'Drop, Cover and Hold On’ October 15 at 10:15 a.m.

ShakeOut B.C. exercise will include community-wide test of the SquamishAlert

Squamish will once again join residents across the province to ‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ during B.C.’s largest earthquake drill returning Thursday, October 15 at 10:15 a.m. More than 690,000 British Columbians are set to take part in the annual exercise aimed at raising awareness about how to prepare to survive and recover quickly from major earthquakes wherever you live, work or travel. The Squamish exercise will also include a test of the SquamishAlert emergency notification system to all subscribed residents.

“This is a 60-second exercise that could prove to be life changing in the event of an actual emergency. Being prepared and knowing what to do during those first few minutes of a natural disaster is critical,” says District of Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott. “Take part in the exercise, talk to your family, check your emergency kit, get to know the District’s evacuation plan and subscribe to receive SquamishAlert emergency notifications to ensure you’re prepared for your safety to look after your household for at least 72 hours should an emergency arise."

More than 3,400 residents have signed up for SquamishAlert, the free local alert system that delivers emergency information and instructions by voice, email and text. Residents can sign up or update their existing profile at squamish.ca/alert.

District employees across all municipal buildings and remote workplaces will participate in this exercise, along with children in participating SD48 schools. Tune into Mountain FM for an audio simulation of an earthquake at 10:15 a.m. For more information and to register for the Great B.C. Shake Out, visit http://shakeoutbc.ca. 

To learn more about local emergency preparedness and learn about Squamish’s evacuation plan, visit https://squamish.ca/evacuate. To sign up for the SquamishAlert emergency visit http://squamish.ca/alert.  

October 13, 2020