Earthquake Drill Set for Oct. 15
Fullerton College will be among thousands of schools and businesses across California who will participate in the Great ShakeOut Drill on Thursday, Oct. 15. The earthquake and emergency preparedness drill is an opportunity for the campus to review earthquake drill procedures, test the emergency communications system, and practice evacuation protocols to ensure students and staff are well prepared for a major earthquake or disaster.
The drill is set to begin at 10:15 a.m. and will be initiated by Interim President Greg Schulz. Using a variety of communication channels including landline phone broadcasts, text message, voicemail, and e-mail, students and staff will be prompted to drop, cover, and hold under a desk for about one minute. After a minute, evacuation procedures will begin and everyone on campus will be instructed to vacate the buildings and gather in designated evacuation areas on the campus until the drill has concluded. Campus Safety officers and building marshals will be on hand to assist during the evacuation process. During the drill, staff will also be testing the use of the Emergency Evacuation Chair (Stryker Chair) for the evacuation of injured people and setting up a mock triage area for injured people. The drill is expected to last about 30 minutes.
One way for students and staff to prepare for the drill is to verify all contact information is updated in myGateway. This is the only way to ensure timely receipt of emergency notifications. Current students and staff should log in to their myGateway account prior to Oct. 14 and update email, home, and cell phone numbers.
The Great Shakeout Drill has taken place on the third Thursday in October since 2008. Many schools, businesses, and residents participate in the drill each year to evaluate and improve earthquake preparation procedures. For a complete guide and tips on how to prepare for a major earthquake visit www.shakeout.org.
If you have any questions regarding this evacuation exercise, please contact Jim McKamy at (714) 932-5481 or jmckamy@fullcoll.edu.
