Drop, Cover and Hold On - B.C’s Great Shake Out

Drop, cover and hold on.

Three simple steps that could save your life during an earthquake.

Oct. 15 marks the annual Great British Columbia Shake Out, a day to build awareness for best safety practices in case of an earthquake.

Prince Rupert City Hall staff participated in this year’s Shake Out event by following the three lifesaving steps in an activity coordinated by the occupational health and safety committee.

“We participate in events like this as well as fire drill evacuations each year to help build awareness and emergency preparedness among our staff, and we encourage local families and workplaces to do the same,” Veronika Stewart communications manger for the city, said. “The more we practice for these type of events, the quicker we can all respond if one happens.”

Emergency management experts and other official preparedness organizations agree that “drop, cover, and hold on” is the appropriate action to reduce injury and death when the ground starts to rumble.

The steps go as follows:

DROP to the ground

Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table

HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops

If there isn’t a table or desk near you, drop to the ground in an inside corner of the building and cover your head and neck with your hands and arms, officials recommend. Do not try to run to another room just to get under a table.

In 2020 people were being asked to practise these skills at 10:15 a.m. An estimated 770,000 people were expected to participate.

With files from Ashley Wadhwani