Justice Minister and Attorney General Shirley Bond joined an estimated 600,000 others throughout the province today during ShakeOut BC, Canada's largest earthquake drill.

The risk of a catastrophic earthquake for parts of coastal B.C. is one that is very real. Taking the time during ShakeOut BC to practise the life-saving drill of 'drop, cover and hold on' can be a critical first step for British Columbians and their families. By practising the technique, it will help create a quicker and trained response when an actual earthquake occurs.

It is also important to look beyond the impacts of the initial earthquake and consider that, in the hours and days following a quake, it will be crucial for families to be prepared with an emergency plan and an emergency kit.

Education Minister Don McRae also participated in the Great BC ShakeOut today. McRae was joined by students at Mount Pleasant Elementary school in Vancouver as they carried out an earthquake drill. The students then evacuated the school to a nearby field and opened the school's emergency bin. The ShakeOut drill is practised simultaneously in schools, public offices, residences and businesses throughout B.C. and in several U.S. states including California, Nevada and Utah.

Quotes:

Shirley Bond, Minister of Justice and Attorney General -

"ShakeOut BC provides a timely and relevant opportunity for British Columbians and their families to review preparedness plans and practise what to do during an actual earthquake.

"Earthquakes strike suddenly, without warning and can have disastrous and far-reaching effects. Your first line of defense is to be personally prepared, have a family plan and an emergency kit with a minimum of 72 hours of food and water supplies. The simplest life-saving technique when the shaking starts is to 'drop, cover and hold on'."

Serge Corbeil, Insurance Bureau of Canada, government relations manager, B.C., Saskatchewan & Manitoba -

"British Columbia could expect a serious earthquake at any time. While British Columbians can't prevent an earthquake from happening, they must prepare themselves and their families. This will help minimize the kind of damages that would result from such a disaster. The BC ShakeOut is a great opportunity for British Columbians to review their emergency preparedness plans and practice what to do when the inevitable hits."

Peter Lockie, Camosun College vice president of administration -

"As a key community organization, Camosun College is committed to preparing for emergency situations that affect our entire community, with life safety being our highest priority. As such, Camosun is pleased to be involved in ShakeOut 2012 and all college faculty, staff and students have been encouraged to participate in the drill at 10:18am on Oct. 18.

"Our intention is to help our college community become aware of and practice the appropriate response in the event of a major earthquake and, as importantly, help the college test and refine our current emergency preparedness procedures."

Quick Facts:

• The Pacific Coast is the most earthquake-prone region of Canada. Over 1,200 earthquakes rumble beneath the surface in British Columbia every year - over three a day on average - and in areas of highest risk in the province, there is a 30-per-cent chance of a significant, damaging earthquake in the next 50 years.

•  In the last 70 years, the offshore region to the west of Vancouver Island has had more than 100 earthquakes of magnitude five or greater. These would have caused damage had they been closer to land.

•  The Pacific plates are constantly moving relative to one another at speeds of about two to 10 cm/year (about how fast your fingernails grow).

•  The plates can either slide past one another, collide or move apart. British Columbia is one of the few areas in the world where all three of these types of plate movements take place.

•  Since 2001, government has completed 121 school seismic structural upgrades and committed more than $4 billion to school capital and maintenance projects throughout British Columbia.

Learn More:

Learn more about the Great British Columbia ShakeOut: http://www.shakeoutbc.ca/

Follow Emergency Management BC's social media channels for emergency alerts and preparedness information at: www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca

Learn more about B.C.'s earthquake activity: www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/index-eng.php?tpl_region=west

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contact:

Ministry of Justice
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-6961

"Practice makes perfect" - life-saving advice in an earthquake

Practising helps you be ready to respond in the first life-saving seconds of shaking. When an earthquake strikes, drop, cover and hold on:

• DROP down onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from falling but allows you to still move if necessary. If you are in a wheelchair, move to an inner wall if it's safe to do so, lock the brakes and cover your head.

• COVER your head and neck under a sturdy table or desk. If there is no shelter nearby, only then should you get down near an interior wall (or next to low-lying furniture that won't fall on you), and cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.

• HOLD ON to your shelter (or to your head and neck) until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking shifts it around.

Look around you for hazards like falling debris and shattered glass and shield yourself.

If you are inside a building when the shaking starts, move no more than a few steps before dropping, covering and holding-on. Stay indoors until the shaking stops and then exit the building.

If you are outdoors when the shaking starts, you should find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines, then drop, cover and hold on.

If you are driving, pull over to a clear location, stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops. Once the shaking stops, proceed with caution and avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged.

Expect aftershocks and remain vigilant. These secondary shockwaves can occur within the first minutes, hours, days or weeks and can cause additional damage to weakened structures.

Media Contact:

Ministry of Justice
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-6961