BEVERLY HILLS Beverly Hills is getting ready for the annual “Shakeout” earthquake drill set to take place on Thursday, October 16 at 10:16 a.m. The purpose of the event is to teach residents the importance of being prepared for an earthquake and the precautions to take to ensure safety. The event is in its seventh year.

The City will join the state of California, the county and city of Los Angeles, and the Beverly Hills Unified School District in participating in the event.

At approximately 10:16 a.m., all participants including City staff  will stop what they’re doing and act as if an earthquake is taking place: DROP to the ground, take COVER under a sturdy object and HOLD on.

Individuals who visit City buildings during the drill will be asked to participate as well. The “Shakeout” is expected to last for a total of two minutes and customer service will be temporarily halted for the public for a small amount of time.

According to the press release from the City of Beverly Hills, the state of California is considered a high earthquake risk area. Information on how to prepare and how to join the City and millions of others in the Great Shakeout can be found at www.shakeout.org.

The annual "Shakeout" earthquake drill is set to take place on October 16.
The annual “Shakeout” earthquake drill is set to take place on October 16.