Living in earthquake country, a question you sometimes have to ask yourself is: Are you prepared for the next big one? If you’re not sure, don’t worry. Union Station is hosting this year’s Great CA ShakeOut on Thursday, October 18 so you can pick up some tips on earthquake preparedness during your commute to work.

Stop by the Emergency Preparedness Fair in the East Portal between 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. or participate in the duck and cover safety drill wherever you are at 10:18 a.m. Participants will drop, cover and hold on, the recommended safety action to take during an earthquake. The drill is your chance to practice how to protect yourself and do your part to help prevent a major earthquake from becoming a catastrophe.

Metro will be conducting a special safety drill in the East Portal at 10:18 a.m. A train evacuation drill demonstration will take place at 11 a.m. north of the Union Station Gold Line platform. Metro employees will demonstrate the procedures to be used in the event of an incident, such as an earthquake, when the system may become disabled.

Metro and Metrolink trains will also slow down at 10:18 a.m. on Thursday as they would during a real earthquake. If a real quake were to occur, the trains would be traveling slow enough to stop quickly and safely if they encountered track damage or obstructions. The process will take approximately 15 minutes.