City of Redlands Prepares for the Great California ShakeOut

REDLANDS>> With more than 38 million people living and working in California, a major earthquake could cause unprecedented devastation. In an effort to prepare for an earthquake, the 2016 Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill will be held on Thursday, Oct. 20. What we do now, before a big earthquake, will determine what our lives will be like afterward. With earthquakes an inevitable part of California’s future, we must act quickly to ensure that disasters do not become catastrophes. Last year more than 43.5 million people around the world participated Great ShakeOut drills. In California, the drill is held statewide annually on the third Thursday of October and is organized by the Earthquake Country Alliance. The City of Redlands will join millions of Californians that day in increasing our awareness and readiness for a major earthquake. At 10:20 a.m. all City departments at the Redlands Civic Center, Police Annex and other facilities will be evacuated. Customers doing business at that time will be advised of the evacuation and directed where to go. The inconvenience will be minor and will last only a few minutes. Emergency responders will review procedures and communications protocols along with volunteers from the Redlands Emergency Communication Group and the City will activate emergency communications as part of the Emergency Operations Center on Park Avenue to ensure that first responders will receive EOC activation notices in a timely manner. A key aspect of the ShakeOut is the integration of comprehensive science-based earthquake research and the lessons learned from decades of social science research about why people get prepared. ShakeOut creates the sense of urgency that is needed for people, organizations, and communities to get prepared, to practice what to do to be safe and to learn what plans need to be improved. To participate in this year’s ShakeOut go to www.shakeout.org/california/register/ and pledge your family, school, business or organization’s participation in the drill. Registered participants will receive information on how to plan their drill and how to create a dialogue with others about earthquake preparedness. All organizers ask is that participants register so they can be counted and receive communications, and at the minimum practice "drop, cover, and hold on" at the specified time. It is only a five-minute commitment for something that can save your life. It all begins with registering, which is free and open to everyone.