Wednesday, Jan. 26, will be a provincial day of preparation for if and when "the big one" hits, with the Great B.C. Shakeout.
Almost 300,000 British Columbians have signed up to participate in the earthquake drill including 1,500 on the Sunshine Coast.
"The idea of it is to remind people how to protect themselves during an earthquake - to practice the drop, cover and hold," said Bill Elsner, the Sunshine Coast Regional District's (SCRD) emergency program co-ordinator. "When there's an earthquake and you feel a seismic event, you drop to the ground so you don't get knocked to the ground, you get underneath something like a table or a desk, and you hold on until the shaking stops."
The idea for a large scale earthquake drill comes from California where up to 20 million people have participated.
Beyond learning how to save one's skin during an earthquake, the Shakeout will also encourage people to check to make sure their homes are as safe as can possibly be, Elsner said.
"Every Coast resident should have an emergency plan for their family so they can be reunited. The best thing would be an out-of-province phone number they can phone into," he said. "Look around your house and do a home hazard hunt. Make sure your big 95-inch TV that you just bought is attached to the wall so it doesn't fall on you and your hot water tank is secured and bookshelves and those sorts of things are strapped to the wall."
Beyond that, Elsner said everyone should have an emergency kit filled with the items people will be glad they have if an emergency shuts down infrastructure for a few days including a battery-powered or windup radio and flashlight, seven days of food and water, spare medication and eyeglasses, cash, copies of important documents, extra pet food for the four-leggeds, basic tools, a first aid kit "and that book you've always wanted to read but never had time to."
"No candles. I'm not a fan at all of candles. The reason for that is because during an earthquake, candles are going to get knocked over in aftershocks and fire is always a big hazard after an earthquake," Elsner added.
For more earthquake information and to register for the shakeout, visit www.shakeoutbc.ca. For more info on the SCRD emergency preparedness program including instructions for an emergency kit, visit www.scrd.ca and click on "Emergency Program."
