This is the 4th year in a row that David Allen Company (Ojai-based) staff have participated in the Shakeout Exercise. This is what we do:

-Couple weeks before, refresh the emergency supplies for food, water, first-aid, batteries,etc
-Confirm all gas meters have wrenches attached -- this year needed to add 3
-Confirm 4 FRS radios and an operator at each building (now with spare batteries at each location attached to radio)
-Confirm 4 whistles at each building
-Confirm all staff have out-of-state contacts on file with HR

-Couple days before, notify all staff of the drill and what to expect
-Day before, notify other tenants in CoLocated buildings

10/20/11 at 10:20AM Blow whistles at each location; everyone drops covers and holds on (including visiting clients); wait a minute; blow whistle again; everyone egresses buildings and meets at a rendezvous point; headcount at each building site; radio-relay to central point (HR Director) for count aggregation.

Total counts relayed to Ojai EOC via Ham Radio where our ARES Emergency Coordinator received relays from us, including various location within Ojai Valley (eg Ojai Valley School) and other parts of Ventura County via County Ham Radio Repeater.

All employees do a 360 of the various buildings to explain where the gas meters are, wrenches, how to use, emergency supplies, shelter in place location, etc.

Advised all staff to have go-bags in their car and at work.

NOTE: In 2008 at lunchtime, Southern California had a 4.8 quake in Chino Hills (Los Angeles County), which created a 1 second bump in Ventura County. End result was that all communications lines (cell and landline) went down countywide. Why? Because thousands of people simultaneously called and asked "did you feel that?" By the time I got back from lunch I was informed that all David Allen staff had dropped, covered and held on, followed by a building egress. Why?? Because we had done the 2008 Shakeout about a week or so before the quake. This exercise plain works.