Earthquake Preparedness in British Columbia: Practice Before the Next Shake
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Earthquakes are different from many other emergencies.
There may be no storm warning, no evacuation notice, and no time to prepare once the shaking begins. What matters in those first few seconds is whether you already know what to do.
That is why earthquake preparedness is not only about what we store.
It is also about what we practice.
Across British Columbia, the annual Great British Columbia ShakeOut gives individuals, families, schools, businesses, and organizations an opportunity to practise one of the most important earthquake safety actions:
Drop. Cover. Hold On.
Why Practice Matters
During strong earthquake shaking, there may be only seconds to react.
ShakeOutBC recommends that people indoors Drop to the ground, take Cover under a sturdy desk or table, and Hold On until the shaking stops. Practising the action in advance can help people respond more quickly instead of trying to decide what to do while the ground is already moving.
Preparedness therefore begins before an emergency.
Look around your home.
Look around your workplace.
Think about where you spend your time and what could fall, move, break, or become inaccessible during a major earthquake.
Then practise.
A simple drill lasting only a minute can start a much larger conversation about how prepared a household or organization really is.
Earthquake Preparedness Goes Beyond the Drill
Drop, Cover and Hold On addresses what to do during the shaking.
Preparedness also means thinking about what happens afterwards.
A significant earthquake can affect transportation, electricity, communications, buildings, stores, workplaces and other services that we normally rely on.
That is why the Great BC ShakeOut also encourages participants to use the annual drill as an opportunity to review emergency plans and supplies and consider what they would do after the shaking stops.
A practical preparedness plan may include:
- Water and emergency food
- First-aid supplies
- Flashlights and backup lighting
- Communication plans
- Necessary medications and personal items
- Backup power for essential electronics
- Copies of important information
- Plans for family members and pets
- Appropriate supplies for vehicles and workplaces
The objective is not to predict exactly what the next emergency will look like.
It is to create enough resilience and flexibility to deal with the unexpected.
Preparedness at Home, at Work and on the Road
Emergency preparedness is often pictured as a large kit sitting somewhere at home.
That is important—but emergencies do not necessarily happen while everyone is at home.
You may be at work.
Your children may be at school.
You may be driving.
Someone in your family may be travelling elsewhere in the community.
ShakeOutBC specifically provides guidance for different environments, including homes, workplaces, retail environments and vehicles. For drivers, for example, the guidance is to pull over to a clear location, stop, remain seat-belted during the shaking, and proceed cautiously afterwards.
This is why preparedness works best when it is considered as a system rather than a single emergency kit.
Home preparedness. Workplace preparedness. Vehicle preparedness. Personal preparedness.
Each provides another layer of resilience when normal plans suddenly change.
Emergency Food Is One Part of Preparedness
At PEAK4RATION, our particular focus is emergency food.
But food should never be treated as the entire preparedness plan.
Water, first aid, shelter, communication, appropriate clothing, light, power and a realistic emergency plan can all matter depending on the situation.
Emergency food has a relatively simple role:
provide a dependable food reserve when normal access to food is temporarily disrupted.
That is why we focus on compact products designed for long-term storage and practical use in homes, vehicles, outdoor packs, workplaces and emergency preparedness programs.
Long shelf life reduces the maintenance required to keep a food reserve ready.
Compact packaging makes it easier to store food where it may actually be needed.
Ready-to-eat options reduce dependence on cooking equipment.
The best emergency supply is not necessarily the biggest one.
It is the one that is appropriate, maintained and available when you need it.
Preparedness Should Be Practised Before It Is Needed
There is an important difference between knowing something and having practised it.
Most people know that earthquakes can happen in British Columbia.
That does not necessarily mean they have considered where they would take cover at work, how they would communicate with family members, what supplies are in their vehicle, or whether their emergency food and water are still ready to use.
An annual drill provides a reason to check.
That is what makes the Great BC ShakeOut valuable.
It turns preparedness from an idea into an action.
PEAK4RATION and the Great British Columbia ShakeOut
PEAK4RATION is pleased to support the Great British Columbia ShakeOut and the broader work of building earthquake preparedness awareness in communities across British Columbia.
For us, supporting preparedness education is a natural extension of what PEAK4RATION stands for.
We believe preparedness should be practical, understandable and part of everyday life—not something considered only after an emergency has already begun.
The Great BC ShakeOut gives British Columbians an opportunity to practise, review their plans and start conversations with family members, coworkers and communities before the next earthquake.
For official earthquake safety instructions, drill materials and registration information, visit the:
Great British Columbia ShakeOut
Learn how to Drop, Cover and Hold On, review your emergency plans, check your supplies and take a few minutes to think about what happens after the shaking stops. ShakeOutBC notes that the exercise is open broadly—from individuals and families to businesses, schools and government organizations.
Preparedness doesn't begin when something happens.
It begins with what we do beforehand.
Prepared Today. Ready Tomorrow.