Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 28 May 2025
In line with the directive of the Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to conduct quarterly mock drills across all departments, the Directorate of Disaster Management organized a comprehensive mock drill simulating an earthquake followed by a fire outbreak at the A&N Fire and Emergency Services Headquarters in Sri Vijaya Puram on Monday.
The exercise was conducted in close coordination with the A&N Police, Health Department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire Services, and APWD. The objective was to evaluate the real-time preparedness, inter-agency coordination, and operational efficiency of emergency response teams in handling multi-hazard scenarios.
Mr. Sunny Gupta, IPS, Superintendent of Police (Fire), led the drill as the Incident Commander. The simulation began with an artificial earthquake scenario that resulted in structural damage and a subsequent fire in the designated area. Fire and Emergency Services promptly responded with fire tenders and carried out Search and Rescue (SAR) operations.
The NDRF team showcased rope rescue techniques and Medical First Responder (MFR) protocols to extricate and stabilize simulated victims from debris and smoke-filled zones, demonstrating high levels of preparedness and expertise.
Observers from the participating departments, including Health, NDRF, and APWD, monitored the drill and commended the professionalism, coordination, and effectiveness of the response teams. They also praised the realistic setup and the proactive engagement of all agencies involved.
The exercise concluded with a debriefing session where feedback was gathered to identify areas of improvement and further enhance disaster response capabilities across the Islands.