GROSSMONT COLLEGE (Press Release) – At 10:20 a.m. on 10/20,
it has been predicted with 20-20 vision that the big, simulated earthquake will
come.

That’s when public institutions throughout California, including Grossmont
College, will participate in a statewide earthquake drill known as the “Great
California ShakeOut,” it has been announced.

San Diego County officials held a news conference downtown on Thursday, Sept.
29, to officially notify  residents of the exercise.  They said when a similar
drill was held last year, 7.9 million people in the state, including 691,735
people in San Diego County, participated.

The officials have expressed hope even more people will participate this
year by registering their institutions or businesses as participants at www.shakeout.org.  Individuals may also register.

“The great California ShakeOut drill starts the community thinking about
personal preparedness and workplace safety,” said County Supervisor Bill Horn,
who serves as this year’s chair of the Board of Supervisors.

During the drill people are encouraged to drop, cover and hold on, officials
say.  Earthquake preparedness information is available at www.ReadySanDiego.org

“People usually react on instinct and do what they have practiced,” explained
Herman Reddick, interim director of the San Diego County Office of Emergency
Services.

At Grossmont College, Sue Gonda, president of the Academic Senate, recently
sent a memo advising her fellow professors that the earthquake drill typically
takes 35-40 minutes to execute.  She notified them about the 10:20 a.m. exercise on Thursday, Oct. 20, so that they could adjust their planned course material accordingly.

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Preceding based on material provided by the County of San Diego and by
Grossmont College’s Academic Senate