BC Earthquake Alliance

What BC Earthquake Alliance does

BC Earthquake Alliance (BCEA) is a not-for-profit society founded in 2010 and headquartered in Sidney, British Columbia, with a 7-person operating team. Its stated mission is to promote awareness of and enable preparedness for earthquakes and tsunamis across British Columbia, a province characterized as Canada's most seismically active with an estimated one-in-three probability of a major earthquake within 50 years. BCEA serves British Columbians broadly — the general public, K-12 schools, healthcare facilities, businesses, community organizations, local governments, and underserved populations — through a portfolio of free education and engagement programs rather than a commercial product offering.

The organization's core offerings include ShakeOutBC, an annual province-wide earthquake drill held each October in which participants practice "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" (868,000 registered participants in 2025, up from 640,000 in 2022, marketed as the world's largest earthquake preparedness drill); the Quake Cottage, a mobile earthquake simulator producing a magnitude 8 equivalent for approximately 40 seconds, operated via technology partner Motion Safe; the Quake Tales Project, which curates survivor stories; quarterly Virtual Community of Practice sessions; the multi-city Earthquake Preparedness Tour; in-person workshops; Tsunami Preparedness Week activities; and Ask-the-Experts webinars including K-12 editions. Underlying infrastructure is conventional: a WordPress-based website, a dedicated drill registration portal at shakeoutbc.ca, and active presence on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, X, and a podcast ("Fires, Floods and Nature's Fury"), with Global BC as exclusive English-language TV partner.

BCEA generates revenue exclusively through non-commercial channels: corporate sponsorships (Insurance Bureau of Canada as anchor, FortisBC as silver sponsor, Health Emergency Management BC and BC Hydro as bronze sponsors), grants from the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada Emergency Community Recovery Fund, organizational and individual membership dues, and donations. All programs are provided free of charge to participants. The organization is governed by a board of directors including President Naomi Yamamoto, Vice Presidents Erin Stockill and Aaron Sutherland (also VP Western and Pacific at IBC), Executive Director Christine Buttkus, Vice Chair Teron Moore, and directors Miranda Myles and Noah Snell. BCEA developed a formal Strategic Plan for 2025-2028 and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy in 2024 as it entered its 15th anniversary period.

Name

BC Earthquake Alliance

Legal name

BC Earthquake Alliance

Website

https://bcearthquakealliance.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BC Earthquake Alliance is a 7-person not-for-profit society, founded in 2010 and based in Sidney, British Columbia, that delivers free earthquake and tsunami preparedness education across BC through the annual ShakeOutBC drill, the Quake Cottage mobile simulator, workshops, and partner programs serving the general public, schools, municipalities, and underserved communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Preparedness Education

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Resilience, Preparedness Training & Exercises (HLAJAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural Disaster Preparedness & Recovery (Storm/Flood/Wildfire) (BPABANAI), Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs (BPAGAAAK)

Keywords

• Earthquake preparedness education
• Tsunami awareness programs
• Emergency preparedness drills
• Seismic safety training
• Disaster resilience services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sidney

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Grants: Financial support from corporate sponsors (Insurance Bureau of Canada as anchor sponsor, FortisBC as silver sponsor, Health Emergency Management BC and BC Hydro as bronze sponsors) and government funders (Province of British Columbia, Government of Canada Emergency Community Recovery Fund).
2. Membership Dues: Revenue from organizational and individual members who pay dues to support BCEA's mission and programs.
3. Donations: Voluntary donations from individuals and organizations supporting earthquake and tsunami preparedness in British Columbia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

BC Earthquake Alliance educates British Columbians on earthquake and tsunami hazards through a portfolio of free programs. Its flagship offering is the annual ShakeOutBC earthquake drill where participants practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On (868K participants in 2025). The organization also operates the Quake Cottage mobile simulator tour delivering hands-on earthquake experience, curates survivor stories through the Quake Tales Project, and runs Virtual Community of Practice sessions, workshops, and Tsunami Preparedness Week activities.

Product overview

BC Earthquake Alliance operates as a not-for-profit society founded in 2010, offering a portfolio of earthquake and tsunami preparedness education programs rather than a traditional software product. The core offerings include ShakeOutBC (annual earthquake drill), the Quake Cottage mobile earthquake simulator, the Quake Tales Project (survivor storytelling), Virtual Community of Practice sessions, Earthquake Preparedness Tours, Emergency Preparedness Workshops, Tsunami Preparedness Week activities, and Ask-the-Experts webinars. These programs work together to build a culture of earthquake and tsunami preparedness across British Columbia through education, community engagement, and hands-on training experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ShakeOut BC: Annual earthquake drill event hosted by BC Earthquake Alliance where individuals, communities, schools, and organizations practice earthquake safety measures such as Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
• Quake Cottage
• Quake Tales Project

