At 10:21 a.m. on October 21, 2021, UCLA’s staff, students and faculty at UCLA are asked to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” during the Great ShakeOut —also known as the world's largest virtual earthquake drill.
A link to the drill (in both English and Spanish) will be shared via a campus-wide BruinPost email on October 19, and also posted on UCLA’s Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) social media pages and website October 21.
Bruins who are current students, staff or faculty following UCLA’s Environment, Health & Safety (@uclaehs) on Instagram can also enter to win a $50 gift card to the Ackerman Student Union Store plus an emergency preparedness backpack in a giveaway beginning October 14.
The goal of the ShakeOut is to provide Bruins the opportunity to practice reacting safely and calmly to an emergency earthquake scenario, potentially preventing catastrophe. According to UCLA’s Director of Emergency Management, Lisa Martin, the event also provides for a test of UCLA’s emergency communications systems.
“With each exercise, Emergency Management has the opportunity to observe something new and improve our preparedness and response,” Martin said. “For drill participants, it brings to life the possibility of only having seconds to protect themselves from shaking or falling items in a real earthquake emergency.
“Thinking through an action plan in advance helps you stay calmer and more focused when the real thing occurs —and in southern California, it is critical for all of us to be prepared.”
To prepare yourself for earthquake activity before October 21, download the MyShake app via the Apple Store and Google Play; this global earthquake early-warning network uses your cellphone as a sensor and helps users receive earthquake warnings and more. Bruins are also encouraged to update their Bruin Alert contact information, and download the Bruins Safe App also found via the Apple Store and Google Play.
For more information on the ShakeOut, held on the third Thursday of October each year, visit www.shakeout.org. For information on UCLA’s participation in the event, visit the EH&S Instagram.
