The Emergency Operations Center (COE) has announced the start of “For Dominicanness, Values and Your Safety” plan with the participation of 33,125 people, including military personnel, doctors and police agents. COE director General Juan Manuel Mendez says that they are equipping 1,600 aid posts, 164 ambulances, three helicopters, a mobile hospital and nine regional command centers.
He said the plan starts on Monday, 23 December at 2pm and runs through Wednesday 25 at 8pm. Thousands of people who haven’t gone on holiday today, Friday 20 December are expected to take the afternoon off, making for one of the biggest domestic travel periods in the year. The second phase of the plan starts on Monday, 30 December at 2pm and will end Wednesday, 1 January 2014 at 8pm.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET) director General Juan Geronimo Brown announced an operation to monitor businesses where alcohol is sold (liquor stores and colmadones) to reduce drunk driving. He said they would be using 125 alcohol-measuring devices to determine alcohol levels in driver’s blood. AMET will be using the devices through 6 January, when the Dominican Christmas holidays end.
Officials from the ministries of Interior and Police, Public Works, Public Health, Presidency, Armed Forces, Police, Firefighters, Red Cross and others are taking part in the Safe Christmas operation.
Public and private hospitals have announced they have increased staffing at their emergency areas to ensure proper care.
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2013/12/19/304132/COE-anuncia-plan-preventivo-navideno-con-33-mil-personas