ONESVIE reinforces response capacity in earthquake drill in Puerto Plata

Puerto Plata.- The National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Buildings and Infrastructure (Onesvie) participated prominently in the 7.0 magnitude earthquake simulation carried out during the mission of the US hospital ship USNS Comfort in the province of Puerto Plata. This day was organized with the support of the United States Southern Command and coordinated by the Emergency Operations Center (COE), also included key actions such as rubble rescue, victim care, drone deployment, tactical communications and the activation of an advanced command center. The North Puerto Plata Regional, represented by its director, engineer Fanny Ramos, actively participated on behalf of the general director of Onesvie, engineer Leonardo Reyes Madera. Her work was fundamental as part of the local response institutions team, strengthening inter-institutional protocols and contributing with a specialized technical perspective on structural evaluation and building vulnerability.

You can also read: ONESVIE graduates 161 new structural evaluators

As part of his responsibilities, Onesvie was in charge of evaluating the buildings used during the drill, from the pre-execution phase to its execution. This work included the inspection of structures to determine possible damage, their labeling according to the level of affectation, and the technical survey of collapsed buildings. These actions are key to ensuring the safety of rescue personnel and guiding decision-making in real emergency scenarios. Onesvie’s participation in this type of exercise demonstrates its commitment to prevention and preparedness for seismic phenomena. Drills like this strengthen the country’s ability to act quickly and effectively in critical situations, consolidating a culture of resilience that seeks to protect what is most important: the lives of citizens. In the drill, multiple response institutions from the country also participated, including: Ministry of Defense and the 9-1-1 Drone Unit, the fire departments of Puerto Plata, Santiago and the National District, Hurón Group Firefighters of the National District, Civil Defense, and the Dominican Red Cross.

About Onesvie

The National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie) was created by Decree 715-01 in the year 2001, with the purpose of reducing seismic vulnerability in buildings, infrastructure and vital lines and proposing corrective solutions. Works on identifying structural vulnerabilities to prevent disasters, offering services such as seismic assessments, technical diagnostics, consulting, training, and prevention protocols, especially in key infrastructures like schools, hospitals, and government buildings.