Nanaimo residents have another chance to get ready for a rumble.
The Great British Columbia Shake Out happens Thursday, Oct. 18, at 10:18 a.m. when people in businesses, schools, private residences, government, industry and emergency services will drop, cover and hold on during a provincewide earthquake drill to prepare for the ‘big one.’
Preparing for the annual earthquake drill is about more than just practising hiding under a solid desk to prevent being hit by falling debris. It’s also about being ready for a range of natural disaster events or even industrial mishaps that could put people in a position where they will have to rely on their own survival resources for at least 72 hours before help arrives from emergency services.
Basic preparations include purchasing or preparing an emergency survival kit and developing plans for family or fellow employees about what to do should disaster strike.
“Part of what we’re trying to do is to get people engaged into making an emergency kit or checking their existing kit and also practising their drills,” said Karen Lindsay, City of Nanaimo emergency program manager. “They can practise it at work, through discussions. They can practise it at home with their families and loved ones by talking it, having people become familiar with the kit and registering either their family or business at www.shakeoutbc.ca.”
Nanaimo is in an earthquake zone that can generate powerful seismic events with great destructive potential that can disrupt electrical power and communication networks, water and sewerage system and transportation infrastructure that can make roads impassable for emergency responders. People are advised to have emergency supplies, such as food, water, clothing and other basics to get through at least the first 72 hours or longer following a major seismic event.
“The City of Nanaimo will be doing drills at city hall and the [service and resource centre] building and then also our fire station crews will go through their operational guidelines and check all of their equipment and gear and then do drive-arounds as part of their training for a seismic event,” Lindsay said.
For localized emergency preparedness information, visit the emergency management section under city services on the City of Nanaimo’s website at www.nanaimo.ca.
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