On Thursday, Oct. 20, the San Gabriel Fire Department participated in the Great ShakeOut by conducting a rescue drill at an abandoned structure in the city.

The drill consisted of drilling through a brick wall and using a special camera to check for "survivors" on the other side of the wall. In addition, firefighters practiced breaking down a wall and rescuing a "victim" who was injured and stuck in the building. The drill also allowed firefighters to practice using the Urban Search and Rescue apparatus. These skills will be essential for firefighters to use in the event of a building collapse in a major earthquake.

The Great ShakeOut is a global earthquake preparedness initiative, with millions of people and organizations across the country participating in the coordinated drill at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday.

For residents, the drill is an important reminder to ensure that they are prepared for when the "big one" hits. One important way to do that is to sign up for SG Alert to receive emergency alerts from the city. The SG Alert page also has resources on earthquake preparedness.

For information on earthquake safety and to sign up for the city’s emergency alert system, visit www.sangabrielcity.com/sgalert. For more information about the Great ShakeOut, visit www.shakeout.org.

For more information, contact Fire Captain Steve Wallace at 626.308.2880. For more photos from the drill, visit the city's Facebook page.