County schools participate in statewide quake drill

MINERAL COUNTY – Students across the region participated in the biggest earthquake drill in the nation last week, during the Great American ShakeOut.

The drill took place at 10:21 am on Wednesday, October 21. At the appointed time, the schools’ public address systems broadcast an announcement of the drill starting. The students and staff followed the instructions through finding shelter from wherever they are at the time; Thom Chisholm, superintendent of the Plains schools, noted people were advised to get under tables, desks or other sturdy structures and to get into doorways if they were in the hall.

Some of the schools also held a fire evacuation after the earthquake drill. Chisholm noted fires are a common side effect of earthquakes as electrical or gas lines break and cause ignition. Flooding can also be a side effect when pipes break.

The drills were school wide with everyone in the building participating in the activities.

“Everyone; all administration, all staff, all students,” said Chisholm. 

Many of the schools took steps to prepare their younger students in advance. Kyle Fisher, principal of the Alberton schools, noted the loud alarms could be frightening to kids in kindergarten or younger grades; the rehearsals allow them to prepare as well as knowing what is happening without trying to explain the drill, calm the kids and instruct them through it while everything is happening all at once.

Schools and other locations had to register to participate in the ShakeOut, though some were not able to hold their drills on Wednesday. The event’s rules did allow participants to schedule for another day, though. This allows them to hold an official ShakeOut drill despite having scheduling conflicts on the day of other events.

The Noxon schools held theirs on October 22 at 10:22 am and the St. Regis schools were planning to hold theirs sometime in November.

Fisher said everything went well during their ShakeOut. The drill went smoothly with everyone going through the motions in good order. He felt these kinds of drills were a good way to establish the routine and help spread knowledge of how to act in an emergency situation.

“Any time we can provide a measure of safety, whether it’s a fire drill or a lockdown, it’s a good thing,” he said.

This is corroborated by the event’s website, which states “Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are an annual opportunity for people in homes, schools and organizations to practice what to do during earthquakes and to improve preparedness.”

Montana is estimated as the fourth highest area for earthquakes in the United States. As a result, earthquake safety and awareness are imperative for people of all ages.

Venues all across the country participate in the drills every year. In 2014, there were approximately 20 million drills held across the US; over 150,000 of which were in Montana. At the time of writing, approximately 150,000 events had taken place in the state this year with approximately 42,500 being held in the Northwestern counties. 

More information on the event, and how to register to hold one, can be found online at shakeout.org.