Kirkland Earthquake Drill: 'Cascadia Rising' Seeks Volunteers

KIRKLAND, WA — Kirkland's Office of Emergency Management is seeking volunteers to help the city participate in "Cascadia Rising," a region-wide exercise to help community members and first responders prepare for the aftermath of a major earthquake.

This year's exercises include drills in Totem Lake and North Juanita next week, and volunteers will receive a free emergency preparedness kit as a thank you.

Here's when volunteers are needed in Kirkland:

• June 14, 2022: Volunteers needed to drive through a mock supply distribution point in Totem Lake so staff can practice delivering supplies in a disaster.
• June 16, 2022: Volunteers needed to act as shelter clients in need of assistance in North Juanita.

Residents can sign up to help out by following this link, navigating to the "Emergency Preparedness" section and choosing their time and day. The Kirkland portion of the exercise is part of the state's broader participation, led by Washington's Emergency Management Division.

Residents who cannot participate directly next week can still learn more about preparing for natural disasters of all kinds, assembling an action plan and building a kit on Kirkland's official website.