U.S. to begin large-scale emergency perparedness drills for New Madrid fault region

January 28, 2012 – MISSOURI – Washington’s emergency management director is encouraging individuals, businesses, schools and service groups to participate in a regional earthquake preparedness drill. The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut will take place Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 10:15 a.m. As of Friday, more than 1.6 million participants from the region have agreed to take part in the drill in some form. Of those, more than 366,000 are from Missouri so far. Those interested in taking part in the drill can sign up to register at http://shakeout.org/centralus. Bill Halmich, emergency management director, said the city of Washington has registered for the drill. Halmich provided city departments with information about the drill and said each department will participate in a manner that does not disrupt city services that day. A resolution to participate is expected to be brought before the city council Monday, Feb. 6, Halmich said. Unlike other natural disasters, earthquakes can be an unusual challenge to prepare for because there are no advance warnings, he said. Those who register can participate at different levels based on how much time they can allow for the exercise. “It can be as easy as providing information to your staff,” Halmich said, such as emailing employees tips on how to prepare for an earthquake at home and work or hanging banners and signs throughout organizations or workplaces. Another way to participate is hold post-drill discussions to hear what people learned and plan their next steps. Participants also can consider taking part in safety drills, discussing what to expect will happen during the drill and then holding a feedback session after the drill to identify strengths and weaknesses. Registered participants will be asked after the drill to provide information as to what they did to prepare. Then, those individuals or groups will receive a certificate of participation. Halmich is asking once participants receive their certificate to notify him so he can make a list of who in this area took part and how. On April 28, 2011, 486,238 organizations and individuals in Missouri took part in the first Great Central U.S. ShakeOut. –E Missourian