The Center for Emergency Operations (COE) reported that more than 2.5 million Dominicans, most government employees, participated in a nationwide earthquake drill on Wednesday, 23 October 2024. The annual drill, now in its fourth year, is part of ongoing efforts to improve disaster preparedness. It tests emergency response protocols and evaluates the country’s readiness for a major earthquake.
“To provide a better response to a large-scale earthquake, it is essential to educate citizens from a young age on how to act in the event of such a catastrophic event,” the COE director stated. Several schools carried out the earthquake drill on that day, working with guidelines provided by the COE.
Employees from various government agencies housed in the Juan Pablo Duarte Office building expressed their support for the annual drills, emphasizing the importance of practicing emergency plans, protocols, and evacuation procedures at the family, workplace, and institutional levels.
As a new addition this year, the COE introduced advanced technological equipment to enhance communication among emergency response agencies.
The COE director urged the public to continue practicing the drills to be better prepared to respond before, during, and after an earthquake.
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24 October 2024