The Village of Cumberland is inviting everyone to join into the annual Great Shake Out Earthquake Drill that takes place on Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m..

People should practice the 鈥淒rop, Cover and Hold On鈥� instructions that are suggested as best practices during an actual earthquake. 

The Village of Cumberland participates in this event every year.

This is an earthquake safety practice session that lasts only two minutes. Simply drop, cover and hold on to practice protecting yourself and your family should an earthquake hit the area. 

British Columbia is located in one of the most seismically active regions in North America. Experts advise that a significant earthquake could hit our province any time. 

The Village of Cumberland suggests that everyone have the following on hand in case of an earthquake emergency as well as create a simple family plan and discuss it so everyone in your family knows what to do when the earthquake happens:

Put together an emergency kit with enough food, water and medication to last 72 hours (per person and per pet).

Find out what to do to protect yourself during and after an earthquake.

Do a walk-through of your home and workplace to identify and address any potential hazards.

Connect with a relative or friend outside the province and make sure that the rest of your family knows to contact this person in the event you are separated.

Make duplicates and safely store important paperwork like insurance policies, medical records, and a list of key possessions.

The Drop, Cover, Hold On drill is a simple two minute exercise designed to encourage people to be better prepared for earthquakes.