EARTHQUAKE

SAFETY DRILL

What to do
BEFORE
DURING

AFTER
an Earthquake?

A weak to violent shaking

of the ground produced by
the sudden movement of
rock materials below the
earths surface.

MITIGATION
Mitigate to make or become
milder, less severe or less painful
To save lives and minimize the
effects of damage!

Some projects whose objective is to mitigate the

negative effects of earthquake

Making our Office and our workers safe from earthquakes

Raising awareness and preparedness

Development of innovative information materials about

earthquake preparedness

Various researches

What to do BEFORE an earthquake

Familiarize yourself with your
place of work
Identify relatively strong parts of the
building where you can take refuge
during an earthquake:
door jambs
elevator shafts
sturdy tables
Learn to use fire extinguishers
Be ready with your first aid kits,
Be ready your office emergency alarms
Familiarize with the emergency exits.
These should be accessible/conveniently located
and properly marked.

What to do BEFORE an earthquake

The key to effective disaster

prevention is planning.
Determine if site is along an active fault
and/or prone to liquefaction or landslide.
Use proper structural design and
engineering practice when constructing a
house or building.

Evaluate structural soundness of

buildings and important infrastructures;
strengthen or retrofit if found necessary.

What to do BEFORE an earthquake

Prepare your place of work and
residence for the event
Strap heavy furniture to walls to prevent
sliding or toppling.
Store breakable items, harmful chemicals
and flammable materials in lowermost
shelves and secure firmly.
Turn off gas tanks when not in use.
Keep heavy materials in lower shelves.
Check stability of hanging objects.
Maintain an earthquake survival kit.

What to do DURING an earthquake

If inside a structurally sound
building, stay there!
Protect your body from falling debris
by bracing yourself in a doorway or by
getting under a sturdy desk or table.

What to do DURING an earthquake

Open the door

Turn-off anything that might cause

fire
Duck, Cover and Hold

Protect your head

under a sturdy table
Look out for falling object

Safe spots
Danger spots

www.fema.gov

What to do DURING an earthquake

If outside, move to an open area
Get away from power lines,
posts, walls and other structures
that may fall or collapse.

Stay away from buildings with

glass panes.

What to do DURING an earthquake

When driving a vehicle, pull to
the side of the road and stop

Do not attempt to cross bridges or

overpasses which
may have been damaged.

What to do DURING an earthquake

If along the shore and you feel
an earthquake, strong enough to
make standing difficultrun away
from the shore towards higher
grounds.
If unusual sea conditions like
extreme lowering of sea level are
observed, it is best to regard this as
warning for an approaching tsunami and
immediately move towards high grounds.

Run away from

the shore towards
higher grounds

What to do DURING an earthquake

If on a mountain, or
near a steep hillslope,
move away from
steep escarpments
which may be affected
by landslides

What to do AFTER an earthquake

If inside an old, weak structure, take the
Fastest and safest way out!
Get out calmly in an orderly
manner. Do not rush to the
exit.
Use the stairs. Do not use
elevators.

Check yourself and others

for injuries

What to do AFTER an earthquake

Check surroundings
Clean up chemical spills, toxic
flammable materials to avoid any
chain of unwanted events.
Check for fire and if any, have
it controlled.
Check water and electrical lines
for defects. If any damage is
suspected, turn the system off
in the main valve or switch.

What to do AFTER an earthquake

Help reduce the number of casualties
Dont enter partially damaged
building, strong aftershocks may
cause these to collapse.
Gather information and disaster
prevention instruction from
battery-operated radios.

Obey public safety precautions.

What to do AFTER an earthquake

Unless you need emergency help:

Do not use your telephone to

call relatives and friends. Disaster
prevention authorities may need
the lines for emergency
communications
Do not use your car and drive
around areas of damage. Rescue
and relief operations need the
road for mobility.

What to do AFTER an earthquake

If you evacuate your residence, leave a
message stating where you are going

Take with you your

earthquake survival kit,
which should contain
all necessary items for
your protection and
comfort.

