TURKS & CAICOS - The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) has reported on the progress of the earthquake and tsunami drill that took place on Grand Turk today, March 26, 2014.

At 6:17 am today March 26, 2014, the DDME issued a message to begin the Exercise based on a scenario that an earthquake in the AZORES-CAPE ST. VINCENT RIDGE had triggered a tsunami that would impact the TCI within a few hours.

Evacuation orders were issued at 10:00am and the alarms sounded. The DDME reported the use of several alerting methods. These included, the bells at the St Mary’s Pro Cathedral Anglican Cathedral and St Thomas Anglican Church and the Police Sirens as well as emails.

The alerting phase suffered a minor setback as schools for the most part, did not respond to the alarm but rather to the emails. The Elisa Simons Primary School was first off the mark having responded to the alarms and began their evacuation to Nookie Hill at 10:00 a.m. Their evacuation was completed at 10: 30 a.m.

The Incident Command Post was set up at Nookie Hill at 10:29 a.m. The RTCI Police, DDME and the Fire Service were on the scene.

· At 10:50 Susana Wesley evacuated and got to the assembly site.

· Ona Glinton Primary School – 272 people

· Elisa Simons Primary School- 191 people

· Susana Wesley - 49 people

· HJ Robinson – 390 people

· 11: 05 Newmans Prep – 32 people

Three children got sick over the course of the exercise. At 10: 54 a.m. the first child fell ill, and then at 10: 55 a.m. the second child took sick. They were attended to by the EMS Ambulance Service and doctor who were on the scene. At 11:05 a third child experienced illness and was attended to by the Ambulance Service.

The All Clear was issued at 11: 20 a.m. by the RTCI Police.

DDME was assisted in the exercise by the TCI Red Cross and local Volunteers including members of CURE, the Community Volunteer group as well as the Ambulance Service, the Public Works Department, RTCI Police Force, the Fire Service and other departments of TCIG.