Students in Terah April's second-grade class take cover as the Wallowa School District participates in The Great Shakeout earthquake drill Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. The drill, taken part in by many schools in Oregon, is one of several Wallowa will do this year in preparation for a variety of emergency situations.

WALLOWA — Superintendent Tammy Jones jumped on the intercom mid-morning Thursday, Oct. 15, letting students in the Wallowa School District know their building was shaking.

But the walls never did budge. Rather, the schools were taking part in The Great Shakeout, an annual earthquake drill done by schools in Oregon to prepare students and faculty in the event of an earthquake.

Preparing for an emergency situation, though, is more than tucking under a desk for two minutes then clearing out of the building, as students did Oct. 15. Jones said the drill is among several — including a fire drill earlier in the month and an upcoming “dangerous person on campus” drill — that staff and students prepare for.

“The purpose of safety drills is to really help students and staff know what to do and feel comfortable and confident,” Jones said. “If there was an emergency, it would be more automatic.”

Beyond just ducking and covering, teachers discuss other options for the students given their location in the school. Staff also has scenarios of how to guide students if they are outside in an earthquake.

“If cover isn’t available (indoors), kids are taught to stand in the interior doorways or narrow hallways against a weight-bearing wall without windows, crouch and cover and wait for the duration or until further direction,” Jones said.

Once the two minutes were up, students from both the elementary and high school evacuated the building.

That, while seemingly simple, is a situation where students may need additional options, too.

“Drills used to be always done one way,” Jones said. “Now we have to think about it and make sure that we think and we’re logical. If every time there is a fire drill you always go out the same door … well, what if the fire was right there? You have to be able to look and move.”

The superintendent, who has been in education for more than three decades but is in her first year at Wallowa, often will throw a different wrinkle into the drill to help the preparations for other situations.

“I’ve been known to do that,” she said.

The district will be doing that with other preparation scenarios, too, including the dangerous person, or lockdown, drill.

“(Teachers) have to figure out, ‘Do we avoid? Do we deny? Do we defend in a situation?’ It’s not always the best to lock down. Sometimes we have to flee,” Jones said. “We won’t practice that with kids, but staff needs to think about that. We’re going to be doing some scenario drills where I email a scenario to the teacher and they need to think through, ‘This time of day, with my kids in my class, what would I do?’ And really reflect.”

Going through the variety of scenarios will further ensure the ability of the students and staff to be prepared no matter what arises.

“In an emergency it’s just important to have practiced those things to make sure we’re ready, we’re safe, and as adults our job in any kind of emergency situation is to remain calm and really reassure (students) they’re safe, they’re cared for, (and) not panicking,” Jones said.