For some it may have been more of a break than serious business, but all the students at Elmore Stoutt High School — nearly 1,400 of them — along with teachers and other staff, had cleared the campus within about 10 minutes after hearing the emergency sirens yesterday morning.
The emergency drill was a time for the territory, particularly schools, to practise the emergency procedures that would be followed in the event of a tsunami.
“It went well,” said Donna Clyne-Thomas, assistant principal responsible for safety. “Unfortunately, the students knew it was a drill, so they weren’t rushing. When I asked them what if it had been real, they said, ‘Teacher, I’d’ve been there a long time ago.’”
Government offices — including the Central Administration Building and the courthouses — and public primary and secondary schools participate in such drills, said Sharleen DaBreo, director of the Department of Disaster Management.
“We’ve had very good participation from our public sector,” Ms. DaBreo said Tuesday. “The next thing we want to focus on is having more participation from the private sector.”
See the March 24, 2011 edition for full coverage.