The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) joined the National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on 9 June 2022, 9:00 am to assess the responsiveness of the existing disaster preparedness and contingency plans of the University.
All faculty and staff practiced the “duck, cover, and hold” as the siren alarmed for 60 seconds. Safety marshals led the safe flow of evacuation to the respective assembly areas, while safety wardens communicated the safety status of the faculty and staff from their respective offices. Reports were directed to Incident Commander Dr. Maripres Sarinas on behalf of Dr. Consuelo Habito, Chair of the UPOU Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee. Once everyone has been accounted for, Dr. Jean Saludadez, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (VCFA), announced that the drill was done.
In the debrief, Prof. Genaro Cuaresma, Director for Institution Building at UP Resilience Institute (UPRI), shared reminders and assessment of the drill. “Always close and lock the door [after vacating the room],” he urged while explaining that closed doors would signal that there is no victim left inside the rooms—in addition to security purposes. Whereas, open doors signal the Task Force to search the room. Prof. Cuaresma emphasized the importance of the exit or evacuation, and mentioned the need for first-aid kits.
The earthquake drill was followed by the fire preparedness drill. Mr. Joel Llobit from the Supply and Property Management Office (SPMO) demonstrated how to properly use a dry chemical fire extinguisher using the acronym PASS: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep.
Prof. Cuaresma also cautioned everyone not to use water in extinguishing chemical fire as water is a conductor. In addition, he discouraged the use of green-bottled dry chemical due to its fluorocarbon which targets the ozone.
The earthquake and fire preparedness drill was simultaneously conducted in all UP Constituent Units (CUs) in collaboration with the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) through the UPRI.
Sustainable Development Goals
Written by Rhea Ariele Pascua
Reviewed by Maripres Sarinas
#UPOpenUniversity
