Earthquake Warning California
K-12 Education Toolkit & Resources

For more than two years, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has helped Californians get prepared for earthquakes through the Earthquake Warning California campaign. California residents can find the latest materials, resources, and news relating to the nation’s first statewide, publicly available earthquake warning system at: earthquake.ca.gov. We need your help getting the message out!

For California’s educational institutions, earthquakes are not a matter of if, but when. Whether an educational site is near or along a fault line, it is essential to have an emergency plan to help reduce risks of injuries or damage and recover quickly following an earthquake. By helping share information with staff, students, families, volunteers, and others that attend, work for, or visit the institution, educational institutions can play a key role in helping others appropriately prepare for the next major earthquake. Helping others understand the importance of being earthquake-prepared can reduce the number of injuries and deaths during an earthquake and lead to a quick recovery for a resilient California.

What Can You Do?

Share the following information via newsletter or social media! For questions relating to Earthquake Warning California, email earthquakeinfo@caloes.ca.gov.

Newsletter Language

Use the language below to copy/paste and share with target audiences through email blasts, newsletters, or other channels. We encourage you to share this material if you belong to a home association, club, or social group. Please feel free to tailor or personalize it.

It’s always a good time to prepare for an earthquake. We know that there are many things to be worried about, but when it comes to earthquakes, it is not a matter of if, but when one will occur. Earthquakes can cause severe damage to infrastructure and can result in injuries and fatalities. There is no earthquake season — they can strike anytime of year.

Cal OES is encouraging Californians to take the time to update their emergency plan, share any emergency preparedness lists with friends and family, and download the MyShake App. Many things in life may catch us off guard, but now, earthquakes don’t have to!

Earthquake Warnings are a Game Changer: Cal OES encourages superintendents, staff, teachers, students, and parents and guardians to have a plan for how to protect themselves in the event of an earthquake. If you receive a warning or feel shaking, there are moments to act. There may be circumstances where a warning is issued, but no shaking occurs. It is always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to earthquakes. We encourage you to share this information with friends and family in California to help spread the word about the technology available to help keep them safe.

Here are some of the ways to receive earthquake warnings:

•  MyShake App. An app that can be downloaded for mobile devices at no cost from Google Play and the Apple App Store. App users can set up a “HomeBase” location to receive earthquake warnings without having location services turned on.
• Android Earthquake Alerts. Included in new or updated Android devices, the system uses the same technology as the MyShake App.
• Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs). Text-like messages from the government during emergency situations. This includes Presidential, Imminent Threats (fire, earthquake, floods, etc.), and AMBER alerts.

When an earthquake warning is issued from any of these sources, you should act quickly and take protective actions to stay safe, such as dropping to the ground, covering your head with your arms, and holding onto your neck with both hands until the shaking stops. Do not stand in doorways or near glass windows.

[School Name] encourages our [staff/students and their families] to have a plan for how to protect themselves in the event of an earthquake. If you receive a warning or feel shaking, there are moments to act. There may be circumstances where a warning is issued, but no shaking occurs. It is always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to earthquakes. We encourage you to share this information with friends and family in California to help spread the word about the technology available to help keep them safe.

Please visit earthquake.ca.gov to learn more about the latest tools and resources, and how to use them. You can also sign up for a regular partner e-newsletter on the website from Cal OES that includes the latest news and information about Earthquake Warning California.