Communications Office Yvette Urrea Moe said being prepared for emergency situations is key.
“Practicing emergency responses is always a great idea because we want it to become second nature,” Urrea Moe said. “We want it to be an instinctual response to override the urge you may have to run outdoors. We want all San Diegans to learn what they can do before, during and after an earthquake.”
Kim Olsen, a geology professor at SDSU, agrees that everyone should follow and understand general recommendations ahead of time and plan a safe place with food and water.
“Most people see earthquakes as out of sight out of mind, so being prepared ahead of time is important,” Olsen said. “I don’t think SDSU is doing enough to promote earthquake safety. Teachers can save lives by going over safety precautions and encouraging students to get prepared themselves.”
Olsen encourages teachers to promote the event and inform their students. He also suggests securing their surroundings, stressing that it doesn’t take long to brace potentially dangerous objects in homes or offices.
“San Diego hasn’t had a major earthquake in over 300 years, so our risk increases every year we don’t have one,” Olsen said.
Urrea Moe suggests following the Twitter accounts @ReadySanDiego and @SanDiegoCounty for quick updates. Users can also register to receive emergency alerts on their cell phones by signing up with AlertSanDiego, www.ReadySanDiego.org.
Students can access SDSU’s Twitter account (@SDSU) and its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SanDiegoState) in the event of a campus emergency.
The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services also recommends registering for AlertSanDiego and downloading the SD Emergency App. Students can also visit ShakeOut.org and the American Red Cross for more information on earthquake preparedness.
Photo by Monica Linzmeier, photo editor.