HOW TO CONDUCT
AN EARTHQUAKE
SAFETY DRILL

Fire Drill vs. Earthquake Drill

FIRE DRILL

EARTHQUAKE DRILL

Siren/Bell Alarm
( Fire )

Siren/Bell Alarm
( Earthquake )

Evacuate the building

while the siren/bell is
ongoing

Duck, Cover, and Hold

While the siren/bell is
ongoing

Evacuate after the

siren/bell

1. To ensure the safety of everybody during and

after a damaging earthquake;
2. To help the communitys disaster safety groups
design a specific response plan for earthquakes;
3. To train the community on proper action and
response during earthquakes; and
4. To test various elements of the response plan
designed by Disaster Action Team (DAT).

STAGES OF THE EARTHQUAKE DRILL

Stage 1 - Planning/ Organizing the
Earthquake Drill
Stage 2 - Developing the School/ Building
Earthquake Evacuation Plan
Stage 3 - Orientation prior to the conduct
of Earthquake Drill
Stage 4 - Actual Conduct of Earthquake Drill

Stage 1
Planning/ Organizing the B.E.E.P. as well
as the Earthquake Drill Teams
A. Organize a Disaster Action Team (DAT) composed of
several teams with specific tasks (First Aid Team,
Site Security & Traffic/Crowd control Team, Fire
Safety Team, Evacuation & Transport Team,
Communications Team, Damage Control & Ground
maintenance)
and
designate
an
Over-all
Coordinator.

TEAM LEADER
ASST. TEAM LEADER

FIRE SAFETY

COMMUNICATION
/WARNING

RESCUE/
FIRST AID

SECURITY/
TRAFFIC

EVACUATION/
TRANSPORT

DAMAGE
CONTROL/
SALVAGE

iMPORTANT !
Availability of the following information:
- No. of Occupants/Room
- No. of Occupants/Floor
- No. of Occupants/Building
- Total No. of Students and Personnel
IDENTIFY CERTAIN STUDENTS and PERSONNEL WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS and their LOCATION.

Evaluate your Building

Check structural integrity of
buildings
Date of construction
Structural design &
elements
Condition of each
element

Acquire the most recent building layout or plan/ map

Identify and determine the total area of open spaces

Is the space enough for the total number of persons to

take temporary refuge?

Obtain a building layout / floor

plan for each building

rooms

corridors

staircases

exit points

Is the width of the corridor wide

enough to accommodate the flow of
traffic during an emergency?

B. Members of the DAT should conduct

building watching exercise and
identify safe and unsafe spots inside
the grounds/ premises

Observe hazardous areas/ practices within the

premises and dangerous conditions that may
exist which people have not noticed before.
This should be plotted on the layout;

Building Watching Exercise!!!

glass windows and glass walls

Observe hazardous areas/

practices

book shelves
cabinets and furniture that

List safe zones and danger zones may topple or slide

under sturdy tables
strong/ supported
doorways
open/clear area

hanging objects
elevators
power lines/poles
narrow alleys between
buildings

Suggest corrections or
improvements if needed

blockages along corridors and

Assess the structural integrity of

the building (civil/ structural
engineer)

swing - in doors

exits
bridges and flyovers

Building Watching Exercise

Observe hazardous
areas/practices
Suggest solutions
Observe good
practices

Good practice: Open spaces for evacuation

Bad practice: Locked fire escape

flower pots that may fall, etc.

Danger Zones
Windows and glass
Book shelves, machinery,
cabinets and furniture
that may topple or slide
Narrow alleys

STAGE 2
Developing the Building Earthquake
Evacuation Plan (BEEP)
The B.E.E.P. should have provision to utilize all available
open spaces nearest the building that are evaluated as
safe from falling debris and other materials that may
cause injuries to employees.
Determine if there is sufficient open space for all. Areas
to be occupied should be computed assuming 4 to 5
persons would occupy a 1 sq.m. area.

 Once each room has been assigned a specific

evacuation area, come up with evacuation
procedure using the available route. Initially, all
exit points nearest the room of occupants should
be suggested as their exit routes; assuming that
these are passable after the earthquake.
Consider the number of occupants in each
building (morning, evening and night shifts.)
Designate a specific open area for each room as
their area of temporary refuge.

