PHS Has an Earthquake Preparedness Plan

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Recent earthquakes like those in Japan, have made many of us begin to wonder, how safe are we?  We’ve all been hearing for years that Utah is long overdue for an earthquake. Regardless of if or when it strikes, preparation is key.

Payson High has taken several precautions to help insure the safety of its students.  Precautions include an annual earthquake drill and an extensive emergency plan binder that is kept in several locations throughout our school. Earthquake plans include a primary evacuation site, a secondary site, an indoor site, an outdoor site, and of course, all buildings are up to code. Coordination with the local hospital is even in place. “You can’t anticipate everything… We have a lot of things in place, we are trying to anticipate everything that we can,” said Principal Ben Ford.

                Several precautions should also be taken within your home. In addition to basic 72 hour kits, families should also store barrels of water and an extra set of clothing. We may not have a binder of “what if” situations lying around our houses, but families should have a plan. Things like meeting places, and how to exit the house in case of disaster should be set up. 

No one really knows when or where an earthquake will strike, but if we take a few simple precautions, then a lot of worry can be alleviated.  When it comes to disaster, the old adage rings true; we should prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.  

Attributions
By Audrey Miller