3Q NSED AT THE CAPITOL

‘Downed comms’ delay rescue;

response “very commendable”

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, (PIA)—Boholano rescue groups and emergency responders were already used to the drill, having performing the simulation exercise (SIMEX) in the past, but then, when the regional simulation exercise observers took out the communication aspect of the rescue in the scenario, the response was unbelievably delayed, but it was still well performed.

Very commendable, states the post drill evaluation which was shared to all actors and responders participating in the drill.

At the recent third quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (3Q NSED) that Bohol Capitol hosted September 11 at 4:00 PM, relaying the information from the incident command post to the search and rescue teams and allied responders took an excruciatingly long time, with the unplanned secondary communication alternative not in the plans.

“What would be your secondary communications system if the earthquake crashed electricity, without power, radios cannot be used,” Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Disaster and Risk Reduction management chief Engr. Verneil Balaba asked, during the drill hotwash or evaluation.

He however assured the responders gathered for the post drill assessment that drills are exactly there so people can improve on the process and come out with a much better response time.

The breakdown in communications has pushed the DRM responders to personally deliver the distress call, which took considerable time off the critical rescue timetable.

The first search and rescue team from the City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Team arrived 33 minutes later, which also triggered the sporadic arrival of emergency vehicles and dedicated search and rescue teams.

The evaluators and observers also noted that the evacuation may have vacated the offices, but Capitol clients who were not appraised of the situation continued to occupy the corridors, the floor wardens clearly not briefed that there has to be full evacuations.

The delays in the arrival of the rescue teams also bored some of the “injured” actors that an evaluator noted a victim simply walking out when no rescue team arrived for her.

There were also clients who waited for the elevators despite the insistent ringing of the sirens and the building alarms, an evaluator from the DILG reported.

While the evacuation appeared orderly, evaluators also noted survivors milling around and even transferring to other groups.

The drill was done in the rain.

We tried the system, saw its flaws, Incident Operations Manager Billy Joe Reselosa, who saw the problem with the failed communications said.

Even if we had all planned, if we can not get the information across, we would have problems, he added.

In 2013, the incident command has to be established outside a building, and the same issue with communication also happened, Engr. Balaba reminded everyone.

Despite all the delays, an evaluator observer from the Visayas Command of the Philippine Army noted that the response was well performed, and was very commendable. (PIABohol)

PROTECT THE HEAD. Earthquake evacuation protocols dictate the Duck, Cover and Hold, but the rain during the earthquake drill at the Capitol in Bohol put up yet another reason to protect the head from the rains. (PIABohol)