"Drop, cover and hold on!" That was the message given to about 442,000 participants in a province-wide quake drill in western Canada's British Columbia province Wednesday.
The drill, dubbed The Great British Columbia ShakeOut, was aimed at promoting the ability of the province, which just sits on a major quake belt, to cope with a possible mass trembler.
Nearly 800 schools, businesses and 150 municipalities around British Columbia participated in the drill that started promptly at 10:00 a.m. local time (1800 GMT) and was broadcast live on local radio.
"The most important thing is we want to take the fear away," said Heather Lyle, co-chair of the ShakeOut B.C. Organizing Committee.
"The fact is we do live in an area that could experience earthquakes, so with a little knowledge, a little power, you can do a lot to protect yourself and that's what we're really hoping to do here," said Lyle, who had previously traveled to California to study its quake preparation model.
The Jan. 26 date for the drill is significant as it was on this day 311 years ago, before the arrival of Western settlers, that a shocking magnitude-9 earthquake struck the area in 1700, according to aboriginal legend.
Since the arrival of Western settlers in late 1700s, no major earthquake has been experienced in the province.
But the examples of the power of nature are never far away as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Anchorage, all of which are west coastal cities in North America, have been hit and damaged by quakes over the last 50 years.
In Vancouver, the question is not if an earthquake will come, but when it will come.
At the Highlands Elementary School in North Vancouver, Lyle, who also works for the British Columbia Earthquake Alliance, was in attendance to watch 430 students going through the quake drill.
With kids as young as five years old participating in the "drop, cover and hold on" drill that started with an audio tape playing the sounds of broken glass and crackling power lines, she said getting children prepared as young as possible was key to educating the public.
As the sound of the earthquake came over the sound system, the kids dropped to the floor, covered their heads, moved under their desks and held on. With their teacher, they counted to 60 aloud, followed by another count-off to 60 once the noise was over.
Lyle said the importance of the drill was threefold -- first, it would educate the public of the quake hazards they face in British Columbia; second, it was to empower them with the skills and knowledge in what to do to protect themselves; third, it was to increase the level of emergency preparedness.
"It's not just for earthquakes but for any kind of disaster. An earthquake is probably the most catastrophic event we could face, but everything you do in preparation for earthquake, will be good for no matter what other types of hazards you may face."
If indoors when a quake strikes, it is advised to get as low as you can and brace yourself against any interior wall and stay there. Similarly, if you are outside, stay there.
Earthquake research shows most injuries occur when people try to evacuate a building. In such a situation a person is making himself vulnerable to things falling over on them.
In addition, people should have plans at home and work with a focus on the essential safety precautions needed to take.
"Do you have enough supplies to sustain yourself for 72 hours to a week?" Lyle asked. "It is likely going to be that long before emergency responders will be able to get out, because they will only be able to deal with priority responses."
"There's one thing to remember: don't be scared, just get down and do the drop, cover and hold on."
Arlie Thompson, principal of Highlands Elementary, said she felt the ShakeOut drill went well as the children were well prepared from the practice they had received over the years.
"My experience with fire drills tells me that the more kids practise a drill, the better and more commonly they execute it. And that's what we want in an emergency," she said.
"It is a big responsibility and hopefully we won't ever have to actually endure a real one. Again, I think the practice part is really essential because when you practise it, some things become automatic. And your automatic responses kick in and then you can be flexible when unforeseen things crop up."
Nine-year-old Sophie also deemed the drill a success and was well aware of its importance.
"You need to practise just in case one of them actually happens," she said. "They're kind of scary and important."