 The Great Shakeout
Coaster joins 5.3 million people in the largest disaster drill in U.S. History
(Los Angeles) At 10 a.m. on November 13, 2008, Coaster joined 5.3 million people in homes, schools, businesses, government offices, and public places all over Southern California participated in the Shakeout Drill, the largest earthquake preparedness activity in U.S. history!
The Great Southern California ShakeOut is based on a potential magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault— approximately 5,000 times larger than the magnitude 5.4 earthquake that shook southern California on July 29.
In an earthquake of this size, the shaking will last for nearly two minutes. The strongest shaking will occur near the fault (in the projected earthquake, the Coachella Valley, Inland Empire and Antelope Valley). An earthquake of this size will cause unprecedented damage to Southern California—greatly dwarfing the massive damage that occurred in Northridge’s 6.7-magnitude earthquake in 1994. In summary, the ShakeOut Scenario estimates this earthquake will cause some 2,000 deaths, 50,000 injuries, $200 billion in damage and other losses, and severe, long-lasting disruption.
 Coaster’s drill took part in three stages. Stage one consisted of an announcement the earthquake had begun and employees practiced how to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On." Once the shaking had stopped and it was safe to exit the building the second stage started. Employees exited the building through the nearest exit and gathered in the assembly area for a headcount. While managers and supervisors were carrying out Stage 2, Coaster’s emergency Team moved on to Stage 3 where they conducted a search and rescue for injured employees. The emergency team was not told where or how many employees were left behind. A room by room search of the offices and an aisle by aisle search of the warehouse led the team to 15 injured employees that needed assistance. Injuries ranged from minor to life threatening, and a few employees even needed to be carried out.
The drill took almost an hour from start to finish and provided a great learning experience for the company. The plan is a work in progress and will be tested again in the near future.
Want to learn more about Earthquakes and emergency preparedness? See below. Look at more pictures from the drill by clicking here
Why is important to do a Drop, Cover, Hold On drill? Just as with anything, to act quickly you must practice, practice, practice. In a big earthquake, there may be very little time to protect yourself before strong shaking knocks you down or drops something on you. Most earthquakes have a sharp jolt a few seconds before the strong shaking, and we need to Drop, Cover, Hold On immediately when we feel the jolt. By practicing we will act quickly, rather than waiting to see if the earthquake will be large. If it is, it may be too late to protect yourself.
 Earthquakes occur without any warning and may be so violent that you cannot run or crawl; you therefore will most likely be knocked to the ground where you happen to be. "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" gives you the best overall chance of protecting yourself during an earthquake... even during quakes that cause furniture to move about rooms, and even in buildings that might ultimately collapse. Dropping, covering your head (and your body by being under a strong table if possible), and holding onto furniture (even if it is moving) offers the best overall level of protection in most situations. In cases where an earthquake is less violent, you might be able to move to a more advantageous position (e.g. away from breaking windows, etc) as you drop to the floor, cover your head, and hold on to a solid object.
Studies of injuries and deaths caused by earthquakes over the last several decades indicate that you are much more likely to be injured by falling or flying objects (TVs, lamps, glass, bookcases, etc.) than to die in a collapsed building. The "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" position will protect you from most of these injuries. If there is no nearby space beneath a table or other furniture that can provide protection from these objects, then you should get next to a large piece of furniture such as a sofa, cover your head, and hold on to the furniture when it moves. If there is no furniture, get next to an interior wall if possible. If you are in bed, the best thing to do is to stay where you are and cover your head with a pillow. |
