On Thursday, Oct. 20, the UC Berkeley campus will participate in the Great California ShakeOut, a statewide day of events designed to encourage Californians to prepare for major earthquakes and other emergencies.
At 10:20 a.m., campus warning sirens will sound. Members of the campus community are encouraged to practice sheltering under a desk and holding tight. Instructors and students in class need not participate in this exercise. Also at 10:20 a.m., UCPD will facilitate a test of the campus mass notification system, Nixle/WarnMe. Campus community members with a berkeley.edu email address will receive a test notification via email; individuals who have signed up for urgent text alerts will receive an additional notification via text message.
For the ShakeOut, the campus will practice other key aspects of emergency-response and evacuation procedures. At Morrison Hall, Hargrove Music Library and Moses Hall, occupants will practice “drop, cover and hold on” at 10:20 a.m., then evacuate the building to test building emergency procedures, including departmental roll call.
Radio communication between campus building coordinators and emergency management area coordinators will also be tested. A key component of the campus emergency response, this system is designed to strengthen the ability to effectively and efficiently facilitate a campuswide evacuation.
A free emergency-preparedness mobile app — offering Berkeley-specific tips and guidance for earthquakes, power outages, and other situations — is available from the campus Office of Emergency Management. Visit the OEM website for download instructions and other emergency-related resources .
Members of the campus community are also encouraged to sign up for urgent text alerts via the WarnMe website . Text messages are the fastest way to receive notification in an emergency, and it’s recommended that they be designated as one’s first alert priority.