|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Redwood City employees, along with more than 7 million Californians, will participate in the Great California ShakeOut Drill Thursday morning.
Schools, businesses, cities and counties across the state participate annually in the California ShakeOut drill every third Thursday of October.
But what is the Great California ShakeOut Drill?
The drill is intended to encourage and educate participants on what they need to do to survive and recover from the next big earthquake by practicing “Drop, Cover, and Hold On," according to the organization's website.
“Whether earthquake, wildfire or pandemic, we know that disaster can strike at any time,” said City Manager, Melissa Stevenson Diaz. "Redwood City invites our employees, businesses and residents to participate in the Great ShakeOut. Practicing earthquake safety serves as a readiness reminder for all.”
Endorsed by emergency officials and first responders, the safe response to an earthquake is to:
DROP where you are, onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from being knocked down and also allows you to stay low and crawl to shelter if nearby.
COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows) Stay on your knees; bend over to protect vital organs
HOLD ON until shaking stops Under shelter: hold on to it with one hand; be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts No shelter: hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands.
Redwood City is part of a Countywide program that offers emergency alerts to community members, called SMCAlert. Register your cell phone to immediately receive an alert during urgent or emergency situations. When you sign-up, you have the ability to customize and set alerts to send emergency and non-emergency text and voice messages to: email accounts; cell phones, smartphones, tablets; and/or voice messages to landline phones (home & work).