 Determine the flow of traffic from each room

along the corridors using the information on
actual number of occupants per room and their
designated evacuation area.
Indicate by arrows, the flow of occupant
evacuation coming from each room up to their
designated evacuation site. This will be the
suggested earthquake evacuation route for the
students/ employees.

Prepare the final evacuation route and

orient all the occupants/ personnel and
staff about it;

Prepare Earthquake Survival Kits;

Prepare First-Aid Kits.

Earthquake Survival Kit

first aid kit
adequate supplies of medications that you are taking
flashlight with extra bulbs and batteries
battery-operated AM/FM radio
potable water/purification tablet
canned foods
camp stove

candles, tightly sealed matchboxes

waterproof, heavy-duty plastic bags for waste disposal
blankets
tools
pencil and paper
whistle

Inventory of emergency equipment

emergency lights

emergency alarms
smoke detectors
sprinklers
fire extinguishers

STAGE 3
Orientation prior to the conduct of the
Earthquake Drill
A.

1.

Prepare the employees a week before the

scheduled earthquake drill. For each room,
instruct the marshal/ leader to do the following:
Allot a specific time for lecture on earthquakeswhat is it, how and why they occur, what to do
before, during and after an earthquake.

2.

Conduct a Room Observation Activity:

Draw floor plan of the room

Identify the safe spots in the room
Identify danger zones
When dangerous areas within the room have
been identified, ask the employees what can be
done to correct them.

3. Introduce to the occupants/ employees the

suggested evacuation route prepared by
DAT.
4. Introduce to them the assigned open area where
they will evacuate after an earthquake.
5. Assign somebody who will be in charge of making
sure the door is open during the shaking. Turn OFF
anything that might cause fire.

B.

The main concern during an ongoing

shaking is how to protect oneself during
the shaking.

Give specific instructions on what to do during

an earthquake.
Introduce Duck, Cover and Hold
- Take cover under a sturdy table or
strongly supported doorway
- Watch out for falling debris
- Keep calm and dont panic

Give specific instructions about what to do as

soon as the shaking stops:
Be alert.
Listen to the marshals instructions.
Walk out of the room in an orderly manner.
While walking along the corridors to the nearest
exit of the building, be alert and look out for falling
debris.
DONT Run, DONT Push, DONT bring your
things and, DONT Return!

 Quietly but quickly proceed to the designated

evacuation area for the class/ division and wait
for further instructions from the leader;
NEVER go back to the building once you are
outside;
For the leader, make sure all students &
personnel are accounted for once in the
designated evacuation area.

STAGE 4
Actual Conduct of Earthquake Drill
1. Prior to the scheduled drill, inform the
neighborhood regarding the conduct of
the drill.
2. Identify and assign observers for each exit
points of the building and evacuation
areas. They will give their comments and
observations during the evaluation of the
drill.

3. For the Actual Drill

Assumptions:
One minute strong shaking signified by 1 minute
siren/bell;
Persons cannot stand;
Buildings may have been damaged but no collapsed
structure;
Possible falling objects including glass windows;
No immediate assistance will be available for at least
several hours. Self-help and sustenance are required;
Possible injuries, fear, panic among personnel and staff.

Instructions: Reiterate the what-to-dos:

- Once the siren is heard, do the proper
and expected actions;
- Participants during this 1 minute siren
should perform the duck, cover and hold;
- After the 1 minute siren, students/ employees go
out of rooms and proceed to
previously designated open spaces;
- Leader should make head count while in
the ground.

4. While the drill is ongoing, observers should

take note of how the participants performed.
5. When all the occupants have converged at the
designated evacuation area, the assigned
observers will give their comments.
6. To be effective, earthquake drills must be done
regularly.

PHASES OF AN EARTHQUAKE DRILL

PHASE 1. Alarm
A pre-arranged distinct signal such as siren/
bell should be known to all. During the drill, the
siren indicates earthquake/ shaking. Building
occupants will be alerted by this signal.

