Medford School District 549C
Earthquake Preparedness - Shake Alert
Living in the Pacific Northwest comes with a cost! Residing in the shadow of the Cascadia subduction zone means we need to be prepared for earthquakes! It's not a matter of "if" one happens it is a matter of "when" and how big. Knowing this, the Medford School District chose to invest in preparedness. The governor has recognized the MSD for being the first K-12 school district in the state of Oregon to invest in the innovative ShakeAlert Technology, and it works!
What is ShakeAlert?
The ShakeAlert system consists of a network of sensors along the coast of California, Oregon and Washington that will transmit an early warning notification to schools and other organizations that allows students and staff time to get to a safe location and Drop, Cover and Hold. When the alert is activated, action must be taken immediately. The notification will give a mere seconds of warning, but as we know seconds can save lives in an emergency.
Does ShakeAlert predict earthquakes?
No. It does not predict earthquakes, it provides early warning for earthquakes already underway.
Has ShakeAlert been activated during school for a real earthquake?
Yes. It worked very well and provided almost a minute more of early warning from what was received on phones.
What does the early warning messaging in the schools sound like?
It will be a message that comes across the school intercom system stating:
Klaxon Horn (x2)
Earthquake - Earthquake
Expect Shaking
Drop, Cover, Hold On
Protect Yourself Now
Listen to the ShakeAlert message here
What does MSD do to prepare students and staff?
We train! Schools are required to conduct a minimum of two earthquake drills per year. We provide staff with numerous resources for them to use in teaching students about earthquake preparedness and response.
What is the Great Shake Out?
The Great Shake Out is a worldwide earthquake drill on the third Thursday of every October! We coincide our October earthquake drill with this great event.
This is a fun event and always displays how well our students know what to do when they hear the alert!
How do you sign up?
You can register here:
What is MSD doing to increase its seismic resiliency in school buildings?
The District maintains a comprehensive seismic assessment of all buildings and uses multiple means to work toward seismically upgrading all of its buildings to current seismic code.
What is challenging about seismically retrofitting school buildings?
- Time. Schools are in session or being utilized most of the year.
- The work is not visible once complete. So, people tend to wonder "what was done with all of that funding."
- It is very invasive.
- It is expensive.
How do you find the resources to seismically upgrade large-scale facilities?
We basically do it one of three ways:
- We apply for grants via the state's Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program (SRGP.) We have been successful in obtaining more than $20 million dollars of grant funding to put toward seismic retrofitting.
- We coincide seismic upgrades with capital improvement projects as targets of opportunity. For example, if we are doing a roof replacement, it may be a good time to also upgrade that area seismically.
- Finally, we solicit public and non-public bonds. Our goal is always to be good stewards of the funding provided by our community so that when we need to invest in school safety, the public will support the effort. Without appropriate amounts of capital improvement funding it just not possible to maintain schools at a high standard.
What seismic "lingo" is useful to understanding seismic retrofits?
- Life Safety means that a building may be damaged beyond repair during an earthquake, but people will be able to safely exit the building following the event.
- Immediate Occupancy means that not only will the building remain intact during an earthquake, it can also be used by emergency services for follow on functions such as command posts, sheltering and supply distribution.
Our goal is to have all buildings retrofitted to life safety standards. In areas such as gyms and cafeterias, we strive to retrofit builds to immediate occupancy standards to be utilized for the essential post response functions. Immediate occupancy is a more costly retrofit.
Are schools seismically unsafe?
No, we are not talking about imminent failure; however, seismic code has evolved over the years as engineers and scientists learn more about earthquakes and the impacts they have on building design. So, we are in a constant state of assessment and working toward bringing facilities up to current seismic code and in line with best practices for earthquake resilient buildings.
Where can you find the District-wide Seismic Assessment?
MSD - District-wide Seismic Assessment
What can parents/guardians or community members do to be prepared?
- Get smart! Seek knowledge on the impacts of earthquakes.
- Prepare! Make preparedness a way of life!
- Sign up for the ShakeAlert response and Citizen Alert.
- Maintain an emergency food and water supply at your house. (Minimum - 72hrs) .
- Talk to your students about what to do in the event of an earthquake.
- Want to take it to a whole new level? Get involved in a local CERT Team (Community Emergency Response Team) and volunteer your time.
Resources
MSD - District Wide Seismic Assessment
USGS (United States Geological Survey) - Website
City of Medford - Emergency Management