A countywide earthquake exercise is scheduled to ‘Shake ‘n Quake’ in Pierce County Oct. 21 and 22.

The first day includes approximately 500 participants from more than 50 agencies throughout Pierce County, including Sumner School District.

Communication Director Ann Cook said staff and students will practice earthquake evacuation and test communication equipment on Oct. 21.

She said the drills will be conducted at the middle and high schools at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the elementary schools.

To make this drill as realistic as possible, the U.S. Geological Survey helped build the scenario and provided the participants with a number of resources and tools to utilize throughout the exercise and, ultimately, during an actual event.

The scenario is based on a magnitude-7.1 earthquake striking along the Tacoma Fault line, which passes through Tacoma, Federal Way and Gig Harbor. It is predicted that the ground shaking during an earthquake through the Tacoma fault system would cause landslides, liquefaction and possibly a tsunami in the Sound, based on United States Geological Survey (USGS) studies.

During the initial day of the two-day exercise, the county’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be fully staffed and operational. Other jurisdictions within the county will conduct their own exercises based on the same scenario in coordination with the Pierce County EOC.

Every year, Emergency Management is required to hold at least one regional exercise. The purpose is to test its emergency plans and procedures. The specific objectives of this exercise are to evaluate regional communications, to demonstrate coordinated situational awareness collection, and to disseminate information to the public.