Skip to content

ShakeOut Drill Planning Resources

The following materials are resources for administrators to develop plans for their school or district's ShakeOut drill this October.



ShakeOut Drill
Manual for
K-12 Schools

(PDF)


This document describes four levels of drills; pick the drill level that makes the most sense for your school or district. Each level builds upon the other and increases in complexity. Schools or districts that have been successful with a lower level should consider doing a more advanced drill during the ShakeOut.

  • Level 1 – Simple: Drop, Cover, and Hold On Drill and Building Evacuation
  • Level 2 – Basic: Life Safety Drill
  • Level 3 – Intermediate: Decision-Making Table Top Drill
  • Level 4 – Advanced: School Standard Emergency Management Simulation Drill




School Drill Model
and Templates

(Advanced)
(.doc)
(.pdf)


If you are planning to conduct a Level 3 or Level 4 drill, this document provides the following: model preparedness surveys, letters to parents, memos to faculty and staff, preparation and supply guidelines, model emergency response roles and responsibilities, drill evaluation forms and more. These model documents may serve as a helpful guide for schools and districts which do not already have standardized forms.


Additional resources:

Audio and Video "Drill Broadcast" recordings have been created to provide instructions during your Drop, Cover, Hold On drill.

Comprehensive School Emergency Planning Resources, including sample drill documents, developed by the Los Angeles Unified School District



FEMA "Drop, Cover,
and Hold" Poster

(PDF)




This poster is available in multiple languages here.

© 2024 Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC), headquartered at the University of Southern California (USC)
The Great Idaho ShakeOut