Phase 2. Response
While the siren/ bell is ongoing,
everyone should seek shelter and
protect themselves. In this phase,
everyone should perform duck, cover
and hold under desks, tables or chairs
and remain in such position until the
shaking stops.

Phase 3. Evacuation
Once the shaking stops, all
occupants/ employees should evacuate
the building and proceed to identified
evacuation area/s using predetermined
routes.

Phase 4. Assembly
At the designated evacuation area/s,
employees must be grouped according
to the division / unit where they belong.

Phase 5. Head Count

Leaders should check and make sure
that all personnel are accounted for.

Termination of the Earthquake Drill

Occupants shall return to the buildings only
after the All Clear Signal is given by the
Disaster Action Team Leader

Evaluation of the Drill

1. Is the siren loud enough to be heard by all participants?

2. Did participants practice Duck, Cover and Hold during the

shaking (siren/ alarm phase)?

3. Did the participants wait for the siren to stop before evacuating

?
4. Did the participants apply the Buddy-buddy system during the

Evacuation Phase?
5. Did the participants walk faster than normal during the

Evacuation Phase?

Evaluation of the Drill

6. Did the participants follow their evacuation routes to the

evacuation area/s?
7. Did the participants depict the crouch and tuck head

technique when the second siren/ alarm (aftershock) was

sounded?
8. Did the participants stay in the evacuation area until the

drill was terminated?

9. Did the participants depict the checking of body for any

sustained injury in the evacuation/ assembly area/s?

10. Was there a head count of participants at the assembly

area?

Evaluation of the Drill

1. Did the participants bring a first aid kit or any medical item

noticeable during the Evacuation Phase?

2. How long did it take the participants to vacate the building/s

and reach the designated evacuation / assembly area?

3. Was there any untoward incident observed during the conduct

of the drill?
4. Was there any problem observed during the drill that needs to

be addressed?
5. Observed number of drill participants (estimate will do).

Phase 6. Evaluation
As soon as the DAT team leader / Incident
Commander shall have declared the exercise
terminated, assigned evaluators / observers submits
accomplished Evaluation Forms.
Right after the drill, participants will be convened/
assembled for a Debriefing / Exit Briefing and
interactive discussion on the conduct of the exercise,
including strengths, weakness, problems
encountered, if any, and how these can be corrected
in future conduct of regular earthquake drills.
A documentation of the drill and its evaluation
shall be kept for the future reference.

KNOW THE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

POLICE
POLICE REGIONAL OFFICE
FIRE
BFP REGIONAL OFFICE
NMMC
PHIL. RED CROSS
RTA
ORO ALERT

- 166, 117, 110

- 856-3183 / 856-6536
- 160, 112
- 72-30-20
- 721794, 726362
- 8568855, 3503013, 724562
- 712013
- 8574281, 8572255, 8572254

NATIONAL POWER CORP.

- (063) 223-1383 / 09162362708

OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE / RDRRMC X

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION & MANAGEMENT
OPERATION CENTER

Telefax: 8573988
SMS: 09279680309
09295861383

When people . . .
Listen to the information, they remember about 20%
of what they hear;
Look at the information, they remember about
30% of what they see;
Listen and Look, they remember about 50% of it;
Also Talk about what they hear and see,
they remember about 70%;
But when they use and Practice what they have
learned, they will retain 90% of it.

Tell me and I forget.

Show me and I remember.
Involve me and I
understand.
Chinese Proverb

Failure to Prepare
only means
Preparing to Fail

OFFICE OF CIVILDFENSE

2ndF

Regional Center - X
Marcoso Bldg., Corrales-Hayes Sts., Cagayan de Oro City

CARMELITO A. LUPO
Regional Director, OCD-X
Chairman, RDRRMC-X
Thru:

ROGER R. LAPURA

Chief, Planning OCD-X

Head Secretariat, RDRRMC-TMG
Provincial Coordinator, PDRRMC Misamis Oriental
Telefax No.
SMS
:

E-mail Address :

(088) 8573988
+639279680309 (Globe)
+639295861383 (Smart)
+639224963847 (Sun)
ocdr10@gmail.com