Secretaries Napolitano, Duncan Call On Schools And Colleges To Participate In April Earthquake Drill

Today U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called on K-12 schools and colleges and universities across the central U.S. - and throughout the country - to help their students, faculty, and communities prepare for earthquakes by participating in a public earthquake drill on Thursday, April 28, 2011. Eleven states in the New Madrid Seismic Zone are participating in the drill, the "Great Central U.S. ShakeOut," which takes place at 10:15 am central time. Anyone can register to participate, whether at school, at work, or at home; to date, over two million Americans have signed up.

While similar "ShakeOut" earthquake drills are frequently conducted by California and other states on an individual basis, this is the first multistate earthquake drill, and the first drill in the central U.S., where many states would be impacted if a major earthquake hit the New Madrid Seismic Zone.  Secretaries Duncan and Napolitano made their call to K-12 schools, colleges and universities in a letter sent earlier today.

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