EARTHQUAKE WEEK: BE PREPARED
An Important Opportunity to Draw Attention to the Earthquake Hazard
Earthquake Week is an event held in Turkey every year in the first week of March, to raise awareness. This week is organized to draw attention to the danger of earthquakes and to inform the public about earthquakes. Turkey is a country located on the seismic belt and frequently faced with earthquakes. Therefore, it is vital to be conscious and prepared for earthquakes.
Earthquake Week is celebrated with a series of events. These activities include earthquake seminars, panels, training activities and exercises. Earthquake Week is of great importance, especially by schools and public institutions. These institutions make an effort to raise individuals who are conscious and prepared about earthquakes.
Earthquake Week is also an opportunity to raise public awareness about earthquakes. Explaining the issues such as the seriousness of the earthquake hazard and how to act in the event of an earthquake makes the society more conscious about earthquakes. This can reduce the possible effects of earthquake disasters.
Earthquake Week is organized around a different theme each year. This theme is chosen to raise awareness about earthquake. For example, issues such as tsunami risk one year and disaster management another year can be addressed. Organizing Earthquake Week around a different theme every year provides an important opportunity to raise awareness about earthquakes.
As a result, Earthquake Week is an important opportunity to raise individuals who are conscious and prepared about earthquakes. The events held during this week are of great importance to draw attention to the earthquake hazard, to inform the public, and to raise awareness for earthquake preparedness. Earthquake awareness is a life-saving skill and Earthquake Week is an important tool for developing this skill.
There Are Simple But Vital Precautions You Can Take for Earthquake
Before the Earthquake:
• Find out the earthquake hazard of your building at the “https://tdth.afad.gov.tr” address.
• Prepare your disaster and emergency kit.
• Danger hunt in your home.
• Make, update, implement and repeat your family disaster and emergency plan.
• The whole family, learn and practice the Crash-Trap-Hold movement.
• Determine your meeting place after the earthquake.
• Find out the location of the nearest emergency assembly areas easily from e-Government.
• Fix your water heater (combi/heater/water heater), refrigerator, oven and gas equipment to the wall and/or floor with suitable materials.
• Before the earthquake, do not make any changes in the structure of your building in order to prevent possible loss of life and property.
• Do not allow any interference with the load-bearing columns and walls of your building.
• Insure your home, vehicle, workplace, agricultural land, cattle and small cattle against disasters with TCIP, TARSİM and private insurances.
During the earthquake:
• Stay away from glass, windows, outward facing walls and doors, and any objects that might fall on you, such as lighting fixtures or fixtures.
• Find a safe place, Kneel down, CLOSE to protect your head and neck, HOLD on a stable place to avoid falling.
• Do not run towards stairs, elevators or balconies.
• If you are outdoors, stay away from power lines, other buildings, poles, trees and wall bases.
• If you are driving on the highway (avoiding standing next to buildings, trees, poles, under an overpass), turn to the right in a safe place without blocking the road.
After the Earthquake:
• When the shaking stops, look around and make sure of your surroundings and your own safety, then leave the building.
• Do not light matches or lighters, do not touch electrical switches.
• Close the gas and water valves, the electric valve if there is no gas smell; turn off stoves and heaters.
• Take your disaster and emergency bag with you and go to the assembly area.
• Support babies, children, the elderly, disabled and pregnant women who may need help after the earthquake.
• Listen to the warnings of authorized institutions from mass media such as radio and TV and social media.
• Leave streets and alleys empty for emergency vehicles.