What is the first step in finding an earthquakes epicenter?

The first step in finding an earthquake's epicenter is to collect seismic data from at least three different seismic stations. Each station records the arrival times of seismic waves, specifically the primary (P) waves and secondary (S) waves. By calculating the difference in arrival times between these waves at each station, seismologists can determine the distance from each station to the epicenter. Using this distance information, they can then triangulate the exact location of the epicenter on a map.