Message from the CEO: Time to get shakin’ Vancouver Coastal

Two years following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, debris from that catastrophic event is washing up along  BC’s coastline.  It is against this backdrop – a natural disaster that took the lives of 16,000 people – that I encourage you, along with your family, colleagues and millions of others worldwide to take part in the “Great British Columbia ShakeOut,” our province’s annual earthquake drill, on Thursday, October 17 at 1017 hours.

BC is located in one of the most seismically active regions in North America. As healthcare professionals, we recognize the very real impact that such an event could have on the people we serve and the demand for those services; not to mention on each of us and our own families.

Dr. David Ostrow, President & CEO

In other parts of the world, an increased awareness about what to do during an earthquake has been proven to reduce injuries and deaths, as the majority of these are caused by non-structural hazards, or flying and falling debris. Therefore, Vancouver Coastal Health has again committed our support for the third annual Great BC ShakeOut.

I encourage everyone to participate in an earthquake safety practice session that will literally take just two minutes of your time. If you are not actively engaged in a critical function such as direct patient care, I hope you will join your colleagues and drop under a desk or table, take cover and hold on for two minutes; the time it takes for the shaking to stop during an earthquake.

Drop, cover and hold on – simple steps that you can practice to help protect yourself, your family and your patients in the event of a real earthquake.

In the three weeks leading up to the “Great BC ShakeOut” drill, Health Emergency Management staff will be providing more information about how to participate at your work site;  go to VCH Connect for more information and resources or visit  ShakeoutBC.ca to learn more and register your personal commitment. Additionally, here’s a great checklist of items to have in your emergency kit as well as some information on home insurance for earthquake damage.

I look forward to seeing everyone dropping, covering and holding on!

David

Resources:

Emergency Management ShakeOut information on VCH Connect
Purchasing or making an emergency kit
ShakeOut BC website
Emergency Kit checklist