Wednesday, October 19, 2016

The Great California Shakeout

On Thursday, October 20, 2016, at 10:20 a.m., USC students, faculty and staff will participate in The Great California ShakeOut.  The ShakeOut earthquake drill serves as our annual reminder that preparation is the best way to ensure safety.  I urge you and your colleagues to join the over 9 million other California participants practicing “drop, cover and hold on” in response to a hypothetical 7.8 earthquake.  Detailed instructions and other information are attached.  In addition, the USC Office of Fire Safety and Emergency Planning has posted drill information online at http://adminopsnet.usc.edu/node/805.

The ShakeOut is also a reminder to take steps to protect your family and home from harm in an earthquake.  This may include developing a family disaster plan, obtaining a home emergency kit, and mitigating hazards in your home environment.  In addition, signing up for payroll direct deposit will ensure your paycheck is received in a timely manner should we experience an emergency. Further, if you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to download LiveSafe, USC’s Mobile Safety App, from Google Play or the Apple App Store.  Please visit www.usc.edu/mobilesafety for more information.

Besides the “drop, cover and hold on” drill, schools and many departments will test their earthquake response and business continuity plans.  The annual test helps to ensure the university is ready to respond to the needs of our students, faculty and staff.

The ShakeOut is organized worldwide by the Earthquake Country Alliance, which is administered by the Southern California Earthquake Center headquartered at USC.  For additional information about the upcoming drill, or for assistance with emergency planning, please contact the USC Office of Fire Safety and Emergency Planning at sgoldfar@usc.edu.  To learn more about emergency preparedness at USC, please visit the USC Office of Fire Safety and Emergency Planning website at http://adminopsnet.usc.edu/department/fire-safety-and-emergency-planning.

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