NATIONAL OFFICE OF DISASTER SERVICES

 Outcome of Caribe Wave 25

The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) is hailing Thursday’s national tsunami exercise ‘Caribe Wave’ a success.

Approximately seven thousand individuals representing about 90 entities both in Antigua and the sister-isle Barbuda, along with several individuals, took part in the activity. Included in the number were pre-schools, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, hotels, banks, insurance companies and other private entities, clinics and government departments. Residents and staff of the Care Project, a centre located on the grounds of the Holberton Hospital that deals mainly with persons with special needs also participated.

Caribe Wave is a regional and international exercise held every year to test various aspects of tsunami readiness.

During a briefing at NODS following the exercise, it was noted that the drill went well at several locations and a few schools and workplaces needed to be better organized especially with regards to having a central alert system and improved evacuation procedures.

Several concerns were noted specifically relating to the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) app - the absence of the notification feature and the various sounds that come with the alert. As it is now, individuals must open the app to see that an alert was sent. As it relates to the downloading of the CAP app on android phones, it is not available in the Play Store, an issue which technicians are still working to rectify. However, the CAP app is available on other app stores like aptoide and the App Store for Iphones.

For the first time this year, the CAP alert activated FM radio interrupters at four radio stations - ABS, Observer, Lighthouse and Zoom. This allows for on-air programmes to be interrupted with an emergency message being read by Artificial Intelligence (AI). This aspect of the exercise went well at two of the stations. In addition, telecoms companies also came on board to help send the alert out via text messaging. Support through sirens and other alerting mechanisms were provided by the fire and police forces, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross, Antigua and Barbuda Search and Rescue (ABSAR), the Eastern Caribbean Marina and Boardyard Limited at Jolly Harbour and Stonewall Sound System.