ShakeOut: Are You Ready?
Get ready to ShakeOut! ECC's Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill is set for Oct. 18. At 10:18 a.m., all El Camino College students, faculty and staff will "Drop, Cover, and Hold On," and then begin an orderly evacuation of buildings. Thank you for your participation in this important exercise that will help us prepare for earthquakes.
What to do!
If you are outside: get into the open, away from buildings, power lines and trees.
If you are indoors: duck or drop down to the floor.
DROP where you are, onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from being knocked down and also allows you to stay low and crawl to shelter if nearby.
COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand.
If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter
If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows).
Stay on your knees; bend over to protect vital organs.
HOLD ON until shaking stops.
Under shelter: hold on to it with one hand; be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts
No shelter: hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands.
If there isn't a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building. Do not try to run to another room just to get under a table.
The main point is to not try to move but to immediately protect yourself as best as possible where you are. Earthquakes occur without any warning and may be so violent that you cannot run or crawl; you therefore will most likely be knocked to the ground where you happen to be. You will never know if the initial jolt will turn out to be the start of the big one. Drop, Cover, and Hold On immediately.
What NOT to do!
DO NOT get in a doorway! An early earthquake image of California is a collapsed adobe home with the door frame as the only standing part. From this came our belief that a doorway is the safest place to be during an earthquake. In modern houses and buildings, doorways are no safer, and they do not protect you from flying or falling objects. Get under a table instead!
DO NOT run outside! Trying to run in an earthquake is dangerous, as the ground is moving, and you can easily fall or be injured by debris or glass. Running outside is especially dangerous, as glass, bricks, or other building components may be falling. You are much safer to stay inside and get under a table.
Floor captains will be available during the drill for assistance. Visit http://www.elcamino.edu/about/depts/safetyhealth/shakeout/ for more earthquake safety information.
DUI Awareness Fair Scheduled
Be sure to visit the Library Lawn between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 31 for El Camino College's 18th Annual South Bay DUI Awareness Fair. The event will feature displays and interactive demonstrations that convey the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. This year, Student Health Services will sponsor a Substance Abuse Prevention Expo in conjunction with the DUI Awareness Fair. The expo will feature awareness information, valuable resources and prevention activities and coincides with Substance Abuse Prevention Month. The Substance Abuse Prevention Expo is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Library Lawn.
Scheduled just in time for Halloween and the beginning of the holiday season, the DUI Awareness Fair is designed to share information about the dangerous consequences that can come from driving under the influence or getting into a car that is operated by someone under the influence. The El Camino College Police Department, in conjunction with the Avoid the 100 West DUI Task Force, will sponsor this event. The work of El Camino College Police Department officers has been honored by awards from MADD at both the local and state levels. For more information, call the El Camino College Police Department at 310-660-3100.
