Dominican President Abinader Opens New CEMED Emergency Response Center

President Luis Abinader inaugurated the new headquarters of the Cuerpo Especializado de Mitigación a Emergencias y Desastres (CEMED) in Santo Domingo. The 6,061‑square‑meter facility houses a command center, planning rooms, training areas, a helipad, a crisis hall and specialized equipment including fire trucks, rescue vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, communication units and canine teams. The President said the center enhances the Dominican Republic’s ability to act quickly and professionally in natural disasters, climate‑related events and other emergencies, emphasizing preparedness over reaction. He highlighted that CEMED had already deployed teams to assist Venezuela after recent earthquakes, demonstrating the unit’s operational readiness. Defense Minister Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre outlined plans to open regional CEMED sites across the country within the next 90 days and a northeastern unit by 2027, further expanding the nation’s disaster‑response network.