The annual Great ShakeOut event to promote earthquake preparedness is Oct. 17, and in another nod to the looming, massive Cascadia quake overdue for the region, the UO is hosting a free training for students and employees.

Participants will learn what the earthquake might feel like, what kind of damage is expected and steps to be more prepared on campus and at home. It will include a brief “drop, cover and hold” drill and will take place in the Erb Memorial Union’s Crater Lake rooms from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

The session also features a panel discussion with seismologists Lucy Jones of Caltech, known nationally as the “earthquake lady,” and professor Doug Toomey of the UO’s Department of Earth Sciences, as well as Krista Dillon, director of operations for UO Safety and Risk Services.

UO employees can sign up for the training on MyTrack; students do not need to register.

The UO will also test its UO Alerts mass-notification system, sending an email to all students and employees and text messages to everyone signed up to receive the notices. Any students or employees who have not signed up for UO Alerts are strongly encouraged to  do so, as it’s how the UO gets information out in emergencies.

Jones, in residency at the UO in October as the Wayne Morse Chair, also presents a free public lecture on disaster resiliency Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the EMU ballroom. She’ll also give a “what you need to know” talk on the Cascadia earthquake Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. at UO Portland’s White Stag Block.