Drop, cover, hold . . and then get out

The morning started like most others for pupils at Riverton Primary School, until 9.30am when an earthquake struck, well at least in practice.

An alarm sounded and students scrambled to get under tables to a safe spot until the shaking stopped.

When the shaking had stopped, the next step was to get to higher ground.

So they walked up to the Bupa Longwood Retirement Village and Care Home in Albany St.

Riverton Primary School deputy principal Grant Chapman said the school was in a low-lying area.

It was about getting the children to be comfortable and calm in an emergency situation, Chapman said. ‘‘We need to think about a tsunami during an earthquake and we did it [evacuated] in 35 minutes.’’

The national ShakeOut was attended by about 810,000 people nation-wide and Emergency Management Southland helped the school with the evacuation practice.

Southland response team leader Craig Sinclair said it was about getting the children to react swiftly and naturally in an emergency situation, especially in low-lying areas.

‘‘We’ve got about an hour [to get to higher ground] that’s why we’ve done this with Riverton,’’ Sinclair said.

The key was to know where to go and when to leave, Sinclair said if there was an earthquake people in Riverton should leave for higher ground.

‘‘It’s about getting people to understand the natural warning and just get out.’’