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SALT LAKE CITY — Nearly a million Utahns participated in the Great Utah ShakeOut Wednesday — the annual statewide earthquake drill intended to help everyone get prepared for the inevitable big earthquake.
School children, government workers and more than 240 businesses — including the KSL newsroom — participated in the drill. Students at Heartland Elementary knew just what do Wednesday morning at 10:15 a.m.: Drop to the ground, take cover and hold on until the shaking stops.
"It was a little bit longer than I expected it to be because my neck was kind of crammed under the desk," said 6th grader Olivia Roberts.
Many who participated are glad that the drill took place.
"I think it's a great idea," said participant Leah Lobato. "I think we need to be prepared in order for us to know what's happening and what the procedures are so we handle things appropriately when we do have the big earthquake that is eventually going to hit us."
At the state capitol, employees and government officials evacuated with their emergency backpacks, including Emergency Management official Joe Dougherty. He said that there are more than 800 earthquakes every year in the state, and called Utah "earthquake country."
Other officials have expressed hope that this annual drill will encourage businesses and families to get prepared so all are ready when the next big quake hits Utah — a matter of when and not if.
"We know that a major earthquake happens along the Wasatch Front every 350 to 400 years," Dougherty said. "The last one was about 350 years ago."
On top of the drill, the government center performed its own emergency evacuation drill.
Salt Lake County Emergency Services has been working with all 17 jurisdictions in the county to make sure emergency operations plans are in place and work cohesively. Salt Lake City Emergency Director Jeff Graviet wants residents to know, however, that in the event of a real emergency communication will be a challenge, as will deploying enough emergency responders right away.
"We need you as a community," he said. "We need all of us to be prepared for that 72 hours so that we can let emergency services get back on line and back into that normal process and respond to that immediate crisis, so everyone helps us by taking a minute and being individually prepared for whatever."
Graviet gave two key pieces of advice: Take a few minutes each month to go over a plan with your family and talk to them about what to do if they're at school or at home; Talk to your work about what expectations are in the event of an emergency, what they expect of you and then go over what you expect of them.