Products and services

• ShakeOutBC Annual Earthquake Drill Annual province-wide earthquake drill held in October where individuals, schools, communities, and organizations across BC practice 'Drop, Cover, and Hold On' earthquake safety procedures. Registration is free via the shakeoutbc.ca platform and includes an interactive participant map. 868K participants registered in 2025, up from 775K in 2020.
• Quake Cottage Mobile Earthquake Simulator Mobile earthquake simulator providing hands-on experience of earthquake shaking equivalent to magnitude 8 for approximately 40 seconds. Used during community tours and education events throughout British Columbia to demonstrate the physical effects of seismic activity and teach the Drop, Cover, Hold On response.
• Quake Tales Project Storytelling initiative curating real survivor stories from BC residents who have experienced major earthquakes and tsunamis around the world. Designed to encourage preparedness through personal narratives rather than abstract messaging.
• Virtual Community of Practice Quarterly 45-60 minute virtual sessions connecting community groups and organizations across BC to share experiences, resources, and questions about earthquake and tsunami preparedness in a collaborative space.
• Earthquake Preparedness Tour Mobile education tour that brings the Quake Cottage earthquake simulator and preparedness workshops to communities throughout British Columbia, including underserved areas with multilingual support.
• Emergency Preparedness Workshop Series Interactive in-person workshops designed to help individuals, organizations, and neighborhoods increase understanding of local risks and emergency preparedness concepts, with takeaway resources provided to attendees.
• Tsunami Preparedness Week Annual awareness program held during the first full week of April dedicated to educating BC coastal communities about tsunami risks, safety procedures, and evacuation routes, including High Ground Hike community events.
• Ask-the-Experts Earthquake Webinar Interactive webinar series featuring earthquake experts answering questions from students and the public, including school-aged editions designed specifically for grades 5-12.

Quantifiable outcome

• 868,000+ participants registered for ShakeOutBC 2025 earthquake drill
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• Canadian Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joined IBC in supporting the Earthquake Preparedness Tour. The Canadian Red Cross attends community events to provide information about emergency support services and evacuation assistance.
• Global BCsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Exclusive English language television partner for BCEA and ShakeOutBC, providing media coverage and promotion of earthquake preparedness.
• BCAAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023BCAA partnered with BCEA in a combined effort of shared value to provide more British Columbians with preparedness support, education and access. BCAA has renewed support for reaching underserved communities.
• Motion SafesupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Provides the Quake Cottage mobile earthquake simulator for BCEA's Earthquake Preparedness Tour. Contact: Rob at [email protected].
• University of the Fraser ValleysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in launching the extended Earthquake Preparedness Tour with the Quake Cottage during ShakeOut Week.
• Saanich Emergency ProgramsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Emergency Preparedness Speaker Series featuring BCEA speakers and collaborates on community education events.
• BC Economic Development Association (BCEDA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCEA partnered with BCEDA to deliver a presentation at the Building Resilient Communities Conference in Penticton, focusing on economic recovery and resilience topics.
• Vancouver Fraser Port AuthoritysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with BCEA for the Public Education Fair in downtown Vancouver during ShakeOut 2024.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Red Cross: Large humanitarian organization that is both a BCEA partner and a broader incumbent in disaster preparedness, response, and community education across Canada.
• Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC): National insurance industry association that is BCEA's anchor sponsor. Comparable as a disaster risk education advocate with overlapping insurance-industry and government stakeholder engagement.
• Salvation Army Canada: Large national humanitarian non-profit with active disaster response, preparedness, and community resilience programs across Canada, comparable in mission scope and donor-funded model.
• Public Safety Canada: Federal department responsible for national emergency management policy and public preparedness. Operates in adjacent space with overlapping GetPrepared-style national education programs.
• Emergency Management BC (EMBC): Provincial government agency responsible for emergency management in BC. Operates in adjacent space as a regulator and public education provider with overlapping community preparedness mandate.

Direct peers

• Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup (CREW): Pacific Northwest non-profit focused on Cascadia subduction zone earthquake preparedness. Directly comparable regional mission, multi-state/province stakeholder engagement, and educational outreach.
• Earthquake Country Alliance: California-based alliance that coordinates the ShakeOut earthquake drill and earthquake preparedness messaging. Directly comparable as the US counterpart running the same global ShakeOut concept.
• PreparedBC: Province of British Columbia's official emergency preparedness public education program. Operates in the same BC geography and audience with overlapping preparedness messaging and competing/partnering reach.

Others

• Pacific Northwest Seismic Network: Regional seismic monitoring network covering Washington and Oregon. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest seismic information provider with overlapping educational mission to BC audiences.

Regional players

• QuakeSafe (New Zealand Earthquake Commission): New Zealand government entity focused on natural disaster insurance and public earthquake preparedness education. Comparable mission and educational focus in a similarly high-seismic-risk geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bc_earthquake
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bcearthquakealliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/BCEarthquake
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bc-earthquake-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BC Earthquake Alliance