Wherever you are, “Drop, Cover, & Hold On!”

Join us in the annual Great BC ShakeOut at 10:21 a.m. on October 21, 2021, and learn more about the risks in our community and what UBC is doing to plan ahead.

The Great BC Shakeout is an annual province-wide earthquake drill for everyone to practice how to protect themselves and to be better prepared in the event of an earthquake: DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you!), take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and HOLD on to it until the shaking stops.

If you are registered for UBC Alert, you’ll receive a test notification by text and voice message on October 21, 2021. UBC Alert is used in active and urgent situations that require your immediate attention to maintain safety and security on campus. The test will also run on our campus-wide digital signage systems.

Reminder to:

  • Update your contact information on Workday (for staff and faculty) and Student Service Centre (for students) to ensure you receive the latest information in urgent situations through UBC Alert.
  • Download the UBC Safe Vancouver app for direct access to campus safety resources, and turn on push notifications to receive timely alerts and notifications.

We all have a role in protecting ourselves and making our campus safe. To learn more about the risks in our community and what UBC is doing to plan ahead, as well as tips on what to do when an earthquake strikes, visit ready.ubc.ca/shakeout.

Join our events:

Safety Awareness Week

When: Wednesday, October 20, 2021, from 11:00 am–3:00 pm
Where: University Commons (University Boulevard & East Mall)

Meet our Emergency Management team and learn all about ShakeOut BC, UBC Alert, and emergency preparedness. Don’t forget to pick up some swag, including light emergency preparedness cards, light sticks, and whistles, to upgrade your emergency kits!

ShakeOut UBC

When: Thursday, October 21, 2021, from 11:00 am–1:00 pm
Where: Earthquake Engineering Research Facility (EERF)

The ‘shake tables’ at the Earthquake Engineering Research Facility (EERF) will be open to the public on Oct. 21, after the shakeout drill at 10:21 a.m, to showcase the seismic forces experienced during an earthquake. Dr. Carlos Ventura, one of the world’s leading authorities on seismic research, and Dr. Salman Soleimani-Dashtaki, postdoctoral fellow sessional lecturer, will be running the earthquake simulations.

Learn more about the shake tables at the EERF.

For more information on earthquake and emergency preparedness, visit: