Cuban Civil Defense Meteor 2018 to be Held on May 19 and 20

Havana_ Meteor 2018 Civil Defense Drill will take place next May 19 and 20 throughout the national territory with a view to strengthening the country's capacity to face earthquakes and great intensity hurricanes, and severe droughts, as well as disaster events of public health, Radio Havana Cuba published.

The characteristics of both days, in which it is also intended to specify the measures for each stage of the disaster reduction process and verify the state of completion and assurance of the forces that are organized at a territorial level, were exposed yesterday during a meeting with the national press that was attended by the division general (R) Ramón Pardo Guerra, chief of the National General Staff of Civil Defense.

Other purposes for this Meteor drill are the training of the population and workers in first aid, , light rescue and other actions; to train the members of the commissions for the protection of the population, of the groups of evaluation of damages and needs, and of the offices of procedures for victims during disaster situations; check the country's communications system and the Emergency Network of the Radio Amateur Federation of Cuba; and increase the disclosure on the rules of conduct in disaster situations.

Pardo Guerra called attention to the importance of compliance with the measures in each of the phases established by the National Civil Defense Staff; to maintain the vigilance over the dangers, vulnerabilities and risks; and to constantly inform the population, for which an indispensable instrument is the Family Guides for the protection against tropical hurricanes.

The reserve lieutenant colonel Wilfredo Cobas Dávila, head of the Operations Department of the National Civil Defense Staff, insisted on taking into account, for this exercise, the instructions given by the President of the National Defense Council during the preparations, response and recovery from Hurricane Irma, and the experiences of other disaster events.

The first day of the Meteor -he said- will be dedicated to the preparation of the bodies of direction and command at all levels, and on the 20 the participants will carry out activities and practical actions of preparation to face disaster hazards and the reduction of vulnerabilities, with the participation of entities, communities and the population.