White House readies ‘US Shake Out’ to prepare citizens for earthquakes
Al Fansome
White House readies ‘US Shake Out’ to prepare citizens for earthquakes
By Jordy Yager - 04/21/11 10:10 AM ET
The Departments of Homeland Security and Education are reaching out to
millions of people in central U.S. states to get them to participate in
an earthquake preparedness drill.
In an event called the “Great Central U.S. Shake Out,” Homeland Security
Secretary Janet Napolitano and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are
reaching out to areas in the Midwest that could be impacted by an
earthquake along the New Madrid fault line.
According to the event’s website, more than 2.5 million people have
committed to taking part in Thursday’s drill in which participants will
be told how to react in the event of an earthquake.
Participants are told to drop to the ground, take cover under something
sturdy, such as a desk or a table, and hold on to it until the shaking
stops.
“It's critical that all members of the nation's emergency management
team — including the federal government, state, local and tribal
officials, the private sector and the public — are prepared,” said
Napolitano.
“Learning how to protect yourself and your loved ones in the event of an
earthquake or other disaster is a vital life skill — and we look forward
to working with schools, colleges and our other partners to strengthen
the resiliency of communities across the central United States,” she said.
The White House is reaching out to schools in Alabama, Arkansas,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma,
South Carolina and Tennessee.
“The ShakeOut drill is an important exercise for parents, students,
teachers and schools leaders across the country, and I hope it
encourages more schools to develop, implement and evaluate emergency
plans,” said Duncan.
Nearly 200 years ago, a series of earthquakes along the New Madrid fault
line rippled throughout the United States, causing a vast shadow of
destruction and disrepair.
“As adults, it's our responsibility to make sure students are prepared,
both at home and in school, for a possible emergency,” said Duncan.
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> http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/157159-white-house-readies...
Surely this is a gorvenmental brain tease.