‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ October 19 at 10:19 a.m.

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

B.C.’s largest earthquake drill is set to return on Thursday, October 19 when residents across the province will ‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ at precisely 10:19 a.m. More than 810,000 British Columbians will take part in the annual exercise aimed at raising awareness about how to prepare to survive and recover quickly from major earthquakes.

The District of Squamish encourages all residents and businesses to participate. Part of the exercise will involve a test of the SquamishAlert emergency notification system that will send a test emergency message from the District of Squamish to all subscribed residents. More than 2,300 residents have signed up for this free alert system that delivers urgent information and instructions by voice, email and text. Residents can sign up at squamish.ca/alert.

“This is an important reminder of what to do during those critical first few minutes of an earthquake or natural disaster. Practicing this simple drill could save lives in the event of a real-life emergency,” says District of Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman. “District employees across all municipal buildings will participate in this exercise, along with children in all of our schools. The District has a robust emergency plan in place, but a key piece of community resilience is to ensure we’re prepared for our own individual safety, especially during those first critical 72 hours.” 

Tune into Mountain FM where you will hear an audio simulation of an earthquake at 10:19 a.m.

Get prepared. Sign up for the earthquake drill today. For more information and to register for the Great B.C. Shake Out, visit www.shakeoutbc.ca.

The Squamish Emergency Program is responsible for coordinating procedures to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from large-scale emergencies. Emergency Program staff work in partnership with the Squamish Nation, local first response agencies and neighbouring communities to develop and implement plans and programs to protect the community during disasters. 

Visit the Squamish Emergency Program online to learn how to be prepared in the event of a major emergency, and sign up to receive important emergency notifications at squamish.ca/alert. 

October 18, 2017