October is Safety Month, and Thursday October 19 at 10:19 a.m. was the Great California ShakeOut, where people from all over the state practice what to do during an earthquake: drop, cover, and hold on! All DSS offices took part.
Each building rang out with an alert over the phone system, and staff practiced dropping under a desk or table, covering the head, and holding on to something. It only took a minute. Staff were also directed to look around the cube for things that could cause damage by flying off of a shelf or file cabinet nearby, and could contact Facilities afterward for help securing or moving anything.
In a surprise twist, Director Daniel Nielson had donated $100 in five-dollar bills, which facilities staff taped under desks at random throughout all buildings, making the earthquake drill fun. We received many positive comments from staff who found $5 bills taped under their desks, such as these folks:
- Angeline Inutan, EW III at Carmen Lane: “I won!!! $5.00 Thank you!!!”
- Raquel Rubalcaba, SSW at Betteravia: “Good one to really make people go under the desk”
- Judy Zapata, SSW at CDR: “I was one of the lucky ones! I was pleasantly surprised! $$$$$ Thank you!”
- Valeria Guerra, AOP at Betteravia: “I was one of the lucky ones! Thank You”
We look forward to doing it again next year!
For more information on what to do during an earthquake, see this poster or visit ShakeOut.org.