According to data from the COE, more than 2 million 776 thousand people participated in the nationwide drill.
SANTO DOMINGO – The evacuation of the Juan Pablo Duarte Government Office Building, known as "El Huacal," was completed in 13 minutes. The 14-story structure houses more than 7,000 people daily, including employees, visitors, and administrative staff.
Shortly after 9:50 a.m., everything was ready for the start of the Fifth National Earthquake Evacuation Drill, coordinated by the Emergency Operations Center (COE). The drill is conducted annually as part of disaster preparedness exercises.
The alarm sounded throughout the building, signaling the start of the operation. Employees, visitors, members of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), and firefighters began evacuating, following instructions given in the preceding days.
From the upper levels, people descended the stairs with their hands over their heads as a precaution. Some wore tense expressions as they followed the exit routes established in the emergency plans.
Outside, brigade members with orange flags organized the groups into safe zones, awaiting the signal to return to their posts. Shortly after 10:26 a.m., the drill concluded with a second audible signal.
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The director of the COE, Juan Manuel Méndez, described the day as a success and highlighted the massive participation throughout the country. “Every action taken by the COE saves lives. Prevention is not optional; it is an obligation of the State and of every citizen,” he stated during the closing of the operation.
Erwind Olivares Luciano, deputy director and head of the Operations Division of the COE (Emergency Operations Center), explained that evacuation time can vary depending on the size of the building. “Each institution located in the Juan Pablo Duarte building has its own emergency plan, which allowed for an orderly evacuation in accordance with established protocols,” he noted.
According to data from the COE (Emergency Operations Center), more than 2,776,000 people participated in the nationwide drill. The entries were grouped into the following categories: individual (1,800), family (457), institutional (4,300), and industrial or commercial activity (984), for a total of 7,505 registrations through the official portal.
Ashley Morales Cartagena, a civil engineer specializing in geosciences and disaster risk management in infrastructure, participated as a technical observer. She recommended that these types of exercises be carried out at least twice a year. “Constant practice improves the response. Two annual drills would allow us to correct shortcomings, reinforce protocols, and raise awareness among the population,” she stated.
The governor of the Juan Pablo Duarte building, Fernando Acosta, oversaw the drill and confirmed that the evacuation was carried out according to established protocols. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining active emergency plans in areas with high concentrations of workers.
According to the COE, the main objective of this day was to strengthen the response capacity to natural disasters, especially in a country that has at least 14 identified seismic faults.
