On October 21, UCOP will be joining over 6.6 million Californians in the largest earthquake drill ever – “The Great California ShakeOut.” At 10:21 a.m, the floor wardens or the PA system at UCOP-occupied buildings will announce an “Earthquake Drill.” All UCOP employees will be requested to participate and practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” for 60 seconds.

Why is a “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” drill important? As with anything, reacting quickly requires practice. You may have only seconds to protect yourself in an earthquake before strong shaking knocks you down, or something falls on you. Major earthquakes may happen anywhere you work, live, or travel in California. ‘The Great California ShakeOut’ is our chance to practice how to protect ourselves, and for everyone to become more prepared. The goal is to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.

In preparation for the October 21st drill, all UCOP employees should assess the safety of your work space by conducting a “Secure Your Space” inspection of your individual work area. An inspection checklist can be found at: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/367996/ucop-earthquake-inspection-checklist. All UCOP employees who complete a “Secure Your Space” inspection checklist by October 21 will be entered in a raffle for one of ten (10) personal emergency “Evac Packs” or other safety-related incentive prizes.

Between October 19 – 21, earthquake information tables with personal and home preparedness literature and checklists will be set up at various UCOP offices. An earthquake preparedness booth will be set up in the Franklin Building lobby, with educational materials and a display of the building’s emergency response equipment.

We should also assess our own preparedness at home to ensure that all members of our family are prepared to protect ourselves and to survive and recover for at least 72 hours following a large earthquake.  For additional earthquake preparedness information including identifying earthquake hazards and how to develop a disaster plan and create a disaster supply kit, go to the ‘Personal Preparedness’ section of the UCOP Staff Emergency Preparedness webpage: http://www.ucop.edu/riskmgt/emergprep/emergprep_op.html.

With planning, preparation, and practice, we can all be prepared for the next “Big One”.

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