In an earthquake drill, you do three things: drop to the ground, take cover under sturdy furniture, and hold on until the shaking would be over. The entire sequence typically lasts about 60 seconds. But doing it well means more than going through the motions. Where you are, what’s around you, and how quickly you react all shape whether the drill actually prepares you for a real earthquake.
Drop, Cover, and Hold On
This three-step sequence is the standard recommended by FEMA, the American Red Cross, and OSHA. Each step has a specific purpose.
Drop means getting down on your hands and knees before an earthquake throws you off balance. In a real quake, people who try to run are far more likely to fall and get injured. Dropping intentionally keeps you in control.
Cover means getting under a sturdy desk or table to protect your head, neck, and torso from falling objects. If no furniture is nearby, move to an interior wall (away from windows), get into a crawling position, and cover your head and neck with your hands and arms. The goal is shielding your vital organs and skull from debris.
Hold On means gripping the legs of whatever furniture you’re under so it doesn’t slide away from you during shaking. In a real earthquake, furniture moves. If you don’t hold on, your cover leaves without you. During a drill, hold this position for at least one full minute to simulate realistic shaking duration.
What to Look for While You’re Down There
The drill isn’t just about muscle memory. While you’re holding your position, look around and notice what could fall on you if this were real. Unsecured bookcases, monitors sitting on desk edges, heavy boxes on top of tall shelves, hanging plants on open hooks, even ceiling-mounted light fixtures can all become projectiles during shaking. Vending machines and filing cabinets with unlatched drawers can tip over entirely.
This hazard scan is one of the most valuable parts of the drill. After it’s over, note anything you spotted and take action: move heavy items to lower shelves, secure top-heavy furniture to walls, replace open hooks with closed ones, and latch cabinet drawers. Schools in California use detailed nonstructural hazard checklists for exactly this purpose, covering everything from suspended ceiling tiles to unsecured refrigerators.
Adjustments by Location
In a Classroom or Office
Get under your desk, face away from windows, and hold on. If you’re in a cubicle without a sturdy desk, drop next to an interior wall and protect your head. In high-rise buildings, expect more sway and longer shaking. Stay away from exterior walls and windows, and do not use elevators after the drill or a real event. Stairwells are the designated exit route.
Outdoors
If a drill catches you outside (or if you’re practicing outdoor scenarios), move away from buildings, trees, utility wires, and fuel lines. The greatest danger from falling debris is right outside doorways and along exterior walls. Get to an open area, drop low, and stay there until the shaking stops.
In a Vehicle
Pull over to the shoulder or curb as quickly and safely as possible, away from overpasses, bridges, utility poles, and overhead wires. Set the parking brake and stay in the car. A vehicle will bounce on its springs, but it provides good protection. If a power line falls on the car, stay inside until a trained responder removes it.
In a Stadium or Theater
Stay in your seat. Protect your head and neck with your arms. Do not try to leave until the shaking stops, then walk out carefully, watching for anything that could fall in aftershocks.
Why “Triangle of Life” Doesn’t Work
You may have seen social media posts recommending that you curl up in a fetal position next to large objects like a sofa or bed instead of getting under a table. This is called the “triangle of life” theory, and it’s been rejected by every major emergency management agency in the United States, including FEMA, OSHA, and the American Red Cross. The U.S. Geological Survey has specifically addressed it as inaccurate.
The theory was based on observations from collapsed buildings in countries with very different construction standards. In countries with modern building codes, structures are designed not to pancake-collapse. The real threat is falling and flying objects, not total structural failure. Lying next to furniture instead of under it leaves your head and neck completely exposed to the debris that actually injures people. Drop, Cover, and Hold On remains the evidence-based recommendation.
Early Warning Alerts
If you’re in the western United States, your phone may deliver a ShakeAlert notification seconds before shaking arrives. This system, operated by the USGS, detects earthquakes and pushes rapid mass notifications that can give you a few seconds of lead time. That’s not much, but it’s enough to drop and get under a table if you’ve practiced.
Some organizations now incorporate these alerts into their drills. A coordinator sends a simulated alert (or plays a tone), and participants practice reacting immediately. The value of advance training is exactly this: when those seconds count, your body already knows what to do without your brain needing to think through the steps.
After the Drill Ends
Once the one-minute hold is over, most organized drills include an evacuation to a designated assembly point. This is the time to practice your exit route, not just note where it is on a map. Pay attention to how long it takes, whether hallways create bottlenecks, and whether emergency exits are actually unobstructed. If your building has a communication plan (a check-in system, a headcount procedure, or a reunification process for schools), this is when it gets tested.
Afterward, take a few minutes to debrief. What slowed people down? Did everyone know where to go? Were there desks or tables available for everyone, or did some people have no nearby cover? Were exit routes blocked by furniture or equipment that could shift in real shaking? These observations are the whole point of drilling. OSHA recommends practicing at least twice a year, and each drill should fix whatever the last one revealed.
Making the Drill Count
The difference between a useful drill and a wasted one is whether you treat it as realistic. Drop hard and fast, as if the ground is already moving. Don’t peek at your phone during the hold. Actually scan for hazards overhead. Time your evacuation. If you have mobility limitations, use the drill to figure out your specific plan now, not during a real earthquake when the floor is shaking and the power is out.
People who’ve practiced Drop, Cover, and Hold On respond faster and more effectively during actual earthquakes. That’s not intuition. It’s rehearsal. One minute under a desk twice a year is a small investment for a response that could keep you from a serious head injury.