Get ready to ShakeOut on 19 October

ShakeOut takes place across the world to remind people of the right actions to take during an earthquake: Drop, Cover and Hold. You can also practice a tsunami hīkoi (evacuation) if you're in a coastal area.

New Zealand ShakeOut is taking place on Thursday 19 October 2023 at 9:30am. If the date and time don’t work for you, you can ShakeOut anytime within two weeks of the national drill and still be counted.

At Fire and Emergency, we know being prepared saves lives. The better we prepare for emergency events, the more chance we have of keeping ourselves and our whānau (families) safe.

ShakeOut provides an opportunity to put our plans in place, practice them, and learn where and how we can improve. It’s also a great way to connect with the communities we serve.

Sign up for New Zealand ShakeOut 

To take part in the drill, you can sign up(external link) as an individual, brigade or station. It only takes two minutes to sign up and you’ll receive all the information you need to do the drill.

There's also a whole range of resources(external link) to help promote your ShakeOut event.  

Get in touch with the communications team and let us know what you have planned: communications@fireandemergency.nz

How to ShakeOut

ShakeOut is a self-run drill. You can start the drill in whatever way works for you(external link).

Get Ready

As ShakeOut approaches, there are lots of things we can do to get ready for an emergency:

• Identify safe places to Drop, Cover and Hold and practice the drill together.
• Check if your office or station is in tsunami evacuation zone(external link) and make plans for a tsunami hīkoi if you are in a coastal area.
• Get your teams together to discuss the drill and what might happen in a real emergency.
• Get together and fill out a Personal Workplace Emergency Plan(external link).
• Take the opportunity to check your grab bags. Make sure everything is up to date.

Doing the drill

ShakeOut is a self-run drill. You can start it in whatever way works for you:

• Use a bell, whistle or alarm.
• Shout ‘Earthquake Drill’ at the top of your lungs!
• Play the New Zealand ShakeOut Announcement(external link) over your PA system.
• Tune into the official New Zealand ShakeOut Facebook livestream.
• Most importantly – Drop, Cover and Hold for 30-60 seconds:
  • DROP down on your hands and knees. This protects you from falling but lets you move if you need to.
  • COVER your head and neck (or your entire body if possible) under a sturdy table or desk. If there is nowhere to shelter – cover up with your arms and hands.
  • HOLD on to your shelter until the shaking stops. If the shaking shifts your shelter around – move with it.

After the drill

After your drill is complete:

• Talk with your colleagues about what you learned.
• Discuss actions you can take to be more prepared.
• Make a Household Emergency Plan(external link) at home.

Share your ShakeOut

Share your ShakeOut on social media with these resources(external link) to encourage others to ‘get ready’.

Or send them to communications@fireandemergency.nz and we’ll share them.