Held on the third Thursday of October each year, the Great California ShakeOut is the largest preparedness event in U.S. history.

Coming up next week, it encourages and reminds everyone that as Californians who live in a place where earthquakes are an inevitable part of our future, we have one major responsibility:

We must do all we can to prepare and learn to act quickly to ensure that a disaster such as an earthquake, does not become a catastrophe.

On Thursday, Oct. 20, you have two opportunities to practice your preparedness.

You can participate in the California Great ShakeOut with 6.9 million other Californians in two ways:

• By stopping what you are doing at 10:20 a.m. and practicing Drop, Cover and Hold On and/or,
• Participating in Culver City’s ShakeOut (the annual disaster drill) at 7 p.m. by doing the same.

However, we ask that you also utilize our city’s “OK” sign program to let first responders know that you are “OK”.

For those who have never participated in our citywide disaster drill with the “OK” sign program, all you need to do is place an “OK” sign in your window or on your door in a location most visible from the public right-of-way to signal that you and your family are “OK.”

OK signs can be downloaded from our website, www.culvercity.org/emergencyprep

In the event of a real disaster, if your family was not “OK”, you would post nothing and contact 9-1-1 to let them know of injuries, etc.

If you would like more information on how to participate in the Great California ShakeOut, to participate in Culver City’s ShakeOut with the OK sign program, to download family disaster plans and disaster supply checklists, visit our website at www.culvercity.org/emergencyprep. Additional information at www.ShakeOut.org.