In support of the annual Great Nevada ShakeOut on Thursday, October 20, Clark County emergency management officials are offering some earthquake safety tips.
The Great ShakeOut is a worldwide event that encourages individuals and organizations to participate in an annual earthquake safety drill on their own or as part of a larger group. Participants are asked to stage 60-second “Drop, Cover and Hold On” drills on ShakeOut Day at schools, businesses, government agencies, homes and other locations. The time and date of the ShakeOut drill on Thursday it is 10:20 Nevadans are encouraged to be counted as participating in the annual shakeout by registering online at www.shakeout.org/nevada. So far, about 597,000 Nevadans are registered to participate in the drill, including nearly 416,000 in Clark County.
“The Great ShakeOut is a reminder each year that earthquakes are a real possibility in southern Nevada,” said Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Billy Samuels, who oversees the Office of Emergency Management. “We encourage as many people as possible to participate in the drill, either at home or at their workplaces. It is also a good idea to practice earthquake safety in different situations.”
Authorities say most earthquake-related injuries occur due to falling objects, broken glass, or trips and falls as people try to evacuate. The best protection if you are indoors during an earthquake is to get under heavy furniture, such as a desk or table, until the shaking stops, and to stay away from windows to avoid breaking glass. If you are in a vehicle when the shaking begins, stop in a clear place avoiding bridges, overpasses, and power lines if possible. To limit injury in an earthquake, shelves must be securely attached to the walls. Large and heavy items should be placed on the lower shelves. Do not hang heavy objects on the walls above beds or sofas and chairs where you sit.
Nevada is one of the states with the highest seismic activity after California and Alaska. HGTV’s “Property Brothers” stars Drew and Jonathan Scott helped Clark County create a 30-second TV PSA to educate residents about earthquake safety. The public service announcement is posted on the county’s YouTube site at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwbJhENzVCg. A handout of related safety tips is located on the pages of the Fire Department website at https://tinyurl.com/25zfnju7. Additional information on earthquake safety is available at https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes. Residents are also encouraged to download the free Southern Nevada Community Preparedness app to help prepare for and plan for emergencies. The app offers free weather alerts, safety tips, and resources to help families create personalized emergency preparedness plans and disaster supply kits. The public can also sign up to receive free public safety alerts by text message or email through a community notification system called CodeRED. Information on both tools is on the Fire Department website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov along with safety tips for a variety of situations.
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Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing high quality service with integrity, respect and responsibility. With jurisdiction over the world famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the 11th largest county in the country and provides extensive regional services to 2.3 million citizens and 45.6 million visitors annually ( 2019). Included are the country’s eighth-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services, and the state’s largest public hospital, Centro Médico Universitario. The county also provides municipal services traditionally provided by cities to the 1 million residents in the unincorporated area. These include fire protection, highways and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development.
Source: news.google.com