Emergency preparedness

Make a 30-minute investment in your safety on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 10:20 a.m. The Lab is participating in the annual earthquake drill that started in California and is now international, with millions of people around the world practicing earthquake safety on Oct. 20. 

Lab locations and most of our homes are near earthquake faults. There may be only seconds to prepare, so practice with your colleagues and millions of others. 

What: 

• The Lab is participating in an international earthquake drill called the Great ShakeOut.
• At the start of the drill, personnel will be instructed to Drop, Cover, and Hold On.  
• After a minute or two, personnel will be instructed to evacuate to their Emergency Assembly Area 
• (EAA).   
• Personnel should always take essential personal items with them when they evacuate (phone, keys, badge, etc.).
• Personnel should  both respond to the LabAlert notifications and check-in at their EAA (volunteers will provide the check-in survey).
• To review your EAA ahead of time, look for the emergency evacuation poster near building exits or select the “Emergency Assembly Area” layer at map.lbl.gov. 

Who: 

• All personnel working onsite are expected to participate, unless exempted (please email emergencymanagement@lbl.gov with questions). ALS has been exempted. 
• Personnel working from home are encouraged to participate, and review their home emergency preparedness plan. 
• Volunteers will help direct people to their EAA and provide the check-in survey
• The drill is managed by the Lab’s Emergency Management group.

When and Where: 

• Thursday, Oct. 20 from 10:20 a.m. until approximately 10:50 a.m.
• All occupied buildings at all Lab locations (hill and offsite), except on the UC Berkeley campus. 

Why: 

• Make a 30-minute investment in your safety
• Familiarize Lab personnel with emergency procedures
• Meet regulatory requirements for annual evacuations
• Meet DOE requirements to perform a quarterly personnel accountability drill 

Communications: 

• Drill point-of-contact: emergencymanagement@lbl.gov 
• Lab employees will be notified of the drill through an email and articles in Elements prior to October 20.
• Drill details have been communicated to Building Emergency Teams (BET), Building Managers, Division Safety Coordinators, and the Readiness & Resiliency Working Group (R2WG). 
• Drill announcements with protective actions/measures will be made through LabAlert, the Lab Public Address System, and BET radios.

Please take photos of your Drop, Cover, and Hold On (or evacuation) and post to social media using tag #LBNLShakeOut2022.  Recognition will be given to select participants!