Oct 18: The Great ShakeOut is Coming to California and Piedmont
Annual Earthquake Drill returns to California
On Thursday, October 18 at 10:18 am, all school sites in the Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) will take part in California’s annual earthquake disaster drill. Students will begin the drill in their third period classroom. Parents and guardians are requested to not visit the school during the drill unless directed to do so as a volunteer. The entire drill should take a few hours from start to finish. The drill is intended to prepare the staff and students for a disaster if and when one occurs.
The PUSD has adopted an extensive Emergency/Disaster Plan based on an international Incident Command System (www.ready.gov). All District and Site personnel have been trained in the implementation of this Plan through drills, workshops and periodic staff reviews. For more information on PUSD emergency information go to the PUSD site.
Many organizations in California improve their earthquake preparedness in annual drills. The “ShakeOut” drills began in California and have now been organized in other states and countries. In 2011, 8.6 million Californians participated.
ShakeOut.org has new recommendations for earthquake safety including specialized recommendations for providing for the safety of people with disabilities.