A national earthquake evacuation drill, mandated by President Luis Abinader and organized by the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) in coordination with the the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie), along with other national emergency agencies to prepare the public for potential natural disasters, saw widespread participation and notable success, including a record evacuation time at a major government building.
The drill, the fifth annual exercise directed by the COE, commenced shortly after 9:50am on Wednesday, 5 November 2025.
As reported, the effort went successfully. As a sample, the government office building “Juan Pablo Duarte,” commonly known as El Huacal, achieved a remarkable feat, completing its full evacuation in a record time of just 13 minutes. The 14-story structure accommodates over 7,000 people daily.
Across the city, the alarm sounded, prompting a coordinated response. Employees and visitors, guided by first responders, including fire personnel and COE brigadistas, followed the warnings.
“It depends on the preparation we have; not everyone will know how to act in cases of emergency,” stated Colonel César Balbi, emphasizing the critical role of readiness in disaster preparedness.
Balbi noted the exercise was preceded by preparation through instructional talks on earthquake response. The full drill was estimated to last between 30 and 45 minutes to accurately measure the speed of the workers’ response.
The drill concluded just after 10:26am with a final alert sound, after which employees returned to their posts.
According to the COE’s latest reports, a total of 2.8 million people registered through the agency’s website to participate in the simulation, or 26% of the population. The registered participants were categorized as: 1,800 individuals, 457 families, 4,300 institutions and 984 businesses.
The COE states the activity’s primary goal is to prepare the population for natural disasters, a necessity given the country’s location along 14 seismic faults.
During the simulation, participants put evacuation protocols and safety strategies for sheltering during an earthquake into practice. Authorities strongly urge all residents to participate actively in these drills, highlighting that such experiences allow them to become familiar with the correct procedures and strengthen their capacity to respond to a real-life emergency.
“This exercise encourages citizens to improve emergency plans, promotes awareness and training for institutional and community personnel, and helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in evacuation and response processes,” stated Leonardo Reyes Madera, director general of Onesvie.
The Onesvie and the COE shared recommendations for Dominicans in general to mentally and physically prepare for an earthquake, as CDN published for all to check.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
El Nacional
CDN
El Dia
6 November 2025