Students scoot under desks in ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold on’

Teachers and students flew under the nearest desk or table, practicing earthquake safety techniques when the emergency signal sounded at Pineridge Elementary as part of the Great British Columbia Shake Out

Schools, workplaces, and businesses all across the province practiced their earthquake preparedness at 10:21 a.m.in the annual emergency practice event.

Debra Fabbi, Pineridge Elementary principal, reviewed the earthquake drill “drop, cover and hold on” procedures with teachers ahead of time.

After the signal was given over the school speakers, youngsters hid under their desks and grabbed onto table legs twice to a count of 60 seconds.

“They have to count for two minutes because that would be when, if there were any aftershocks … you should be good to go,” Fabbi said.

After the all-clear, the children grabbed their bags and headed outside in single-file with their teacher in tow.

The earthquake drill is one of several performed throughout the year at the school, Fabbi said.

“We make sure that everybody knows when it is and that we practice. It’s something that happens every year and for us it really just takes about 10 minutes of our time,” she said.