PHOTO COURTESY OF OREGON OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Along with over 410,000 participants in Oregon, Hermiston schools will participate in a worldwide effort to bring people to talk and practice what they would do in an earthquake.
Oregon schools, organizations, and individuals are encouraged to participate in the Great Oregon ShakeOut on Oct. 20 at 10:20 a.m.
The purpose of the event is to promote response preparedness. Drills are conducted in schools, but emergencies can happen to anyone, anywhere, any time. One may only have seconds to protect oneself, so practicing often is important to be able to act quickly regardless of one’s location.
In an earthquake the recommended response is to drop, cover, and hold on. If a person is inside a building, he/she needs to drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy desk or table, against an interior wall in an office, home or school. Cover your head and neck with your arms and hold on until the earthquake has ceased.
During an earthquake these are the recommendations to follow:
• If you are indoors stay indoors until the shaking stops.
• If you are outdoors stay away from buildings, trees, streetlights, power lines, then drop, cover and hold on. Stay there until the shaking stops.
• If you are driving, pull over to a clear location, stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops. Once the shaking stops, proceed with caution and avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged.
Drills are conducted in our schools, however, the students are not in the schools all of the time. The Hermiston School District encourages families to take this opportunity to talk as a family, come up with a plan, and practice what they would do in the event of an earthquake.
To register as an individual or organization to participate in the Great Oregon Shake Out go online.
