Are You Ready for the California ShakeOut?

At 10:18 a.m. Thursday, hundreds of students, government workers and residents all over Marin will join millions of people statewide in an emergency preparedness drill with a simple directive: Drop. Cover. Hold On.

The annual Great California ShakeOut calls for people statewide to pretend to experience a major earthquake and to practice the drill necessary to be safe.

At exactly 10:18 a.m. (on 10/18), participants will drop to the ground before the quake drops you, take cover by getting under a sturdy desk or table and hold on until the shaking stops. Thursday's drill will last for one minute.

“It’s not if, but when,” said Mike Giannini, Emergency Medical Services Battalion Chief for the Marin County Fire Department. “We know that earthquakes are in our future. Now is the time to get ready.”

“One of the keys to survival is to practice and prepare”, he added.

The event started four years ago as the Great Southern California ShakeOut and expanded statewide in 2009. More than 12.9 million people worldwide and 9.1 million people in California have registered to participate on Thursday. 

Complete information can be found at www.shakeout.org.

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