The third version of the diploma in Building Evaluation for engineering and architecture professionals began last Saturday, April 13, in La Romana, through the Civil Engineers Nucleus of the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors (Codia) of that area, with the training of 40 participants.
The program will provide specific knowledge, analysis, and skills for addressing building assessment processes, both before and after earthquakes. It will be delivered over nine weeks, with eight weeks of in-person classes held every Saturday and a ninth week of practical exams, according to a press release.
Participants will also be trained in the implementation and use of the electronic tool for the assessment of seismic vulnerability ( Prever ), initials that stand for program of recognition, evaluation and estimation of risk.
The press document explains that the day is part of the training project of the Dominican Network of Structural Evaluators (REED), which is financed by the European Union, and its Project for Strengthening Disaster Risk Management in the Dominican Republic (Progeri-RD), the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie), the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors (Codia), the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (Intec) and its Center for Environmental Management (CEGA), together with the Central University of the East (UCE) and the executive directorate of Civil Defense (DC).
Leonardo Reyes Madera, general director of Onesvie, upon inaugurating the working session of the diploma course, thanked Codia, Intec, the European Union, UCE and Civil Defense for joining the initiative and highlighted the purpose of having professionals in every corner of the country capable of evaluating buildings, infrastructure and lifelines before, during and after an earthquake.
“We need to train many professionals in this field. Turkey thought it was prepared and had the personnel for assessment, but they found themselves needing to ask the world for help on the very day of the earthquake. There is an urgent need to train capable professionals in assessment, both before and after an earthquake; hopefully, we can do so beforehand so we have the opportunity to detect vulnerabilities and address and reinforce them,” said Reyes Madera.
He emphasized that the diploma program will be offered to all Codia delegations and said he hopes to consolidate a national commitment project and extend it to continuing education through Intec.
Meanwhile, Juan Villar González, president of Codia, thanked the members for their participation and reported that the training initiative was the result of an inter-institutional agreement between the entity, Onesvie and the other institutions involved, and that it seeks to strengthen capacities in seismic evaluation of buildings, infrastructure and lifelines.
Meanwhile, Indhira Reyes, president of the Codia East delegation, expressed her gratitude for the training day, stating that it aims to train and graduate 40 engineering professionals who work in city halls, municipal districts, relief organizations, and other institutions in the area.
The event took place last Saturday, April 13, at the headquarters of the Eastern Delegation of the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects, and Surveyors (CODIA) in La Romana. The head table was presided over by Leonardo Reyes Madera, Director General of the National Office of Civil Engineers (ONESVIE); Juan Villar González, National President of CODIA; Indhira Reyes, President of the Eastern Delegation of CODIA; Flavio García, Head of the Eastern Delegation of ONESVIE; and Juan Santana, former President of the Civil Engineers Association.
