For the fourth year in a row, Washington state is participating in the Great Washington ShakeOut “drop, cover and hold” earthquake drill on Oct. 15 at 10:15 a.m.

The drill emphasizes the need for people, organizations, schools, communities and businesses to practice what to do to be safe and to be ready before an earthquake strikes. In addition, coastal communities will test their tsunami alert sirens, using the real sound of the siren, not the chimes that typically play during the monthly tests.

Last year, more than 1 million Washingtonians participated in the Great Washington ShakeOut. As of Sept. 15, more than 652,000 people have registered for the big drill. People and organizations can sign up to participate at www.shakeout.org/washington.

The important part is to practice earthquake safety. For more information on preparedness, visit http://mil.wa.gov/preparedness.