The Great Southern California ShakeOut

Los Angeles firefighters practice with mock victims during the Great Southern California ShakeOut, simulating a mass-casualty earthquake. There were more than 300 people posing as victims, 24 fire vehicles and 16 ambulances at Bishop Alemany High School football field in Mission Hills.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The drill provides a photo op for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who checks on mock head trauma patient Ivette Peraza, an LAPD employee.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Patient volunteer victims Thomas Heavey, left, and Peter Buhler take part in the Caltech drill. The cart they were loaded onto ran out of power as they were being taken to a triage area. Another cart came later to pick them up.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Students at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa participate in the Great Southern California ShakeOut by exiting their buildings and waiting in previously designated evacuation areas.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa participates in the Great Southern California ShakeOut with everyone on campus exiting buildings and waiting in designated evacuation areas.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

David Gering, a business continuity management analyst at Nestle USA in Glendale, has donned his orange safety vest and gets ready to monitor progress as his company participates in the Great Southern California Shakeout.  (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Nestle USA employee Andy Morris continues with a business call as he sits not quite under his desk at the company’s offices in Glendale during the Great Southern California ShakeOut.  (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)