At 10:20 a.m. on October 20, 2016, millions of people will “ Drop, Cover, and Hold On ” in the Great ShakeOut , the world's largest earthquake drill.

Everyone is encouraged to participate and inform others about the drill.

Earthquakes can happen anywhere: at home, at work, at school, or even on vacation. ShakeOut is a chance to prepare yourself, your family, and your organization by practicing protective actions to take during earthquakes and other aspects of your emergency plans.

Register  today so that you will:

• Be  counted  in the largest-ever earthquake drill in the world!
• Be  listed  with other participants in your area. (Optional)
• Be an  example  that motivates others to  participate & prepare .

Additional instructions and resources can be found at ShakeOut.org/howtoparticipate , including:

• Downloadable Drill Broadcast audio and video recordings .
• Posters, flyers, and other promotional materials .
• How to share photos and stories of your drill .

If you're on social media, follow @ShakeOut on Twitter and Facebook for useful content and reminders on earthquake preparedness.  Be sure to use #ShakeOut when you post about your drill!

You can also support ShakeOut on social media by participating in the following events:

• A Facebook Live broadcast on October 18 at 11 a.m. PDT / 2 p.m. EDT - watch to learn about earthquake insurance, retrofitting, and building codes.
• A Twitter chat on October 19 at 11 a.m. PDT / 2 p.m. EDT - use #ShakeOutChat to join ; and
• ShakeOut's Thunderclap on October 20 at 7 a.m. PDT / 10:00 a.m. EDT. To join in, go to the ShakeOut Thunderclap and agree to post a one-time message on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr promoting the earthquake drill.

For more information, including a How to Prepare for an Earthquake guide and a video about When the Earth Shakes , visit the America's PrepareAthon! Earthquake page .

There are many aspects to being ready for a disaster including participating in emergency drills and building emergency supply kits.  But have you ever considered the importance of being financially ready? 

The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) , a joint publication from Operation Hope and  Citizen Corps , can help you prepare now. H aving adequate insurance, a plan to pay your bills and access to your important records and accounts will help you get back on your feet faster.

The EFFAK offers a collection of resources to download, such as:

• The 2015 EFFAK in  English ,  Spanish , and a  reader enabled  English version that can be filled out online. 
• An EFFAK overview PowerPoint presentation in  English  and  Spanish .
• EFFAK  checklists and forms  in standard and  reader enabled /fillable versions.

Financial preparedness is one of the many ways to participate in America's PrepareAthon!, a grassroots, community-based campaign for action to get families, organizations, and entire communities better prepared for emergencies.

As part of the America's PrepareAthon! campaign, we invite you to register your preparedness action at www.ready.gov/prepare .

Each year, fire departments respond to more than 350,000 home fires. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reports that these fires cause nearly 2,500 deaths and billions of dollars in damages.  Almost three out of five of these deaths happened in homes with no working smoke alarm.

According to the USFA , when you have working smoke alarms and home fire sprinklers, you reduce your risk of dying in a home fire by 82 percent.

If there is a fire, your family has about three minutes to get out of your home before the air is too toxic to survive. Three minutes is not very long, especially if you are awakened in the middle of the night. A smoke alarm provides early warning of smoke in your home and alerts you to get out.

Make sure you have an alarm on every level of your home, inside and outside each sleeping area and in the basement. If you have someone in your home that  is deaf or hard of hearing, there are special alarms for them. These alarms have strobe lights and bed shakers to alert those who may not hear the alarm. Sit down with everyone in your home and discuss your home fire escape plan.

You can find more information about smoke alarms , escape plans , home fire sprinklers , and a home safety checklist as well as other fire safety topics at www.usfa.fema.gov .