The 2022 Great California ShakeOut
Thursday, October 20 at 10:20 a.m.
In order for Santa Monica College to become more prepared for earthquakes it is essential that the campus community participate in emergency drills. The California ShakeOut has been created to help people and organizations get better prepared for major earthquakes and practice how to be ready for when they occur.
This drill will give us an opportunity to test our mass notification systems by sending a message at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, October 20. With an increased on ground presence, we want to ensure that our systems are ready in the event of an actual emergency. If you are on campus, please participate by dropping, covering, and holding on. If you are teaching a class, please have your students drop to the floor, take cover under their desk/chair and hold on.
Below, you will find a 1 minute and 20 second video, which you may find useful.
Instructions
What to Do
Before the drill, study the emergency information located in the campus classrooms and on the Emergency Preparedness website. Know ahead of time how to get from your classroom or office to the closest designated shelter area or to exit the building by the most direct route during an evacuation. Share this information with students, staff and faculty.
No signal will be given to simulate the earthquake. At 10:20 am, please adhere to the following steps.
- Drop, Cover and Hold On
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DROP to the ground.
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Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk/table or crouching down close to a wall. Remember to cover your head and stay clear of falling objects.
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HOLD ON until the "shaking" stops (2 to 5 minutes).
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If outside, stay clear of falling objects.
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After the drill, a campus notification will be sent to evacuate the buildings.
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Remain calm and walk—do NOT run.
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During an evacuation, do NOT use the elevator. Take the stairs. When evacuating, remember to turn off the lights and lock your office or classroom behind you.
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Faculty—Stay with your students and provide them with direction to the nearest shelter area or to the nearest exit. Keep a roster to account for your students. Notify College Police of any persons with disabilities requiring assistance. If possible, have someone stay behind with persons with disabilities until emergency personnel arrive. Do Not attempt to carry person by yourself.
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If you are a person with disabilities — go to stairway landings and wait for emergency rescue personnel. Stairwells are constructed with a higher fire rating than any other areas of a building. Emergency personnel responding to the building will be checking the stairway landings for persons with disabilities upon their arrival.
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Remain in the evacuation areas until the College-Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT) has inspected the buildings for re-entry.
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Be prepared at home: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be informed.
What NOT to Do
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DO NOT take the elevator!
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DO NOT get in a doorway! An early earthquake image of California is a collapsed adobe home with the door frame as the only standing part. From this came our belief that a doorway is the safest place to be during an earthquake. In modern houses and buildings, doorways are no safer, and they do not protect you from flying or falling objects. Get under a table instead!
- DO NOT run outside! Trying to run in an earthquake is dangerous, as the ground is moving and you can easily fall or be injured by debris or glass. Running outside is especially dangerous, as glass, bricks, or other building components may be falling. You are much safer to stay inside and get under a table.
Persons with Disabilities
See EarthquakeCountry.org/disability for recommendations for people who use wheelchairs, walkers, or are unable to drop to the ground and get up again without assistance.