SM City Bacolod holds drill during mall hours
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
A simultaneous earthquake drill was conducted in Bacolod City yesterday afternoon as part of the Nationwide Earthquake Drill, which was overseen by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Office of the Civil Defense-Region 6 (OCD-6), and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO).
During the drill, Bacolod City Government Center employees evacuated the building, while local emergency first responders rushed to the area.
The drill also includes mock casualties, where several city employees and CDRRMO personnel portrayed themselves as either injured or killed.
Acting OCD-6 Disaster Risk Reduction Management Division chief Maria Aletha Nogra said, during the drill, they discovered several minor details that needed to be adjusted, such as the lack of an information officer, who would act as a spokesperson for city operations.
Nogra said the city should identify a spokesperson for any incident they manage.
Although evacuation of the building was orderly and employees were cooperative, Nogra said city employees lacked information on earthquake preparedness, with some employees running to the exits during the mock quake instead of seeking shelter on desks.
Employees, however, were informed on how to evacuate during such an emergency.
Nogra also pointed out, City Hall’s emergency alarms were not well-maintained and should be operational at all times.
However, she said the city has the right manpower and equipment to handle an earthquake emergency.
CDRRMO cluster head Joemarie Vargas, meanwhile, said, during a real earthquake emergency, people should still expect 50 percent of first responders to arrive on the scene.
However, Vargas said the event shows the city is prepared for such an event, with police officers, medical personnel, and firefighters equipped with knowledge of their primary tasks during such an emergency.
Vargas heeded Nogra’s evaluation of the emergency alarm system, stating, they would improve the system.
The CDRRMO head also agreed on the observation of city employees, adding he also witnessed some employees showed no sense of urgency, while others panicked.
Vargas added, he would forward his findings to City Administrator John Orola in order to address the issue and not commit the same mistakes.
Meanwhile, SM City Bacolod also participated in the nationwide drill, holding their own simulation during mall hours, at 2:00 p.m., where command centers were set up outside the north and south wing buildings.
Employees and tenants of the mall took part in the drill, with customers encouraged to learn about earthquake safety.
Representatives from the CDRRMO and the local police were also on-hand to observe the drill./DGB, WDJ
