With a little planning, Nanaimo residents can get prepared to be shaken but maybe unscathed following a serious earthquake.
British Columbia is considered high risk for earthquakes and an annual provincewide fire drill is an opportunity to practice how to be prepared during an earthquake.
The Great British Columbia ShakeOut happens Thursday, Oct. 20, at 10:20 a.m., when residents are asked to drop, cover and hold on.
To participate from home, school or the office, register at http://shakeoutbc.ca to be counted, receive e-mail updates and more. Those who take part in the drop, cover and hold on drill are asked to discuss afterward what was learned and ways to make improvements to emergency plans.
The Regional District of Nanaimo issued a press release advising residents to be prepared for earthquakes by packing up an earthquake kit with food, water, extra clothing, sturdy shoes and other necessary supplies needed to remain in place for at least 72 hours or up to a week after an earthquake. More information can found at http://rdn.bc.ca/emergency-preparedness.
The region suggests residents do a ‘hazard hunt’ for items that might fall during an earthquake and secure them, and create a personal or family disaster plan using a downloadable workbook at http://rdn.bc.ca/emergency-preparedness-workbook. The RDN also offers tips on making an emergency pet plan; for information, visit http://rdn.bc.ca/emergency-planning-for-your-pet.
Prior to the drill is also a good time to update grab-and-go kits, update out-of-town emergency contacts, create or review home emergency plans and talk with neighbours about a neighbourhood emergency plan.
An important part of being prepared for emergencies is staying informed by subscribing to emergency notification systems. The City of Nanaimo and the Regional District of Nanaimo both use the Voyent Alert platform. For more information, visit www.nanaimo.ca/city-services/emergency-services/emergency-management/emergency-call-alert-system and http://rdn.bc.ca/voyent-alert. In an emergency, the system will send out a text, e-mail, app notification or phone call with information about what to do, where to go and what to be ready for. The Voyent Alert system will also be tested Thursday, Oct. 20, when registered users will receive an alert to drop, cover and hold on.
For more information on what to do during an earthquake, how to prepare your family and more, visit http://shakeoutbc.ca or http://rdn.bc.ca/be-earthquake-ready.
EDITORIAL: Earthquake preparedness takes a community
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