Gale-Bailey students, staff participate in annual ‘Great SouthEast ShakeOut’
Gale-Bailey Elementary School was one of two schools in Charles County to participate in the “Great SouthEast ShakeOut” on Thursday, an annual 90-second earthquake drill where students and staff across the nation practice the “Drop! Cover! Hold on!” technique at 10:18 a.m. for emergency preparedness during and after a seismic event.
“The drill gives students another tool to have during emergency situations,” Gale-Bailey principal Verniece Rory said.
Second grade teacher Bailey Roscoe said her students are well-versed in how to stay safe for any disaster or emergency event. Roscoe’s class even practiced running to their rally location, a predetermined spot away from the school where she can reunite with students, in the event that they are separated when disaster strikes.
Michael Jones, who is one of Roscoe’s students, said preparing for an earthquake is just as important as knowing what to do when “stranger danger” arises.
“We [learned how to protect ourselves] and take cover,” second grader Joseph Rojas said. “We were taught to go to the parking lot in a ditch.”
“We literally practiced running so that they know where to go,” said Roscoe. “I think all of my students were ready because we practiced ahead of time and I told them what the [warning signal] was going to sound like. When they heard it, they knew exactly what to do and stayed quiet. I think it’s great that we practice now in case of an emergency.”
Schools across Maryland participate in a number of drills throughout the school year, 11 of which are held annually by Charles County Public Schools (CCPS). Other emergency preparedness activities include four reverse evacuation drills, four lockdown exercises, four shelter-in-place drills and four for severe weather, according to a CCPS press release.
For Gale-Bailey vice principal Timothy Rosin, he said awareness and recovery planning is key for emergency preparedness. Rosin remembers back in 2011 when a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit Virginia and shook up local residents in Southern Maryland.
“We wanted to participate in [the SouthEast ShakeOut] because a lot of schools across the country were going to be doing it,” said. “During the lunch shifts, we played the ShakeOut summary video that showed [students and staff] how to do the three steps which is drop, cover and hold on. Mrs. Rory played the shriek sound on the blow horn that they would hear, which is specific for an earthquake drill.”
The SouthEast ShakeOut, coordinated by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, is the largest earthquake drill in the history of the southeast which is practiced nationwide. The drill was first introduced to the local metropolitan area on Oct. 18, 2012, and includes participation from residents and employees in Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and the District of Columbia, according to a memorandum from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
For more tips or general information on how to prepare for any disaster or emergency event, go to Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website at www.Ready.gov.