More than 400 staff members participated in an evacuation exercise on July 17 at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The large drill centered on a simulated earthquake of magnitude 7.0 that struck near Santa Monica, damaging medical facilities throughout Los Angeles.

During the drill, employees evacuated and assembled in three preplanned assembly areas while physicians and nurses gathered at a triage area in Pappas Quad to treat the injured.

The drill offered an opportunity for the HSC security and emergency management staff to set and test the Norris Hospital Command Center and victim triage areas. The drill also provided building search and clearance practice for members of the HSC-CERT team.

“The exercise marked the first time in 15 years that all components of the complex USC Norris operation participated on this scale,” said Safety and Emergency Management Officer Robert Vance III.

Evacuation drills at Keck Medical Center of USC are done at least four times a year.

— Douglas Morino