A million people participated in an earthquake drill today, including 17,000 with disabilities. Most of them were in the Greater Metropolitan Area but some signed up in other areas as well. At 10 am sirens went off around the country and the drill was started.
People evacuated their homes, schools and workplaces and/or looked for a safe place to stay near where they were. This was the First National Simulation. Those who registered are to report how long it took them to get to safety. It took us about 20 seconds. The results tracked from this drill will help the National Emergency Commission redouble efforts in the most vulnerable areas. Public places are required to have signaled exits, evacuation routes and a meeting point.
The experts remind us to remain calm and leave in an orderly fashion during an evacuation. They also say that once a tremor has started you should not evacuate. At that point you should stay in a concrete door frame or on a terrace or in a room away from windows and heavy objects that may fall. They also recommend that you always keep the exits clear and that you avoid exiting through a kitchen where hot items may fall.
