Sandy City Preparations

This is the message to all Sandy residents that was published in the recent Sandy newsletter:

The Great Utah Shakeout is an emergency preparedness exercise scheduled for April 17-19. This event has been created to help people and organizations get better prepared for major earthquakes and practice how to be protected when they happen.



Individuals can participate several ways. The Utah Shakeout exercise will begin at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, April 17th when the mock 7.0 earthquake hits and individuals can simply participate by practicing "Drop, Cover, and Hold On." Throughout the course of the three-day exercise, agencies such as schools, businesses and government jurisdictions will participate through the statewide drill or conduct their own drill. You can find out more about these exercises or register your own exercise plans by visiting at www.shakeout.org/utah.

Here's what Sandy City is planning for the exercise:

1. Providing an exercise headquarters location for the Utah National Guard in the grass lot in front of Sandy City Hall on the Centennial Parkway Promenade.
2. Conducting a Point of Distribution (POD) exercise where emergency supplies (water bottles) are distributed to "victims." This will be conducted on Wednesday, April 18th from 9 a.m.-noon at Lone Peak Park in Sandy. This exercise will coordinate response efforts between residents, the Utah National Guard, the Salvation Army, the Salt Lake County Emergency Operations Center, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and Alta View Hospital. If you wish to participate in the POD exercise, please register online at www.sandy.utah.gov/shakeout.

What Can I Do?
Here are some preparedness ideas for residents:

1. Register your cell phone(s) with the Valley Emergency Communications Center (VECC) so you can receive emergency notification warnings on your cell phone as well as (or in place of) your land-line phone in your home. Register your phone by visiting www.sandy.utah.gov/notify.
2. Replenish or add to your emergency water, food, clothing and first-aid supplies.
3. Register for Sandy City's Community Emergency response Team (CERT) training course by calling 801-568-2944.
4. Become involved in the Sandy City Citizen Corps Council that meets monthly in the Sandy City Hall Multi-Purpose room (Room 341) located at 10000 Centennial Parkway. Our next meeting takes place on April 12th at 7 p.m. where we will be finalizing our plans for the exercise on April 18th. (already passed, sorry)

For questions or additional information on the "Shakeout" or emergency planning, contact Sandy City's Emergency Management Coordinator at 801-568-7279 or kkraudy@sandy.utah.gov.