Not To Be Trusted With Knives

Join the Shake Out!

January 5, 2011 by Beth

In the mountain of email that was waiting for me upon my return to work after three weeks of holidays, there was an email about the The Great British Columbia Shake Out. What is a “Shake Out,” you ask? Only the biggest earthquake drill in the history of Canada!

BC is a hot spot for potential earthquakes but, really, most of the people I know are not prepared. The only earthquake I’ve experienced since I’ve lived here was back in 2001 – it was a pretty minor one, but you could definitely feel it if you were sitting down at the time – and not a single person in the class I was in at the time had any idea what to do. “Are we supposed to go outside? Stay here?” After that, there were a few earthquake preparedness planning meetings, but then everyone promptly forget all about it.

Personally, I have a half-assed earthquake kit in my storage closet, which consists of an insufficient supply of bottled water and some energy bars that I’ve picked up as free samples at various half marathons that I’ve run. Plus a printed out list of the things that are supposed to be in an earthquake preparedness kit.

So I’ve decided to register for the Shake Out and use it as an opportunity to get off my butt and learn about what I really should be doing in the event that the Big One hits. At the very least, it will be an opportunity for my co-workers to ask me, “Why the hell are you hiding under your desk?

You too can register for the Shake Out and be part of the “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” action.

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