Mandaue City to stage disaster simulation exercise

THE Mandaue City Council will be initiating a disaster preparedness simulation exercise involving an after-explosion scenery with the use of an improvised explosive this Friday.

The simulation exercise, to be held at the Session Hall, will be involved most city employees and even some councilors who will act as injured persons, complete with fake blood.

City Councilor Carmelino del Mar said people who would be transacting business at the City Hall would be notified about the exercise 30 minutes before it would start at 1 p.m. Also, all transactions at the city government would be suspended until 3 p.m., he added.

He said nearby establishments would also be notified as roads within the City Hall area would be closed for the duration of the exercise, he added.

The exercise will last for two hours, starting with an explosion inside the Session Hall while councilors were in the middle of their session. The simulation would include a rescue operation by paramedics and personnel from the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (DRRMC); and of police checking the whole building.

“Ato ning ipahibalo daan sa publiko kay basin unya og dunay makalitan unya mag-panic (We are informing the public about the exercise so they won’t panic),” said Del Mar.

Del Mar said the disaster preparedness exercise is being undertaken by the city’s DRRMC in coordination with the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Mandaue City Police Office and the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF).

“We should all be prepared also for any eventuality to lessen damage, injuries or casualties,” added Del Mar, who chairs the city’s Charter Day celebration this year.

The program is part of the activities lined up for the Mandaue Charter Day celebration, which will be celebrated on Aug. 30, and the Mandaue Business Month spearheaded by the MCCI.