Each year, Mason participates in a national earthquake drill called The Great Shakeout. It’s designed to promote familiarity with earthquake safety procedures and general preparedness. This year, the drill is on October 16, at 10:16AM. That’s right, 10/16 at 10:16AM! The date is easy to remember and so is the basic safety procedure during an earthquake: Drop, Cover, Hold On.
Let’s break that down. When you feel the ground beneath you begin to shake, drop to the ground so you don’t fall over. Take cover under sturdy furniture, such as a desk, table, or chair. Finally, hold on to furniture so it doesn’t shake away and leave you exposed to things that might be falling down from above, such as books or ceiling tiles.
Mason encourages you and your coworkersto participate. If you have students or guests visiting your office, have them participate with you. You can tweet pictures to #MasonReady and join the Mason Ready culture. For more information on earthquake preparedness, you can visit ready.gmu.edu or shakeout.org.
You’ll receive a Mason Alert notifying you of the drill a few minutes before it starts. This alert serves both as a reminder for the drill and as an annual full-load test of the Mason Alert notification system. If you want to receive alerts on your phone, visit alert.gmu.edu and enter your information.