23 Jun CDO Earthquake Drill Reveals Vulnerability of CDO National High School
On Wednesday morning at 9 am, June 22, the Cagayan de Oro National High School (CDONHS) in Barangay Nazareth participated in an earthquake drill that has been conducted in the whole city.
More than 2,000 people participated in the drill.
City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) spokesperson Virgil Lago said that the scenario in CDONHS could change in an actual major earthquake disaster, considering the placement of the school.
“In a major earthquake, the teachers might not be there to guide the students out from the schools. They could be the first casualties,” he said.
This was the second national earthquake drill, the first was on 2015.
The dilemma lies in the evacuation plan of the teachers. They have less communication with the students. They know the evacuation plan but only a few of the students has a knowledge of it and without their guidance, it could prove a disaster for them. Proper relay of information from the teachers before the actual drill is crucial so that the students will not forget about the details.
He said, “It was the teachers who prepared the evacuation plan. They know it by heart but we doubt if the students can make a safe evacuation without their teachers.”
To add to this problem, another vulnerable part of the evacuation plan of CDONHS is that the school only provides one gate for an exit. With the actual earthquake happening, this strait gate that will serve as a channel of more than 2,000 students will create a stampede leaving many casualties in the evacuation alone.
Also, the area outside where the evacuees are to be stationed once they leave the school has a lot of electrical wirings and trees near it that could fall down to the students.
After what Sendong has brought into the city, enhanced methods for risk reduction management has been planned and performed by the city government.
Lago said, “Sendong was a major disaster for us but it also taught us the lessons of preparedness.”
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