Op-ed: Bruins should participate in Great ShakeOut drill for earthquake preparation
Royce Hall is pictured. This Thursday, the Great ShakeOut will seek to improve the UCLA campus community’s ability to respond to earthquakes and other natural disasters. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Lisa Martin
Oct. 15, 2024 4:10 p.m.
This post was updated Oct. 15 at 9:25 p.m.
October is Bruin Earthquake Awareness Month, and in the case of an unexpected natural disaster, there is no question that practice and preparation can save lives. Thinking through an action plan in advance helps you stay calmer and more focused when the real event occurs – and in Southern California, it is critical for all of us to be prepared for a number of possibilities, including earthquakes.
On Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m., UCLA students, faculty and staff are asked to “Drop! Cover! Hold On!” during the Great ShakeOut – also known as the world’s largest virtual earthquake drill. The ShakeOut is a chance for our Bruin community to practice its response to an earthquake while UCLA conducts a test of the BruinAlert emergency notification system.
UCLA’s Office of Emergency Management will send a BruinAlert announcing the drill via text, email and the Bruins Safe app.
All UCLA students, staff and faculty are automatically enrolled in BruinAlert and will receive notifications in the event of an emergency. The system now also automatically enrolls cell phone numbers for SMS and phone alerts for staff, faculty and students, with the exception of ASUCLA staff, UCLA Health and David Geffen School of Medicine staff and faculty who must manually opt in to receive SMS text or phone notifications. Please be sure your contact information is up to date and/or you have opted in to receive SMS alerts by visiting the BruinAlert website.
In an actual emergency, when you receive a BruinAlert you are asked to visit Bruins Safe Online for more information. We recommend bookmarking the site – your primary source of verified information from OEM during emergencies – and sharing it with family and friends who may want to be informed about emergency events at UCLA.
Emergency preparedness and response rely on having the best information available in a timely manner. During wildfires, spills, active shooter situations and more, it is critical that you take a few minutes to connect with all available – and accurate – resources.
I strongly encourage all Bruins to download the Bruins Safe app, which provides quick access to response information for potential emergency scenarios and critical campus safety features such as UCLA emergency contacts and Friend Walk, from either Google Play or the Apple Store. The app also gives easy access to the BSO website and campus maps.
Visit the OEM website for content on planning for and responding to emergency events. Wherever you are, I hope you will practice your “Drop! Cover! Hold On!” skills for one minute Thursday. Links to the ShakeOut drill are available in English and Spanish so that you can practice at any time. I also invite you to reach out by email if you have any questions or suggestions throughout the year.
As always, stay safe and be prepared!
Lisa A. Martin is the director of the UCLA Office of Emergency Management.