New Zealand ShakeOut9.26am Wednesday 26 September 2012
Earthquake information
Shakeout exercise planning
Overview
New Zealand ShakeOut is a national earthquake preparedness campaign that will lead up to a public, nation-wide earthquake drill at 9.26am on 26 September (9:26-26:9). We aim to have 1 million people participate in the drill.
It will be the first ShakeOut earthquake drill held nationwide in the world and will be the biggest earthquake public education campaign ever staged in New Zealand.
Go to www.shakeout.govt.nz/register to sign up and get more information!
The six month campaign started on Thursday 29 March at Owhiro Bay School in Wellington, where the Minister of Civil Defence, Hon Chris Tremain, launched the New Zealand ShakeOut website (www.shakeout.govt.nz). This is where people, businesses and other organisations can find a range of information on earthquakes, preparedness and the Drop, Cover and Hold drill, and register for New Zealand ShakeOut.
New Zealand ShakeOut will gain momentum over time. The website is supported by a Facebook page (NZ Get Thru) and Twitter account (@nzgetthru), and there will be advertising on radio and TV. Many promotional activities are being organised around the country – all leading up to the nationwide earthquake drill.
“If there is one key message for people to take away, it is that New Zealand ShakeOut is for everyone in New Zealand. We need to know what to do in an earthquake, and practise it as our nationwide earthquake drill,” Mr Tremain said. “Drop, Cover and Hold is the right action to take in an earthquake.
Background
New Zealand ShakeOut is modelled on the highly successful Great California ShakeOut, which began in 2008 and is now an annual event involving over 8 million people. The ShakeOut concept is spreading to other states in the USA and to other countries including Canada, New Zealand and Japan. In New Zealand, the West Coast held its own Great West Coast ShakeOut in 2009 as part of a civil defence exercise.
The New Zealand ShakeOut will build on and reinforce the current “Get Ready Get Thru” public education campaign. The campaign itself will consist of a series of events and activities across the country over ‘Get Ready Week’ (23-29 September 2012). ‘Get Ready Week’ has been brought forward to coincide with New Zealand ShakeOut, culminating in the nationwide ‘Drop, Cover and Hold’ drill at 9.26am on 26 September 2012.
Purpose
It would be hard to deny that, while tragically, most New Zealanders are now more aware of the risks associated with earthquakes after the recent events in Christchurch and Canterbury, they are not necessarily aware of the right actions they should take when one strikes.
The purpose of the New Zealand ShakeOut is to encourage people and organisations to plan for a major earthquake before it happens, and rehearse the right actions to keep safe when they do.
The New Zealand ShakeOut is relevant for the whole country regardless of whether people live in a high or low earthquake risk region. With people travelling for holiday or business it is important that everyone in New Zealand knows what to do during an earthquake, and how to be prepared.
Exercising in New Zealand
Click here for information about the National Exercise Programme
