Saddleback students duck and cover for earthquake drill
Students evacuated the LRC and SM building joining together outside for about 30 minutes participating in The California Great Shakeout Drill.
Saddleback College joined thousands of other schools, organizations and colleges on Oct. 17 for the Great California Shakeout Drill. The drill started at 10:17 am and lasted about 30 minutes where all faculty, students and administrators were required to participate in the emergency preparedness drill that focused on how to react to an earthquake or time of catastrophe.
There was two phases of the drill that Saddleback was required to go through.
Phase one was the Earthquake announcements. A campus wide broadcast was made to every room and building on campus saying “this is a drill, this is a drill, earthquake, earthquake!”
At this point all students, faculty and administrators were required to drop, cover and hold. The drop, cover and hold is a protocol established for a time of an earthquake. One must drop to the floor, cover their heads and hold onto a sturdy table in order to protect themselves.
The second phase of the procedure was evacuating all students from all buildings after the
“all clear” announcement had been said. College Cert team members helped evacuate all students from each building. They also were in charge of announcing when the exercise was over and told students to return to their classes and previous activity.
Andrew Craven, Saddleback’s police technical services specialist, said this college takes the extra step in the California Shakeout by evacuating all students into different zones from each building. The estimated amount of students participating in this exercise is about 5,000 students said Craven.
Haley Ferguson, 18, child development major said she would follow the basic procedure for the duck and cover drill.
“I would go underneath the desk to protect myself, I wouldn’t think of walking out or running during it.” Ferguson said. “I would [then] find someone who works here and follow them.”
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