When In Doubt, Leave
We had a combined earthquake/fire drill scheduled at work this afternoon, half an hour before my day was done. So I skipped my lunch break and left early. I’ve been in an earthquake before. Oh, wait! I’ve been in three.
They’re not that big of a deal.
Ha! Ha! I jest. They are scary and there is nowhere to run when the earth is opening up like that. And we live in a 100-year-old house and believe me — it’s shaking when it’s shaking. So this whole “hide under your desk” advice? I call bullshit on that. And if there’s a fire? Don’t use an elevator.
Prepared? Yes, I am, thanks for asking. Although we did break into our emergency preparedness kit in the basement. It now contains: One flashlight, which has no batteries in it. So we’re not so prepared there.
Here is the memo they sent out to prepare us:
During an Earthquake:
Try to be calm. Panic will endanger rather than preserve you.
Call out to remind others: “Earthquake! Drop, Cover and Hold!”
Do we need to limit this advice to office workers only? I think we can all learn a little something here.
WM
, 
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We don’t get too many earthquakes here, but I have felt two. The first one, I was in my clinical year in Hanover NH and we all looked at each other and ran three floors down and out of our dorm. None of us had felt one before.
The next one, we were lying in bed and my husband asked what was that noise and nonchalantly I was able to say, ” oh, just an earthquake”.
Our friends think we are crazy, but we have earthquake insurance on the house.
As far as the emergency preparedness, the bird flu public health people here have a whole brochure detailing how much of everything we should have in our house if there was a quarantine. We are screwed.
June 1st, 2007 | #
Ha. I love being prepared for emergencies. (Not really, you know me better than that) We never have working batteries, but at least we try to always keep extra coffee in the house. That may perhaps be the most important thing.
June 7th, 2007 | #