Utah is located on the Wasatch Fault – a 240-mile-long active fault that stretches along the Wasatch Mountains between Utah and Idaho. According to the University of Utah seismograph stations, Utah has about 1,500 earthquakes each year and while only 2 percent of those are felt, it is important to be prepared.
The first Utah Shakeout was held in April of 2012 and had the highest level (per capita) participation of any ShakeOut with more than 940,000 Utahns participating, including Associated Food Stores and the company has participated in it every year since.
On Thursday April 17, the 2025 Utah ShakeOut will take place and once again AFS will participate. “Safety is number one on our Compass for Excellence and a big part of that is making sure our team members are safe,” shared Rob Suarez, asset protection manager. Rob is head of the AFS Safety Council that is made up of members from across the company including Todd Humphrey, the Sr. Maintenance Mechanic at the Corporate Office. “Todd works closely to make sure the fire alarms work correctly and that all water, gas and electrical utilities are checked and safe,” Rob continued.
The drill will take place at 10:15 a.m. Thursday morning. All team members will cover under their desks or doorways for about 10 seconds until the alarm is silenced. They will then move to their assigned outside meeting place and wait for further instruction from their team captains. See Bridge for more details.
Team members are also encouraged to register to take part in the ShakeOut by visiting shakeout.org/Utah.