Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Starts Earthquake Awareness Week

Friday, February 03, 2012 | 06:39am

Memphis, TN – The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and its local, federal and private sector partners in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut will hold a media opportunity on the morning of February 7, 2012. More than 2 million people will participate across nine states in the second annual earthquake preparedness drill.

Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Press Conference

DATE: Tuesday, Feb. 7

TIME: 9 a.m.

WHERE: The Walmart Supercenter

5255 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, Tenn.

Speaking at the event will be:

· James Bassham, director of TEMA and representing the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium

· Mark Cooper, senior director for emergency management at Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

· Bob Nations, director of Memphis/Shelby County Emergency Management Agency

· Rich Serino, FEMA deputy administrator

Media are asked to RSVP via email to info@tnema.org, or by calling 615,741-0482 by Monday, Feb. 6.
Media will have an opportunity for individual interviews with TEMA, FEMA, Walmart and CUSEC representatives, but all video b-roll must conclude prior to the actual drill at 10:15 a.m.
Media are invited to attend a live drill at the nearby Orleans Elementary, 1400 McMillan Street.

The ShakeOut is designed to help individuals and communities in the region get ready for these earthquakes, practice how to protect themselves, and to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes. The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is being coordinated by the Central US Earthquake Consortium and its Member and Associate States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners. For more information on the second annual, region-wide earthquake drill, visit:shakeout.org/centralus.

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