Disaster Coordinator Emphasises Importance of Earthquake Drills
By: , January 28, 2026
Photo: Raymond Simpson
Parish Disaster Coordinator for St Mary, Adrian Tate (second right), with (from left) Dean of Discipline at the St Mary Technical High School, Ryan Hewitt; Officer in charge of the Fire Safety, Prevention and Investigation Division, District Officer Richard Guscott; Assistant at the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Shaneldeen Bailey; Acting Corporal in the Fire Safety, Prevention and Investigation Division, Kyron Parry; and Vice Principal, Orville Jones, after completing earthquake drills at the St. Mary Technical High School, recently.
Photo: Raymond Simpson
Teachers and students gather at the assembly area during an earthquake drill at the St. Mary Technical High School, recently.The Full Story
Jamaicans are being reminded of the importance of earthquake drills in building awareness on the appropriate response to the natural disaster.
Parish Disaster Coordinator at the St. Mary Municipal Corporation, Adrian Tate, in an interview with JIS News following an earthquake drill at the St. Mary Technical High school recently, warned that an earthquake “is a very, very dangerous activity”.
“Earthquake exercises are [therefore] very important in schools, businesses and areas of large gathering. An earthquake is very short, so most times persons are not able to respond in the required time. These kinds of drill exercises actually sharpen the mind and the body to react and respond whenever we have any type of mass emergency like an earthquake,” Mr. Tate said.
The month of January is observed annually as Earthquake Awareness Month. This year’s theme for the observation is ‘Resilient Jamaica; we weather the storm and brace for the shake’.
Mr. Tate said that drills, which should each last two and a half minutes, are being executed across schools and businesses in St. Mary and will continue into March, with the support of members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade in the parish.
With the parish capital, Port Maria, sitting on Jamaica’s coast and earthquakes being formed off the coast, Mr. Tate noted St. Mary’s susceptibility to the natural disaster.
Outlining the appropriate response to earthquakes, Mr. Tate told the students that,
“it is expected that once the shaking starts and you feel the shaking, that you drop, cover and hold. For adults, it is expected that they take cover, hold on or brace in the door jamb”.
He pointed out that if an individual is outdoors during an earthquake, they are to remain there.
“If you are already outdoors, remain outdoors. Move away from buildings, tall trees and power lines, and stand in an open area. You are expected to do the same: drop, cover and brace. Do not go back inside,” the Disaster Coordinator cautioned.
