Media invited to ShakeOut earthquake drill at Seattle’s Cascade Parent Partnership School

Media invited to ShakeOut earthquake drill at Seattle's Cascade Parent Partnership School

Posted on Oct 08, 2024 By Washington Military Administrator

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact:

Steven Friederich, Public Information Officer for Washington Emergency Management Division, [email protected] or (253) 344-0253 Sophia Charchuk, Seattle Public Schools Communications Specialist at [email protected] or 206-450-1248

Media invited to ShakeOut earthquake drill at Seattle's Cascade Parent Partnership School

The Great Washington ShakeOut takes place Thursday, Oct. 17, and the Washington Emergency Management Division is once again partnering with Seattle Public Schools (SPS) for media to take video and photos of students participating in the earthquake drill.

Cascade Parent Partnership at 2919 1st Ave. W on Queen Anne will have a classroom available for video opportunities.

• Members of the media MUST RSVP to the district media team at [email protected].
• Please meet at the main entrance at 9:45 a.m.
• The drill is set for 10:17 a.m.

Interview opportunities

• Maximilian Dixon, the geologic hazards supervisor for the Washington Emergency Management Division, will be on site for interviews.
• SPS Emergency Management Specialist Hakeem McCallister will be available to talk about school safety.

About the ShakeOut drill

Wherever you are at 10:17 a.m. on Oct. 17, you're invited to participate in the Great Washington ShakeOut. Drop, cover, and hold on - the best way to protect yourself from falling debris and glass during an earthquake. Practicing builds muscle memory for when the real earthquake comes.

More than 1.3 million people have registered to participate in the earthquake and tsunami drill so far. Registration isn't required but it helps us with understanding how effective our outreach is. It's also free and easy to register at https://www.shakeout.org/washington/.

In addition to the exercise, more than 120 Washington tsunami sirens along the inner and outer coast will be tested using the real wailing sound of a tsunami warning, not the Westminster Chimes that are typically used during the monthly tests. NOAA Weather Radios will also sound an alarm. And the National Weather Service will be conducting an Emergency Alert System test on television and radio. This will not be a test of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) sent to cell phones. Please do not call 911.

After the test, emergency officials encourage residents to do one more thing to help their preparedness journey. It could be adding supplies for an emergency kit or gathering the family around the kitchen table to talk about what everyone would be doing after a disaster. Knowing your hazards, creating a plan and having an emergency kit are three things everyone can do to be successful in an emergency. Learn more at https://mil.wa.gov/preparedness.