Safety committee discusses earthquakes

Southeast Missouri public safety personnel and Cape Girardeau School District leaders in came together Wednesday at a district safety committee, where several speakers expressed concern for earthquake preparedness in schools. Speakers included Cape Girardeau County emergency operations director Richard Knaup, American Red Cross director of emergency services Jamie Koehler and Mark Winkler, Region E coordinator for the State Emergency Management Agency. Winkler informed the group of the Great Shakeout at 10:15 a.m. April 28. Schools throughout the state are encouraged to register for the event, when everyone around the state is to practice proper earthquake safety -- duck, cover and hold. The keynote speaker, Dr. David L. Statler, director of graduate programs at Southeast Missouri State University, discussed with the group a Bureau of Justice Statistics reported released in 2010 that focused on indicators of school crime and safety. Access the Great Shakeout event website at www.shakeout.org/centralus/missouri/.

Pertinent address:

301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO