Are You Ready for the Great ShakeOut?
On Thursday, October 17, at 10:17 a.m., Laguna Woods Village will join millions of Americans in the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill, an annual opportunity to practice how to be safe during a large seismic event. Residents are encouraged to “drop, cover and hold on” for one minute and review the ShakeOut website for additional earthquake safety tips.
Good Neighbor Building and Block Captains will don their emergency vests, check on their neighbors and turn in a simulated earthquake damage and injury report. This form will be forwarded to Village Management Services staff, who will conduct a tabletop exercise using the company’s Emergency Operations Plan. Laguna Woods Village residents who seek additional information or are interested in joining the Disaster Preparedness Task Force can email the Department of Security Services at chief@vmsinc.org.
Get Ready at Home
The ShakeOut drill serves as a reminder to conduct a self-assessment of individual readiness at home. Hold open discussions with family and loved ones about preparing for large-scale emergencies and take this opportunity to prepare and plan for any event that may cause you to go for an extended period without electricity, water, access to a supermarket or other local services by following these four steps:
Get a kit: Keep enough emergency supplies on hand for you and those in your care (including pets). Be sure to have water, nonperishable food, first-aid supplies, prescriptions, flashlights and a battery-powered radio. For a complete checklist of supplies, visit readyoc.org. The Disaster Preparedness Task Force Office on the first floor of the Community Center has kits available for sale to all residents.
Make a plan: Discuss, agree on and document an emergency plan with those in your care. Click here for sample plans. Work with your neighbors, colleagues and others to build a community network of resilience.
Receive emergency alerts: During an emergency, information will be made available from local officials. You can sign up for emergency alerts and notifications at alertoc.com. The Village also uses its own emergency notification system, CodeRED, to keep Residents notified in the event of a large-scale emergency.
Get involved: Programs like the Laguna Woods Village Disaster Preparedness Task Force and the Good Neighbor Captain program are designed to help you protect yourself, your family and your neighbors in an emergency situation. Click here for more information.
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