Join hundreds of thousands of British Columbians as they "Drop, Cover and Hold On" during the 2017 Great British Columbia ShakeOut. The BC Earthquake Alliance, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), and Science World, are working together to present Canada's largest earthquake preparedness drill on Thursday, October 19 at 10:19 a.m. ShakeOut is also presented with generous support from London Drugs, FortisBC, BC Hydro, HEMBC, BCAA, and Ivanhoe Cambridge.
Register today and encourage your family, friends and colleagues to do the same at www.ShakeOutBC.ca.
"Well-rehearsed emergency plans are key to our overall level of preparedness, and each year, people across the province 'Drop, Cover and Hold On' during The Great British Columbia ShakeOut to practice what to do when an earthquake first occurs," said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness in British Columbia. "I encourage all British Columbians to participate in this drill and take this opportunity to prepare an emergency kit and review emergency plans with their loved ones. A program like ShakeOut is one step we can take to protect the safety of our citizens, so let's all work together to create a more resilient British Columbia."
"Thousands of earthquakes occur every year in British Columbia. While only a few are large enough to be felt, damaging earthquakes have happened in the past and will occur in the future," said Dave Cockle, President, BC Earthquake Alliance. "By participating in the Great British Columbia ShakeOut, you, your family and your colleagues take an easy, 90 second step toward ensuring the safest action will be taken during an earthquake."
"We are thrilled to be hosting this year's annual ShakeOutBC event," said Dr. Scott Sampson, President and CEO of Science World. "British Columbia is a province that is tectonically active and understanding the science of seismology and tsunamis is an important part of emergency preparedness."
"Canada's home and business insurers play a critical role helping individuals and families recover following disaster," said Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Pacific, IBC. "That is why IBC is once again proud to sponsor this year's Great British Columbia ShakeOut. Governments, businesses, and consumers all need to work together to help create a culture of preparedness in British Columbia."
To learn about all the ways to participate in this year's ShakeOut BC drill, click here. Listen to the ShakeOut BC drill audio broadcast during the event to make it more informative. Click here to download the drill broadcast. For more information about IBC and the 2017 Great British Columbia ShakeOut, visit www.ibc.ca.