In support of the annual Great Nevada ShakeOut on Thursday, Oct. 20, Clark County emergency management officials are offering some earthquake safety tips.
The Great ShakeOut is a worldwide event that encourages people and organizations to participate in an annual earthquake safety drill on their own or as part of a larger group. Participants are asked to organize “Drop, Cover and Hold On” drills for 60 seconds on ShakeOut Day at schools, businesses, government agencies, homes and other locations. The time and date of the ShakeOut drill on Thursday is 10:20 a.m. Nevadans are encouraged to be counted as participants in the annual drill by registering online at www.shakeout.org/nevada. So far about 597,000 Nevadans are registered to participate in the drill, including almost 416,000 in Clark County.
“The Great ShakeOut is a reminder each year that earthquakes are a real possibility in Southern Nevada,” said Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Billy Samuels, who oversees the Office of Emergency Management. “We encourage as many people as possible to participate in the drill either at home or in their workplaces. It’s also a good idea to practice earthquake safety in different situations.”
Officials say most earthquake-related injuries happen because of falling objects, breaking glass, or trips and falls when people try to evacuate. The best protection if you are indoors during an earthquake is to get under heavy furniture such as a desk or table until the shaking stops, and to stay away from windows to avoid shattering glass. If you are in a vehicle when shaking starts, pull over to a clear location avoiding bridges, overpasses and power lines if possible. To limit injuries in an earthquake, shelves should be fastened securely to walls. Large, heavy objects should be placed on lower shelves. Do not hang heavy objects on walls over beds or sofas and chairs where you sit.
Nevada is one of the most seismically active states after California and Alaska. “Property Brothers” HGTV stars Drew and Jonathan Scott helped Clark County create a 30-second TV Public Service Announcement to educate residents about earthquake safety. The PSA is posted on the County’s YouTube site at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwbJhENzVCg. A related safety tip handout is on the Fire Department’s website pages at https://tinyurl.com/25zfnju7. Additional earthquake safety information is available at https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes. Residents also are encouraged to download the free Southern Nevada Community Preparedness App to help prepare and plan for emergencies. The app offers free weather alerts, safety tips and resources to help families create personalized emergency preparedness plans and disaster supply kits. The public also can sign up to receive free public safety alerts via text or email through a community notification system called CodeRED. Information about both tools is on the Fire Department’s website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov along with safety tips for a variety of situations.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up