Sri Vijaya Puram, March 12: In compliance with the directive of the Chief Secretary for quarterly mock drills in all Departments, the Directorate of Disaster Management, A&N Administration, organized a Mock Drill on Earthquake and Fire at the Directorate of Industries, Sri Vijaya Puram today. The drill was conducted in collaboration with the District Administration, A&N Police, Health, Fire, and Electricity Departments to assess the Department’s emergency response to disaster scenarios.

A total of 48 officials and staff actively participated in the exercise. Upon receiving information about an earthquake at 11 am, followed by a simulated fire incident, all personnel adhered to the safety protocols, including immediate evacuation. Alerts and warnings were promptly issued, and a headcount was conducted. The Department’s Incident Commander communicated to their communication team to communicate with SEOC (1070), DEOC (S/A) (1077), ERSS (112) and other Resource Departments (Fire, Police, Electricity, and Health) for necessary support to manage the situation. Search and Rescue Operations were carried out efficiently, and fire tenders and ambulances promptly arrived at the site to manage the situation and provide medical aid to the injured.

The drill concluded at 11.30 am with a debriefing session, where the Observers highlighted key findings and areas for improvement. The A&N Fire Service Officer encouraged Department officials to participate in weekly fire safety training being organized every week in the A&N Fire & Emergency Service, while the Health Department assured the provision of first aid training upon request. The Incident Commander reaffirmed the commitment to conduct regular training for staff and expressed gratitude to the Disaster Management, District Administration, Health, Police, Fire, and Electricity Departments for their support in successfully conducting the exercise.