Colombia is testing its emergency response systems on Wednesday, Oct. 21, with a nationwide drill involving 1,046 municipalities and a separate exercise in Bogota shaped by the lessons of the magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck the country in August.
The National Emergency Response Drill has two sessions. The 10 a.m. exercise involved public and private institutions, schools, community organizations, families and individuals. At 2 p.m., mayors’ offices, governors’ offices and territorial disaster-management authorities will test their emergency response strategies.
The drills follow the Aug. 10 earthquake centered near San Jose del Palmar, Choco, which left 331 people dead and 4,505 injured, according to figures reported by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD). The disaster prompted emergency assessments across affected areas and highlighted the need for institutions to coordinate their response.
Bogota is using its district drill to test how the capital would respond to a major earthquake occurring alongside extreme heat, forest fires in the Eastern Hills and poor air quality.
How Colombia’s two-part drill works
The UNGRD expects nearly 48,000 public and private entities and more than 5,000 communities to participate nationwide. The 1,046 municipalities span all 32 departments and represent what the agency describes as 95% of the national territory. Around 46% of registered municipalities plan to participate in both sessions.
The morning exercise focuses on preparedness at the organizational, community and household levels. Participants can activate their emergency plans, review responsibilities and test communication procedures against the hazards identified in their areas.
The afternoon session shifts to territorial authorities. Mayors’ offices, governors’ offices and disaster-risk management officials will validate their Territorial Emergency Response Strategies (ETRE).
These strategies establish how local and departmental authorities organize emergency operations, coordinate institutions, allocate resources and make decisions. The simulation will test their ability to share information, prioritize urgent needs and activate the resources required to respond.
The UNGRD has framed the exercise around three objectives: validating existing plans and procedures, testing decision-making under pressure and translating the findings into concrete improvements.
Bogota tests its response to multiple hazards
The capital’s exercise reflects the possibility that several emergencies could occur simultaneously and compete for the same response resources. The District Institute for Risk Management and Climate Change (IDIGER), which coordinates the district drill, has developed a scenario involving an earthquake, extreme heat, fires in the Eastern Hills and poor air quality.
The Aug. 10 earthquake provides a recent reference point. In Bogota, authorities received 1,231 citizen requests concerning possible damage to homes and other buildings. IDIGER conducted technical inspections and evaluated more than 40,000 housing units and buildings, according to a district government report published Oct. 20.
The district also sent specialists to 25 municipalities to support communities and assess building conditions. That work illustrates how a major disaster can require technical assistance beyond the capital’s boundaries.
Wednesday’s exercise asks households, businesses, schools, universities and community organizations to review their emergency plans and practice the actions appropriate to their circumstances. The scenario goes beyond evacuation to test how participants make decisions when different hazards occur together.
How residents can take part
IDIGER recommends identifying evacuation routes, knowing where to meet family members and keeping an emergency kit accessible. The kit should contain supplies for up to 72 hours, including drinking water, nonperishable food, basic first-aid materials, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio and essential personal medication.
Households should also consider the needs of older adults and people with disabilities who may require assistance during an emergency. IDIGER recommends preparing a separate kit for pets, including water, food, a leash or carrier, and relevant identification and vaccination records.
Participants should follow the instructions appropriate to their location and the exercise scenario. Depending on the circumstances, protective action may involve evacuating a building or sheltering in a safer place.
After the exercise, participants should assess what worked and where they encountered difficulties. The national drill also requires participating authorities to report the results of their simulations, including the response strategies they tested, operational problems and requests for technical assistance.
Those reports will give the UNGRD and territorial authorities a basis for identifying weaknesses and deciding which plans, procedures or coordination mechanisms need further work. The next test will be whether participants turn those findings into changes before a real emergency puts their preparations to use.