CSUSB Joins Great California Shakeout Earthquake Drill

Cal State San Bernardino will be among the hundreds of colleges, universities and other organizations throughout the state that will “drop, cover and hold on” as participants in the eighth annual “Great California ShakeOut” simulated earthquake drill. The exercise, considered the world’s largest earthquake drill, will take place at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, said CSUSB emergency manager Rick Blackburn. The ShakeOut drill, which began in California in 2008, was created to encourage people and organizations to be prepared in order to survive and recover when the next big earthquake happens, Blackburn said. More than 10 million people in California and nearly 40 million worldwide are expected to participate in the 2015 Great California ShakeOut. “Our intent at Cal State San Bernardino is to increase awareness of our students, faculty and staff on what to do before, during and after an earthquake, and to be aware and prepare for any disaster,” Blackburn said. “We want our students, faculty and staff to act as if the drill is a real earthquake. We want everyone here on campus to ‘drop, cover, and hold on’ when the drill occurs.” At 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 15, the campus community will be notified via the university’s various communications systems that the campus has experienced a major earthquake. These messages will further test CSUSB’s communications channels through text messaging, voice messages, public address announcements, e-mail, social media and website notices. Announcements over classroom and office speaker phones and the outdoor public address system will instruct faculty, staff and students who are inside a building to stay where they are and then “duck, cover and hold on,” as per the university’s Disaster Preparedness Quick Reference Guide, which is available in all classrooms and offices throughout campus. People on campus who are outside will be asked to move to a clearing away from buildings, power lines or trees. In addition to the earthquake preparedness drill, Cal State San Bernardino geology professor Joan Fryxell will lead a hike to a section of the San Andreas Fault north of the campus. The group will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the north side of the biology building and walk to the fault, where they will stand on the fault trace during the “virtual earthquake” at 10:15 a.m. Officials estimate that an earthquake of a severe magnitude will sever local access to water, electricity, gas, fiber-optics, telecommunications, roads and railways, and that there will be extensive damage throughout the region. The earthquake drill also serves as a reminder for individuals to review and update their emergency preparedness plans and supplies, and to secure any furnishings, fixtures and items at home and other locations to prevent damage and injuries. More information about the event can be found at the Great California ShakeOut website at http://www.shakeout.org/california/.