The business of the Regional District of Central Kootenay board was suspended earlier this month so board and staff members could get under the tables for the BC ShakeOut earthquake exercise.
Sound effects and a canned message asked everyone to drop, cover, and hold on while the shaking occurred and to remain under cover for 60 seconds to allow things to settle. The RDCK head office was then evacuated briefly while the building was checked for “casualties.”
Trained RDCK first-aiders then attended to a mock victim of the exercise while the monthly board meeting resumed.
Earthquake preparedness is taken seriously in coastal areas of British Columbia where the majority of the population lives. Here in the Kootenays, wildfire and hazardous spills are a much greater hazard. That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t be impacted from an earthquake.
The majority of our food and other goods are shipped out of the Lower Mainland. If supplies were interrupted the Kootenays would definitely feel the pinch.
One of the messages of the canned BC ShakeOut broadcast was to remind participants to think about having an emergency kit that would sustain you and your family with food and water for 72 hours.
Having one at home, the office, and in your car is handy. This time of year in the Kootenays, with winter around the corner, it’s good to be prepared in case you are stranded by a snowstorm.