SPOKANE, Wash. — The Great ShakeOut is an international earthquake preparedness drill that millions of people of all ages participate in on October 17th at 10:17 a.m.
To promote safety and awareness around natural disasters like earthquakes, 44 schools and about 22,000 people across Spokane participated in the drill.
Spokane Public Schools said about 400 students at Arlington Elementary all practiced the three major steps - drop, cover and hold.
At 10:17 a.m. students were instructed on the intercom to drop to the floor, cover their heads under their desks, and hold still.
Fifth grader Macguire Weston told KREM2 that students must be prepared for the future.
Principal Sue Unruh highlighted it's important for young students to practice safety habits early on.
"It is better for them to be well planned and prepared, so they are not scattered. And they stay calm and listen to directions for their safety," Principal Unruh said.
Administrators told us keeping students' hearts, minds and especially limbs away from danger is crucial.
"If something falls, then it would basically protect our head. It’s kind of like a hard umbrella," said Annalyn Wakan, another fifth grade student. "It's not going to be a drill, so sometimes we need to practice for the actual thing if it were to happen."
And it is not just students - work offices, health clinics, government agencies and many more opt to participate in the Great ShakeOut drill.
Even though Spokane is a landlocked city, for communities near coastlines the Great ShakeOut drill is also meant to practice evacuation routes.
Go to the Great Washington ShakeOut website for a full list of who participated today.