Secretaries Napolitano, Duncan Call on School and Colleges to Participate in April Earthquake Drill

DHS.gov
Release Date: April 19, 2011
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Washington – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan today called on K-12 schools, colleges and universities across the central U.S. – and throughout the country – to help their students, faculty and communities prepare for earthquakes by participating in a public earthquake drill on Thursday, April 28, 2011. Eleven states in the New Madrid Seismic Zone are participating in the drill, the "Great Central U.S. ShakeOut," which takes place at 10:15 a.m. Central time. Anyone can register to participate, whether at school, at work, or at home; to date, over 2 million Americans have signed up.

While similar "ShakeOut" earthquake drills are frequently conducted by California and other states on an individual basis, this is the first multistate earthquake drill, and the first drill in the central U.S., where many states would be impacted if a major earthquake hit the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Secretaries Duncan and Napolitano made their call to K-12 schools, colleges and universities in a letter sent earlier today.

"As the recent earthquakes in American Samoa, Haiti, New Zealand, Chile and now Japan remind us, earthquakes can strike at any time," said Secretary Napolitano. "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. 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."
Read the entire article