BC Shakeout 2017

On Oct. 19 at 10:19 a.m. CFB Esquimalt will take part in the 2017 BC Shakeout, a province-wide earthquake drill.

The goal of the drill is to improve awareness and preparedness for major earthquakes. It encourages everyone to be better prepared on what to do before, during and after an earthquake.

Vancouver Island sits next to the Juan de Fuca plate, which is subducting itself under the North American plate at the Cascadia subduction zone. This is the second largest tectonically active fault system in North America, and extends from northern California to Vancouver Island.

The last large earthquake to hit this region was around 1700. That quake is estimated to have measured  8.7 to 9.2 on the richter scale.

Though scientists are continually learning more about tectonic plates and the causes of earthquakes, they can’t predict when the “Big One” will come.

This annual earthquake exercise provides an opportunity to check our preparations not only on base, but at home as well.

Prepare to be without resources for at least 72 hours and quite possibly longer in the event of a large scale disaster.

Prior to the exercise, all personnel should take the time to review the following procedures:

• Visit the BC Shakeout website for some great information: www.shakeoutbc.ca
• Familiarize yourself with the location of your building’s E-Box muster area. Locations are available on the DND intranet at: http://esquimalt.mil.ca/bcomd/baseops/Diasters%20and%20Emergencies.htm
• Ensure you have a personal emergency kit under your desk. Report any deficiencies to your Chain of command

When the exercise begins, personnel from Base Operations will activate the Emergency Operations Centre and take reports from the E-Boxes and outstations.

Information on preparedness, assessing personal risk, family reunification, and more can be found at Emergency Management BC: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery.