Puerto Plata holds earthquake preparedness workshop

Authorities in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, held the “Puerto Plata Resiliente” earthquake preparedness workshop to strengthen disaster prevention culture. Organized by the National Office for Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie) in coordination with the provincial government, the local mayoralty, and Civil Defense, the event focused on technical knowledge and practical drills.

A key feature of the workshop was a demonstration of the P-900 seismic alert system by Copperzut, showing how seismic signals are detected and processed to generate alerts. Participants practiced the “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” maneuver and conducted orderly evacuations to designated meeting points.

The training coincided with the 23rd anniversary of the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that struck the region in September 2003. That historical event caused significant structural damage to public and private buildings, including schools and a major bank, and damaged the local pier.