Idaho earthquake drills a reverberating success
COEUR d'ALENE — Elaine Moreen's fourth-grade class was scheduled to be on recess during a statewide earthquake drill Thursday morning. So she kept it as authentic as possible.
When the clock struck 10:15 a.m. at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities, Moreen was quick to make sure all of her students gathered in the middle of the grass field, away from anything that could crash down during an actual quake.
"Now I can tell you from experience that if this was a real earthquake, it would already be over," Moreen, a former resident of California, told her class as they practiced the "Drop, Cover and Hold On" earthquake reaction method together in a group.
"Protect your spinal column," she added as the drill neared completion. "Good job!"
On Thursday, more than 100,000 people throughout Idaho participated in the Great Idaho ShakeOut — an event designed to test the emergency preparedness of individuals, families, schools, businesses and other establishments. More than 2,300 Kootenai County entities participated in the event, including the Coeur d'Alene School District, North Idaho College, John Brown Elementary School in Rathdrum, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, and the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department.
"The focus for me is that we are keeping the children safe in all kinds of situations," Janet Ackerman, Sorensen principal, said of the event. "No matter what the situation, we want students to know we are going to keep them safe. The drills make sure an actual emergency isn't as scary and ensures the message of protection comes through."
The ShakeOut also served as an opportunity for first responders and officials to test a variety of emergency alert and notification systems. Laura Rumpler, the Coeur d'Alene School District's communications director, told The Press Thursday that at 10:15 a.m., she sent out a test alert to parents and families using the district's "SkyLert" system before joining other officials at the county's Office of Emergency Operations.
"Information is a powerful tool to help us save lives," Rumpler said. "When first responders and public entities work together to get timely, accurate and consistent information out to the public, it helps our entire community effectively respond to an emergency."
She added that having the team of public information officers come together during the ShakeOut echoes what she was taught by a mentor.
"It is our duty in times of crisis to get the right information, to all the right people, at exactly the right time, so everyone is empowered to make the right decisions during a crisis," Rumpler said.
Sandy VonBehren, director of the Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management, said in a press release that the event was a great test of the county's emergency alert systems.
"Kootenai County is better prepared for a major event due to the participation of businesses, schools, governmental agencies and the general public," VonBehren said.