School District Rolls Out The Great Shakeout

SAN BERNARDINO>> All San Bernardino City Unified School District schools and offices will participate in the Great California ShakeOut Oct. 20. Beginning at 10:20 a.m., all SBCUSD students and staff will drop, cover and hold on. Sites will also practice emergency response procedures, such as evacuations and reporting and coordinating with the SBCUSD Emergency Operations Center. Visitors to SBCUSD schools and offices are required to evacuate with students and staff. As in a real emergency, SBCUSD sites may be unable to answer phone calls and emails during the drill and evacuation. “Disasters can strike at any time. We know that. We’ve lived that recently with the Blue Cut fire,” said Eric Vetere, SBCUSD emergency manager. “That’s why it’s important to always be prepared. The annual Great California Shakeout is the perfect time for our entire community to practice for a disaster.” The Great California ShakeOut is a statewide earthquake and disaster preparedness drill. Everyone in California, including private businesses and individuals, are encouraged to participate to better prepare for an earthquake or other natural disasters. The California ShakeOut is part of the larger, national Great ShakeOut event, which is expected to have more than 18 million people around the world participate on this day, including more than 17 million people within the United States and its territories. According to the Great California Shakeout website, government officials, earth scientists, preparedness experts and search-and-rescue teams around the world emphasize performing Drop, Cover and Hold On as the recommended safety action immediately when shaking is felt: 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. If you are under shelter, hold on to it with one hand and be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts. If you are not under shelter, hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands.