Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 05 June 2025
In line with the Chief Secretary’s directive to conduct quarterly mock drills across all Departments, the Directorate of Disaster Management organized a comprehensive earthquake and fire mock drill on June 4, 2025, at the Directorate of Science & Technology, Dollygunj, Sri Vijaya Puram.
The drill aimed to assess and enhance the department’s disaster preparedness and response mechanisms. Ahead of the practical exercise, a Table Top Exercise was conducted involving all staff of the Directorate of Science & Technology and key officials from resource departments including A&N Police, Health, Electricity, APWD, and the Fire Department. The session helped finalise the drill scenarios and define the responsibilities of the Incident Commander and departmental teams.
The mock drill began at 11:15 AM, with staff demonstrating the ‘duck, cover & hold’ technique during the simulated earthquake, followed by a safe evacuation to a designated area. A search and rescue operation was initiated for missing persons, while timely communication was established with SEOC (1070), DEOC (South Andaman) (1077), and ERSS (112) to mobilize additional support.
A fire tender promptly arrived at the simulated incident site, extinguished the fire, and rescued the missing individuals. The rescued were then handed over to the first aid team, and subsequently transported via ambulance for further medical attention. The drill concluded with the ‘All Clear’ signal issued by the Incident Commander.
During the debriefing, Mr. Janik Ram, Assistant Director (Disaster Management), stressed the need for routine mock drills to reinforce emergency readiness across departments. Participating officials from resource departments appreciated the staff’s coordination and adherence to protocols and suggested regular updates to emergency resources for better response in real-life situations.