By SANDY BATTE

Mark your calendars for 10:15 a . m . Oct . 15 , for the Great Oregon ShakeOut ! Then that morning , set an alarm and when it goes off , drop , cover and hold on !

Ground shaking during an earthquake is seldom the cause of injury . Most injuries occur when people try to move more than a short distance during the shaking . Practice makes perfect .

� If you are inside a building , move no more than a few steps

� Drop to the ground ( before the earthquake drops you )

� Take cover by getting under a sturdy desk or table

� Hold on to it until the shaking stops

� Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit . In most buildings in Oregon you are safer if you stay where you are until the shaking stops .

� If you are outdoors when the

shaking starts , you should find a clear spot away from buildings , trees , streetlights and power lines . Then , drop , cover and hold on . Stay there until the shaking stops .

� If you are driving , pull over to a clear location , stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops . Once the shaking stops , proceed with caution and avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged .

On ShakeOut day , practice these “ What to do next ” steps :

� Take care of the people in your home .

� Have ready protection for your head , feet and hands from falling debris , broken glass , sharp objects . Use a bike helmet , leather gloves , sturdy shoes .

� Know how to check your gas meter if you smell gas , hear a hissing sound , or your meter ’ s dial is spinning around . Shut off your gas to prevent fires .

� Know how to shut off water at the house main to keep the water in your home free of pollutants , like that in your water heater . A simple tool to turn off both water and gas is available at Amazon and local hardware

stores .

� Put a practice Help / OK sign in a visible spot ; teams will be out looking for these during the drill . This helps neighbors locate those who need help the first .

� Put your fire extinguisher at the end of your driveway . Firefighters will not be immediately available . If a neighbor has a small fire , extinguishers can prevent spread .

� For the ShakeOut drill , follow your HOA ’ s Emergency Plan . After you have completed the above steps , either go to your HOA ’ s gathering spot ( wear a mask and practice social distancing ) to form teams and check on neighbors , and report via radio on the status of your HOA to CCC headquarters team . Or , if your HOA has instructed you to shelterin-place , teams will be coming by to note which homes have help signs and which are OK . Those teams will then gather to report on the status of the HOA as noted above .

A communications team at the CCC Clubhouse will be practicing their ability to communicate with all of the HOAs . In the event of an actual emergency , they will be able to contact medically-trained residents to address

COURTESY GRAPHIC : SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE CENTER

During the Great Oregon ShakeOut , people will practice drop , cover and hold on drills .

injuries and access emergency information from outside of Charbonneau even if cell and landline communications are interrupted . Gathering information from the HOAs will be a vital link to the safety , recovery and resiliency of our community .

HOAs participating in the drill will hand out free raffle tickets to residents taking part . Each HOA will award prizes of 3.5 gallon water storage units .

Remember : In any disaster , your most immediate source of help are the people living around you . Join your neighbors ! Additional information is available in the clubhouse or from your HOA Emergency Preparedness Team .