In the unnerving seconds when earthquake shaking begins, a person's action may spell the difference between safety and suffering. Various messages that describe protective actions have been issued in the United States, such as: Drop, Cover and Hold on, triangle of life, stand in a doorway. But these may not be the safest actions in the far more vulnerable built environments that exist in many earthquake-prone countries. The safest response may depend on the intensity of shaking, building type, a person’s location in the building, and access to exits. Factors such as culture, gender, folklore and literacy may influence a person’s trust in the message as well as their ensuing behavior.   GeoHazards International developed evidence-based guidance to create effective messages for earthquake protective actions in diverse contexts. They devised a local process and local factors to consider. Sixty-nine multidisciplinary disaster professionals, from 22 countries, contributed experiences, critiques, and key considerations.   Applying the locally-based process in a pilot program to develop locally appropriate earthquake safety messages, GeoHazards International worked with the community of Anse-à-Veau, a coastal city in Haiti that was hit by a M 6.5 of earthquake and tsunami in 1952. The goal was to create messages that people understand, trust, and practice, so they take the safest action during an earthquake or tsunami.   Members of the diverse, newly-created Anse- à-Veau earthquake safety committee and Haitian experts conducted training for residents and local authorities, so that they were able to understand their hazard risk and identify local vulnerabilities. This strategy, which fully engages the community, will subsequently make Anse-à-Veau more prepared and resilient to future earthquakes and tsunamis. Lessons learned from this project will be incorporated to update the guidance.