Shakeout countdown begins

With less than a month to go until ShakeOut, Hamilton residents are being urged to register for one of New Zealand’s biggest Civil Defence exercises.

Taking place on Wednesday, 26 September, at 9.26am, ShakeOut is a nationwide event designed to make New Zealanders aware of what do in an earthquake. ShakeOut emphasises the “Drop, Cover, Hold” response to a seismic event – drop to the ground, take cover, and hold the position until the earthquake stops.

It will be the first ShakeOut earthquake drill held nationwide in the world and will be the biggest earthquake public education campaign ever staged in New Zealand.

The 9:26-26:9 earthquake drill is the focal point of New Zealand ShakeOut because it is a clear, simple action people can take to prepare for an earthquake. It is also a first step, and it encourages people to look at their preparedness in more detail.

Councillor Pippa Mahood, Hamilton City Council’s Civil Defence representative, says: “September’s ShakeOut exercise is crucial to improving the community’s preparedness for an earthquake. ShakeOut only lasts one minute, but it could save your life,” Cr Mahood says.

“Registration for ShakeOut is very simple – just visit www.shakeout.govt.nz or www.getthru.govt.nz.”
Cr Mahood says more than 50,000 Waikato residents have registered for ShakeOut, with more than 28,000 of them Hamiltonians. Organisers are targeting 1 million participants, and are urging schools, businesses, families and community groups to join the event.

Hamilton City Council is promoting ShakeOut through registration hotspots which will pop up around the city, including Garden Place, and has arranged for the lights on the Victoria Bridge to be yellow and blue – the Civil Defence colours.