The University of Oregon is participating in the annual Great Oregon ShakeOut on Thursday, Oct. 19, and is recommending all students and employees take part in the earthquake safety drill at 2:19 p.m.

The UO will send a notification that the drill is about to start through the UO Alerts mass-notification system. UO Alerts sends an email to all students and employees and text messages to everyone signed up to receive the notifications.

The event is designed to promote earthquake preparedness, an important issue in a region that faces an overdue and potentially massive Cascadia quake and coastal tsunami, as well as periodic, less severe quakes. Earthquakes can happen anytime and almost anywhere, and most injuries during such events are caused by falling or flying objects.

The drill is an opportunity to practice “drop, cover and hold on” for 60 seconds:

• Drop to the ground.
• Cover your head and neck with your arms. Seek additional shelter, if possible, by getting under a sturdy desk or table nearby.
• Hold on to your shelter and be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops.

Those are the key steps to remember if there is an earthquake. Modification and adaptation may need to occur based on your situation.

For example, if there is no table or desk near you, drop to the ground and if possible, get next to an interior wall of a room. Be in a crawling position to protect your vital organs and be ready to move if necessary. Cover your head and neck with your hands and arms.

Do not move to another location or run outside. Shaking can quickly become violent so that you may be unable to run or crawl.

Any students or employees who have not signed up to receive UO Alerts are strongly encouraged to do so, as that is how the UO gets information out quickly in emergency situations.

Kelly Missett, the ShakeAlert regional coordinator, and Vicki Strand, the UO’s continuity and emergency manager in Safety and Risk Services, will host a presentation from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Lease Crutcher Lewis Room in the Erb Memorial Union. Participants will learn about earthquakes and how individuals can take steps to be more prepared on campus and at home. It will include a brief “drop, cover, and hold” drill as part of the Great Oregon ShakeOut.

The presentation is sponsored by the Department of Earth Sciences and UO Safety and Risk Services.

Students and employees are encouraged to make sure they can receive ShakeAlert earthquake early warning alerts on their cellphones. The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system can detect significant earthquakes quickly so alerts can be sent to people before they feel shaking, giving them time to drop, cover and hold on.

All Oregonians can receive earthquake early warning alerts on their personal cellphones via three different methods: wireless emergency alerts, Android OS alerts and ShakeAlert-powered apps. Two free apps are available for download: MyShake and QuakeAlertUSA. To learn more about the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system, visit the U.S. Geological Survey website.

For more tips and training on earthquake preparation and response for individuals and UO departments, visit the Safety and Risk Services website.

—By Eva Tate, Safety and Risk Services
—Top photo: The Duck practicing 'drop, cover and hold on'