Oak Bay Fire Department 
1703 Monterey Avenue, Oak Bay B.C. V8R 5V6 (250) 592-9121
Email:  obfire@oakbay.ca       Fax:  (250) 598-2749

News Release

Date: September 28, 2015                                                        OBFD file # 2015-38

For Immediate Release:
Weekly Media Release for the period of Monday September 21, 2015 to Sunday, September 27, 2015.  Over the past week, Oak Bay Fire Department members responded to 36 calls for assistance.

These calls for assistance included:

22 – Medical Aid
6 – Residential / Commercial Alarm Bells
4 – Public Assistance
2 – Motor Vehicle Incident
1 – Hazmat
1 – Odour Unknown Smell

Great British Columbia ShakeOutGet Ready to ShakeOut Victoria!

Get Ready to ShakeOut Victoria!

The community is invited to sign up online to participate in the annual Great British Columbia ShakeOut -- the largest earthquake drill in Canadian history on Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 10:15am. More than 740,000 British Columbians signed up to participate in the drill last year.

This annual, province-wide earthquake drill is an opportunity to practice how to protect ourselves during an earthquake and increase awareness on the need for personal preparedness.

The Capital Region has a one in three (32%) probability of a damaging earthquake in the next 50 years. It's not a matter of "if" an earthquake will happen, but when. "Drop! Cover! and Hold On!" is the most appropriate action to reduce injury and death during an earthquake. We need to get better prepared before the next big earthquake and practice how to protect ourselves when it happens. The purpose of the annual ShakeOut drill is to help people and organizations do both.

 At ShakeOutBC.ca  you'll find frequently asked questions and a series of helpful fact sheets for individuals, families, schools, and a variety of organizations on how to participate in an earthquake drill.

 Drop, Cover and Hold On!:

Drop, Cover and Hold On! means:

• DROP to the floor (before the earthquake drops you)
• Take COVER under a desk or sturdy piece of furniture and protect your head, and
• HOLD ON to the piece of furniture until the shaking stops.

Drop, Cover and Hold On! is the most appropriate action to reduce injury and death during an earthquake. It's a way to help protect yourself from falling debris during an earthquake.

To learn more, view the ShakeOutBC - Drop! Cover! Hold On! fact sheet. [PDF - 333 KB]

What to do during an earthquake, if you're...

... not near a table or desk?
Cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of a building. Do not try and run to another room just to get under a table or stand in a doorway.

... in a wheelchair or electric scooter?
Lock the wheels or turn off the power, lean forward and cover your head and neck with your arms. Hold this position for 60 seconds after the shaking has stopped.

... outdoors?
Stay outdoors. Move into the open away from buildings, street lights and overhead utility wires. Drop and cover your head and neck with your arms until the shaking stops.

... driving?
Pull over to the side of the road when safe to do so, avoiding overpasses, bridges, trees, and power lines. Turn off your vehicle and cover your head and neck with your arms and hold. Do not exit your vehicle until 60 seconds after the shaking has stopped.

About

The Great British Columbia Shakeout is modelled after the highly successful California ShakeOut held the third Thursday of October each year since 2008. The District of Oak Bay   participated in the inaugural ShakeOut BC earthquake drill in January 2011, which was timed with the 311th anniversary of the last Magnitude 9.0 Cascadia earthquake. Please join us and 700,000 other British Columbians on Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 10:15am as we practice Drop Cover and Hold On. To register for the drill please go to www.ShakeOutBC.ca