by Christina Gotuaco

Larger imageSCEC student workers, Alex Wilk, Andre Mor, and Christina Gotuaco, promote the November drill and distribute bumper stickers and candy while registering new ShakeOut participants.

On September 17, 2008, SCEC participated in the USC Health and Safety fair with a booth set up along Trousdale, the main roadway that passes through the University Park campus of USC. The fair also included representatives from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Department of Public Safety, and other local, community, and university organizations.

The SCEC table was manned by various SCEC student workers and Mark Benthien, the Director of Communication, Education, and Outreach for SCEC at USC. It featured information on the ShakeOut as well as earthquake safety kits that could be created at home, or purchased from several of the nearby tables, which also had emergency supplies such as radios, flashlights, and fire extinguishers for sale.

Larger imageSeveral people, including Gema Venegas of SCEC, experience the intensity of an 8.0 earthquake in an earthquake simulator.

An earthquake-simulating trailer was set up several booths away, which the SCEC workers were invited to try out. The trailer was staged as a typical living room filled with furniture, a television, frames, books and collectibles. Once the "earthquake" began, the whole room shook at the intensity of approximately an 8.0 earthquake, lasting only for a few seconds yet still causing objects to fall off the walls and shelves. In an actual earthquake, since shaking would last for much longer, significantly more damage would be done. The simulator was an effective tool to help people understand what precautions need to be taken in their own homes to mitigate the potential damage or injury caused by an earthquake.

The main focus of the SCEC booth at the fair was to promote the Great Southern California ShakeOut – the largest earthquake drill in US history – which is taking place on November 13th. While also distributing brochures on earthquake safety and sharing tips on how to better prepare for earthquakes, SCEC's main objective throughout the fair was to encourage more awareness about and participation in the ShakeOut by handing out flyers and encouraging more groups and individuals to register either in person or online. Many of the people who came by the booth were USC faculty or staff members, though some students also registered for the ShakeOut.

Related Article: Preparing for the Drill of a Lifetime

Larger imageA student registers to participate in the ShakeOut.

Larger imageWarren Yamashita explains the ShakeOut and earthquake preparedness to passing students.

Larger imageMark Benthien distributes flyers inviting people to participate in the ShakeOut.