Just this summer, major earthquakes in New Zealand, Japan, India and the East Coast have underscored the importance of being prepared for earthquakes.
The university community will have an opportunity to discuss emergency preparedness and practice dropping, covering and holding on during the Great California ShakeOut, a statewide earthquake drill, on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 10:20 a.m.
What happens during the ShakeOut?
- At precisely 10:20 a.m., building marshals, floor captains and other emergency responders around campus will instruct people to drop, cover and hold on for one minute.
- At that time, a test of Cal Poly Pomona’s Safety Alert System will take place as well. Expect a brief test message on your cell, home and office phones, as well as emails or other communication devices. Please notify those who share your home number, particularly if their first language is not English, to expect a call with a test message.
- Faculty and students who are in class and unable to take cover under a desk should drop and stay low while protecting their heads.
How can I prepare for emergencies?
- Update your personal contact information on BroncoDirect. Make sure to enter your cell phone number under the phone type ¿Mobile¿ in order to receive critical text messages in an emergency.
- Cal Poly Pomona¿s first responders are trained and prepared, but every member of the campus community needs to know what to do in an earthquake. Learn more by reading the Emergency Plan Summary and Self-Help Guide (PDF).
- Prepare a disaster kit that contains the essentials: gloves, goggles, dust masks, a radio and flashlight, water and basic tools. It is recommended to have a kit in your office, dorm room, car and/or home.
What is the university¿s Safety Alert System?
- The Safety Alert System is the university¿s emergency messaging system that can send Safety Alerts to phones, e-mail addresses, text/SMS and TTY/TDD devices. It will be used only for emergency communication purposes.
- The Safety Alert System is tested only three times a year, once each fall, winter and spring.
- To ensure you receive Safety Alerts, update your personal contact information on BroncoDirect. Make sure to enter your cell phone number under the phone type ¿Mobile¿ in order to receive critical text messages in an emergency.
To learn more about the Great California Shakeout, get a sense of the damage a 7.8 earthquake can have on the region and learn how to prepare, check out this preparedness video.