Over 730,000 participate in the Great British Columbia ShakeOut - The largest earthquake drill in Canadian history!
VANCOUVER, Oct. 16, 2014 /CNW/ - Richard T. Lee, the MLA for Burnaby North and Jane Thornthwaite, the MLA for North Vancouver, along with representatives from British Columbia Earthquake Alliance, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and FortisBC joined more than 730,000 others across the province today for the Great British Columbia ShakeOut. These participants united with millions around the world in practising "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" in businesses, schools, offices, homes and outdoors.
Facts
- The Province of British Columbia officially proclaimed October 16 "ShakeOut BC Day."
- This year's event had more than 730,000 participants in British Columbia, 40,000 more than last year's record-breaking event.
- Worldwide, more than 25.9-million people participated in The Great ShakeOut.
- Find out what families can do to prepare for an earthquake. Click here for IBC Top 10: tips to ensure you are prepared for an earthquake.
- Look ahead to next year. The Great British Columbia ShakeOut is held every third Thursday in October.
- IBC, FortisBC, BCAA and BC Hydro are among the sponsors of this year's event. For a full list of sponsors, organizers and supporters click here.
Quotes
"ShakeOut BC is an opportunity for us to practice the 'Drop, Cover, Hold On' method of protecting ourselves during an earthquake. Knowing and practicing to survive the first few minutes of an earthquake reminds us that it's just as important to prepare for survival when the shaking stops. Emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility that begins in the homes of every British Columbian and our first line of defense is to have an emergency kit and plan to survive for at least 72 hours.
- Richard T. Lee, MLA for Burnaby North
"Today marks a great day in earthquake preparedness for British Columbia. With over 730,000 British Columbians participating in the Great British Columbia ShakeOut, we are taking critical steps in enhancing earthquake readiness in our schools, homes and places of work. Thank you for taking the time to drop, cover and hold on in the largest earthquake drill in Canadian history!"
- Miranda Myles, Co-Chair, Great British Columbia ShakeOut
"On behalf of the British Columbia Earthquake Alliance, we would like to thank all British Columbians for participating in the drop, cover and hold on drill and taking the first steps to becoming prepared for an earthquake. We encourage you to visit www.ShakeOutBC.ca to learn about more steps you can take to ensure your family is prepared for an earthquake."
- Dave Cockle, Fire Chief, Oak Bay Fire Department, and President of British Columbia Earthquake Alliance
"Preparing Canada for an earthquake is one of the insurance industry's top priorities. Participating in the Great British Columbia ShakeOut and reviewing IBC's "Top 10 Tips" are great ways to learn about earthquake preparedness. We want to make sure everyone is prepared for an earthquake well before the ground begins to shake."
- Bill Adams, Vice-President, Western & Pacific, IBC
"Conducting business in a safe manner is a core value at FortisBC that's led us to participate in ShakeOut, and we're proud to have sponsored the event since 2012. We see it as an important part of our employee education and customer awareness."
- Jody Drope, Vice-President Human Resources and Environment, Health and Safety, FortisBC
"BCAA has spent 108 years helping our Members to stay safe on the roads, at home and while travelling. Today, over 900 BCAA employees are participating in ShakeOut to inspire our Members and communities to start taking steps to stay safe."
- Brenda Lowden, Senior Vice-President and Chief People & Community Officer, BCAA
"BC Hydro is committed to enhancing earthquake preparedness. The most effective way to continue to do this is to practice. Having the opportunity to participate in the annual Shakeout event helps ensure all of us are prepared and ready for when the 'big one' hits."
- Ben Peco, Manager, Strategic Emergency Management, BC Hydro
For more information on earthquake safety and the Great BC ShakeOut visit:
http://www.ibc.ca/en/BC_ShakeOut.asp
http://fortisbc.com/Safety/EmergencyPreparedness/Earthquakes/Pages/default.aspx
About Great British Columbia ShakeOut
Great ShakeOut earthquake drills help people in homes, schools and organizations practise how to be safe during big earthquakes, and provide an opportunity for everyone to improve their overall preparedness. By participating, you can be assured that you, your family, your co-workers and millions of others will be better prepared to survive and recover quickly from the next big earthquake in your region. As of today, there are over 730,000-million people that have registered to participate in ShakeOut drills in 2014.
About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is pleased to celebrate 50 years as a valuable resource for insurance information. Since 1964, IBC has been working with governments across Canada to make our communities safer, championing issues that directly affect Canadians and the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry. IBC is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, car and business insurers. Its member companies represent 90% of the P&C insurance market in Canada. The P&C insurance industry employs over 118,600 Canadians, pays more than $7 billion in taxes and levies to the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and has a total premium base of $48 billion.
To view media releases and other information, visit the media section of IBC's website at ibc.ca. Follow IBC on our national Twitter account @InsuranceBureau or on our Western account @IBC_West or like us on Facebook.
If you require more information, IBC and Great British Columbia ShakeOut spokespeople are available to discuss the details in this media release.
SOURCE: Insurance Bureau of Canada
To schedule an interview, please contact: Celyeste Power, Manager, Media Relations, Insurance Bureau of Canada, 416-362-2031 ext. 4312 (daytime), 647-384-9872 (after hours), [email protected]
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