COE and geologist Osiris de León discuss Dominican Republic’s earthquake preparedness

Santo Domingo.-  The director of the Dominican Republic’s Emergency Operations Center (COE), Colonel CB Erdwin R. Olivares Luciano, met Thursday with renowned Dominican geologist and environmentalist Osiris de León to discuss the country’s seismic risks and preparedness.

The meeting focused on the national seismic situation, existing risk scenarios, and lessons learned from earthquakes in the Dominican Republic and other countries.

Olivares Luciano presented the main guidelines of the National Earthquake Contingency Plan, which seeks to strengthen preparedness, coordination among institutions, and the country’s response capacity in the event of a major earthquake.

The COE director emphasized that earthquake preparedness is a shared responsibility involving government agencies, local authorities, the private sector, community organizations, and the public.

He also urged families to have an emergency plan, identify evacuation routes and safe areas, and keep essential supplies available to respond during the first hours following a disaster.

The COE said it will continue promoting technical dialogue and cooperation to strengthen the country’s culture of prevention and protect the lives and safety of the Dominican population.