COE strengthens coordination ahead of potential major earthquake

Santo Domingo.- The Emergency Operations Center (COE), with support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), conducted a simulation exercise based on a large-magnitude earthquake affecting Greater Santo Domingo to strengthen the country’s emergency preparedness and response capacity.

The exercise involved institutions that make up the National Response System, which tested procedures established under the National Earthquake Contingency Plan, including activation, coordination, communication, resource mobilization, information sharing and decision-making during a complex emergency.

COE director Colonel Erdwin Olivares Luciano stressed that effective disaster response begins long before an emergency occurs through planning, training and institutional coordination.

The exercise also helped identify strengths and areas for improvement, validate response protocols and assess the institutions’ ability to work together under a large-scale disaster scenario.

WFP representative in the Dominican Republic Alex Robayo said simulation exercises are essential to strengthening preparedness because they allow authorities to evaluate capabilities, validate protocols and improve coordination before an actual emergency.

The activity received technical support from the WFP and was financed by the United States Government through the Resilient Basin project, which seeks to strengthen preparedness and reduce the impact of disasters on vulnerable populations.

The COE said the results will be used to improve response protocols, update coordination mechanisms and strengthen the operational readiness of institutions responsible for responding to emergencies in the Dominican Republic.