Are Dominicans prepared for an earthquake of great magnitude?

Are Dominicans prepared for an earthquake of great magnitude? It's a question many do, especially in these times where the country has been rocked by three strong earthquakes in less than a month and dozens of aftershocks that have aroused the population, the cua, immediately, its l get werecat onto the streets to "protect".

The first earthquake occurred on January 6 with a magnitude of 5.2 degrees on the Richter scale, the second occurred early morning Thursday 19, and reached five degrees and the latter occurred just yesterday, with a magnitude of 5.1 degrees, according to the report of the seismological Institute of United States, or 5.4 degrees, according to the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo.

Although many understand that inside the House are less protected, authorities do not see that way, what is recommended is search for a suitable place in housing and make sure u000athere.

In this way, says the director of the Institute of Seismology of the University autonomous of Santo Domingo (UASD), Eugenio Polanco, in the event of an earthquake the person avoids that objects can beat her when they emerge, whether light poles, trees and others that can be dragged by the movement.

, However, pointed out that although the ideal is that people not leave the building while the earth remains trembling, because you can not pass down the stairs, because that could break off, he said that we must act according to circumstances. "Something established." "If you value and you are on a first floor can leave, but otherwise it is difficult", expressed.

Prepare a plan
Although the population is aware that in any time can be affected by a phenomenon of this nature, often does not have the necessary measures to implement them in the event that it is u000anecessary.

Is that the guidelines, in that sense only, are heard when the country is rocked by a tremor and the authorities come to give statements on what to do. Passed the shock, also information.

"That is the problem with the seismic issue, which is not a matter of priority, you see that people worry when shakes the Earth, but as soon as that happens and it takes away the euphoria everything returns to normal, when it happens other returns to the same." Then, the preparation is in that sense must be continuous, you prepare plans, then rehearse them, trying to see if it works. "Evaluates their drills and then makes corrections to be doing, so he won't become an issue," cited.

The Government has drawn up a plan on earthquake risk, however citizens are unaware of the measures implemented in that regard. To this is added the existence of law 147-02, sobre u000arisk management, showing each of the institutions with their respective responsibilities in the event that arises a situation catastrophic.

"Prepare a plan, assess the risks and resources, in the sense of where it should be placed should arise a situation, an open place, where they will not drop objects on top." "This is a place that must have predetermined", recommends Polanco.

He said that part of that plan should be things that members of the family should do before, during and after the earthquake.

The plan must be drawn up for the whole family. If you do not have idea of how to develop, seek a structuralist engineer so bring you in your home the places that should be used in case of emergency. They are areas that pose more strengthened.

"There are Windows of glass that break down and become bullets, therefore the person should move away from them." The shelves u000a"fix them to the wall, download the pictures, that fall you over and he stuns and after that you are already reeling is defenseless", emphasized Polanco.

Recognizes that the population is disoriented as to measures of prevention in case of earthquake, which is why the entity who runs develops programs where taught courses to help the public to take measures in case of any emergency.

He cited that the media are important in this regard, pillars so called to become multipliers.

In this regard, recommended that the owners of schools also must work directly with teachers, they serve as multipliers and way geared to the students

Buildings with underground parking
on buildings with underground parking, Polanco said that the plan must include the entire perimeter of movement within the area, the risks must be assessed and if the place is opened or u000aNo.

Rejected the recommendations contained in the famous "triangle of life", where it is advisable to locate a hollow place with an object to the side, which he said, is not approved by any agency International

Said that the ideal would be that the person is placed below the object, either a table or shelf, so that if the wall or a piece of the roof no it impact the person directly.

"If it follows a piece of something falling on top of the object and can break it, but it's not going to impact you directly." "Why not recommend the triangle of life, because it is not logical, because if the object is not supported in the Cabinet, as they they presume will fall above the head, then these are things that you emerged a person, but that has not been adopted in any country in the world", said.

one of the characteristics of the large buildings in the country is that they lack signs to guide in u000aIf such an earthquake.

Is according to the director of the Institute of seismology, responsibility of the tenants in the building putting up the signs to guide in that sense, not of the engineer, because when the occupants of the building move is that they know the type of signal they need.

"Security is the head of family, people believe that it is the Government which will say what they should do, each head of household is responsible for protecting her," said.

Although fortunately none of the two earthquakes that have hit the country in recent days, or have caused casualties or damage, Polanco appealed to local councils and institutions of civil protection order to develop a plan and guide the citizenship to avoid panic her overwhelm since that happens any tremor of Earth.

Existing buildings
the current buildings are set under the criterion u000a"Resistant earthquakes", which indicates that columns, footings and everything what are the basic pillars to protect a building should have a nucleus that sustain them in their surroundings.

According to the explanations provided by engineer Wilson Reyes, entire building has, apart from the main entrance, a stairway of emergency which is always on the outside, that is not where are the parking. "Then taking that into account, as would the idiosyncrasies of people in the event of collapse, go into the main accesses or emergency," said.

Where the building is very high are two staircases of emergency.

To the fact that most of the large towers in the country are not resistant to an earthquake of seven grade, Kings ensures that measures to build large buildings always have been there, even in municipalities and public works, entities that require a series of u000arequirements to be applied, "what happens is that in many works are not".

"In fact, all those things depend on professional ethics and the criteria used each constructor at the time of building, because there is a situation, there are already some that Yes we take into account all of these things and that we are governed by the right way, and what they indicate laws, but there are others who prefer to go by the easy side"", more economical, without thinking about the future problems that might lead to that kind of thing," says.

Understands that when it comes to build housing, Tower or commercial building, should be more sensible and apply what they are saying the planes, "levels tell us one thing, but becomes another for economic convenience".

"If all constructions apply agreed that established levels, that today no was going", said to refer to the panic which clothes people since he feels any tremor of u000aEarth.

On their side the director of the Centre for emergency operations, general Juan Manuel Mendez, said that two years ago this body brought into force earthquake emergency plan, which involves actions such as the distribution of brochures that indicate what to do before, during and after an event of this nature and the Guide to earthquakes, which was carried out by 22 institutions as part of this entity, with the technical advice of the Nations United.

Said they carried out a pilot scheme in thousand 300 schools in the northern part of the country, specifically Santiago and Puerto Plata, in order to provide guidance to teachers and students on the particular.

He stressed that the Ministry of education, together with the COE, the Red Cross, Civil Defense and other institutions that are part of the Centre, educating teachers to serve as multipliers in the schools.

Urged to access the web page < to u000ahref="http://www.coe.com.do">www.coe.com.do, which are recommendations that should keep the population in case of earthquake and email yosequehacerencasodeterremotoytu@coe.gov.do or call 809-472-0909, with 70 lines of automatic jump where the operators Guide to citizenship in this sense.

However, Mendez said that none of these tools work if the population does not integrate to learn what to do with that kind of situations that might arise.

Recently, in cooperation with the Embassy of the United States strengthened fire of Santo Domingo and was created the first unit specialized in search and rescue in collapsed structures equipped and staff duly trained.

"If the people are not always integrated will be that gap." The authorities are prepared, but the population is not in u000acapacity to respond. "Unfortunately, unlike the hurricane season, which occurs every year, people have been learning what to do, but did not happen the same with earthquakes," said Mendez.

Understands that he must now overcome that margin among population and authority to deal with these events, learn how to handle them and avoid such problems.

Illustrated guide
there is an illustrated for children with figurines illustrated guide, provided by the COE, which allow to know these events in plain language, that teaches how to make evacuation plans and prevent, which they can be found at the address above, and which is distributed in the schools.

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