Great California ShakeOut Brings Earthquake Preparedness Drill to Los Angeles High School
Fremont High School hosted a major earthquake preparedness event as millions of Californians were expected to participate in the annual statewide drill.
Los Angeles School Hosts Regional Preparedness Event
Fremont High School in Los Angeles hosted a major Great California ShakeOut preparedness event, bringing together earthquake scientists, emergency management officials, educators and community organizations to demonstrate how residents can prepare for a major earthquake.
The event was organized in partnership with the Earthquake Country Alliance and the Los Angeles Unified School District, with the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region participating in preparedness activities. Organizers expected more than 10 million Californians to take part in the statewide drill.
The program included a campus-wide earthquake exercise, a student evacuation demonstration, preparedness exhibits, expert interviews and an earthquake simulator. The activities were designed to make earthquake readiness more practical by allowing participants to rehearse actions they may need during an actual emergency.
Los Angeles sits within a region exposed to significant seismic hazards. Although earthquakes cannot be predicted precisely enough to provide reliable advance warning of every event, preparedness measures can help people respond more effectively when shaking begins.
Why Earthquake Drills Matter in Southern California
Southern California is crossed by active fault systems, and earthquakes can affect homes, schools, businesses, transportation networks and public utilities. The consequences depend on factors including an earthquake’s magnitude, depth, distance from populated areas and the resilience of the built environment.
Preparedness drills give students and staff an opportunity to practice protective actions in a controlled setting. Familiarity with procedures can help reduce confusion during an emergency, particularly in schools and other buildings where large groups must respond together.
A central earthquake safety practice is to drop, cover and hold on when shaking begins. People are generally advised to get low, protect their heads and necks, take cover beneath sturdy furniture when available and hold on until the shaking stops.
The exact response depends on the setting. People outdoors should move away from buildings, streetlights and overhead hazards where possible, while those inside should generally remain indoors during shaking rather than attempting to run outside.
Drills help reinforce these basic actions before an emergency occurs.
Schools Play an Important Role
Schools are important locations for earthquake preparedness because they bring together students, teachers, administrators and support personnel in buildings that must accommodate large numbers of people.
A school-wide exercise can help staff identify communication gaps, evacuation challenges and questions about emergency responsibilities. It can also give students an opportunity to learn how to respond without relying entirely on instructions delivered during an actual crisis.
Preparedness extends beyond the moment of shaking. Schools need plans for accounting for students, communicating with families, managing injuries and responding when transportation or utilities are disrupted.
Parents and caregivers also benefit from understanding school procedures. During a significant emergency, roads may be blocked and communication systems may be overloaded, making established reunification plans particularly important.
The Los Angeles event provided an opportunity to demonstrate preparedness measures in a real school environment rather than limiting the exercise to a classroom presentation.
Preparedness Requires More Than One Drill
A single exercise cannot address every possible earthquake scenario. Emergency officials encourage households, schools and organizations to consider their own circumstances, including building conditions, available supplies and the needs of people who may require additional assistance.
Households can prepare by securing heavy furniture, identifying safer places in each room, keeping essential supplies accessible and discussing how family members will communicate if normal services are disrupted.
Businesses face similar responsibilities. They may need procedures for protecting employees, shutting down equipment safely, accounting for staff and restoring operations after an emergency.
Public agencies also play an important role through building standards, emergency response planning, public education and infrastructure maintenance. Preparedness is most effective when individual actions are supported by broader community planning.
A Shared Responsibility for Los Angeles
The Great California ShakeOut event highlighted how earthquake readiness depends on repeated practice and cooperation across schools, households, businesses and emergency services.
For Los Angeles, the exercise offered a visible reminder that earthquake preparedness is not limited to emergency professionals. Students and families can learn practical protective actions, while institutions can use drills to identify weaknesses in their plans.
The statewide scale of the exercise also underscores the geographic reach of California’s seismic risk. Preparedness activities can help communities establish common expectations for how to respond when shaking occurs.
Fremont High School’s event brought those lessons into a local setting, combining education, demonstration and practical exercises to reinforce readiness for a hazard that may strike with little warning.
LA News Daily Contributor
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