At 10:18 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, Miranda Myles hopes everyone at SFU’s three campuses will drop, cover and hold on to something secure.

That’s when SFU will join more than 270,000 British Columbians in a mass earthquake drill dubbed ShakeOut BC along with others in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and New Zealand.

Events are planned for the Burnaby campus at Saywell Hall Atrium, the Mezzanine at SFU Surrey and the Harbour Centre at SFU Vancouver. People can also participate wherever they are on campus or at home.

Full details are posted on SFU Safety & Risk Services’ recently revamped website www.sfu.ca/srs.html (see related story)

Myles, SFU’s emergency and operational continuity planner, who is representing SFU as the first post-secondary institution on the ShakeOut BC organizing committee, hopes to top last year’s university turnout of about 200 campus participants.

“I would like to see more proactive participation in the drill by the university,” she says, “and acceptance of the drill as a recognized necessity for the safety of the university community.”

The event will begin with a 60-second audio clip provided by ShakeOut BC organizers. Individuals can start the drill themselves by downloading and playing the audio clip, or tuning into one of the participating radio stations, and practising the internationally recognized earthquake safety technique:

1) DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you!)
2) Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
3) HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops

“The clip starts off with the sound of an earthquake erupting,” says Myles. “Then someone gives instructions on how to safely drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy desk or table and hold on until the shaking stops.”

Myles says her job as a ShakeOut BC organizer is to communicate the event’s messaging to her emergency preparedness counterparts at other post secondary institutions. More on SFU’s involvement and how to participate: at.sfu.ca/zEPmbg.