Pali High Aces Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill

By FRANCES SHARPE | Editor-in-Chief

A major earthquake has hit the Palisades and the pedestrian tunnel that connects the Palisades Charter High School campus to Stadium by the Sea football field has collapsed.

That was the scenario for Pali High’s earthquake drill as part of the Great California ShakeOut at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15.

As part of the statewide drill, 3,000 students practiced how to “Duck, Cover and Hold On”—the recommended action in an earthquake—and then exited their classrooms and walked en masse across Bowdoin Street to the football field.

“The goal is to do it within six minutes,” said David Riccardi, Pali High’s Director of Operations.

They did it.

After the students were safely on the field, three-person search-and-rescue teams that included teachers and administrators checked classrooms where they found a number of students with simulated injuries.

Sophie Viscardi, a senior, was found in a classroom with a simulated injury: two broken legs. Other “injured” students suffered from head trauma, broken bones and even a panic attack.

These students were moved to a first aid staging area on the Quad where they would receive treatment in the event of a real earthquake.

In addition to first aid providers, a social worker and psychologist were on hand to help students.

Rocky Montz, Operations Assistant Liaison, said the drill gives the school a chance to test its emergency protocols.

“Every year, we find ways to tweak and improve our protocols,” Montz said. “This drill allows us to test our teachers and our students and to see what we can do better.”

Principal Dr. Pam Magee agreed that it’s good to practice all emergency procedures, including communications.

“We even practiced sending out a text and email blast and a phone message to parents,” Magee said.

At 11 a.m., an “All clear” announcement signaled the end of the drill and students and teachers made their way back to the classrooms, a bit more knowledgeable about what to do in case of an earthquake.