Starting the day with a fire bell and earthquake
By Denise
@petatonicsca (7070)
Japan
February 5, 2016 4:12pm CST
I arrived yesterday to school to my early morning flute ensemble to find all the early morning athletics kids, orchestra kids, handbell kids and morning ESL classes heading out of the buildings to the field where we go for evacuations. The fire bell was ringing. I heard somebody say, "That was a pretty big earthquake just now, too." (I had been driving so missed it.)
The fire bell was a false alarm and the only thing they can figure out is that the earthquake might have tripped it.
An exciting way to start the morning, anyway.
10 people like this
11 responses
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
5 Feb 16
Yes, especially since we never have drills when only early morning sports and music clubs are going on so we have to figure out the protocol. Who takes attendance to make sure everyone on campus is safe, when not everyone is on campus? Where do the two third-graders go? What teachers are in charge since not everyone is at school yet? We have, since 3/11 earthquake, had three emergency evacuations for strong quakes either before or after school when only part of the student body is there.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
5 Feb 16
@petatonicsca I understand that it can be quite complicated.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382036)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 16
A very exciting time for all but not the sort of excitement you'd want. It would be hard to know where to go to be safe from an earthquake - away from buildings obviously but the ground could open up just as easily.
@JudyEv (382036)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Feb 16
@petatonicsca We saw a photo of a 17-storey building coming down. That would cover a lot of ground.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
6 Feb 16
@JudyEv Is that from the quake today in Taiwan? Those were some scary pictures.
1 person likes this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
6 Feb 16
Usually not. The greatest danger is from falling things such as buildings or landslides
1 person likes this
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
5 Feb 16
We have to be really prepared, both our countries are natural disaster prone, typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, you name it. It's nice your school have those drills, in fact i think the more often the drills are the better for all of us.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
5 Feb 16
We actually had an earthquake drill on 3/10/11 at 2:45. On 3/11/11 at 2:46 the big earthquake happened. We were all in the exact same classes as we had been during the drill so we all knew exactly what to do! (Only it was a lot scarier when the real thing happened.)
1 person likes this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
6 Feb 16
Yes, but the maintenance staff is trying to make sure the alarm system is ok so it works if there is really a fire!
@boiboing (13147)
• Northampton, England
5 Feb 16
I guess this is the kind of excitement that you get used to living in Japan.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
6 Feb 16
Not sure I ever get used to it, but I know what to do and I have really quick reflexes.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
6 Feb 16
It wasn't big enough to do much to us Tokyoites with great building regulations. It did slow the trains down, though.
@allknowing (153530)
• India
6 Feb 16
That is no way to conduct a drill. A drill is when there is no fear.
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
6 Feb 16
No one ever knows what Mother Nature has in store for us!!!
