The emergency exercise at a primary school in Melkbosstrand coincided with International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), which is commemorated annually on 13 October.
The IDDRR theme this year is ‘Empowering the next generation for a resilient future’.
The focus is on enhancing the preparedness of children and youth to safeguard their families and communities, but also the importance of schools being safe environments where children and staff are protected from all forms of risks.
In alignment with this theme, the Disaster Risk Management Centre coordinated an emergency exercise at Van Riebeeck Strand Primary School in Melkbosstrand today, Friday, 11 October 2024.
The school is in the Precautionary Action Zone (PAZ) due to its proximity to the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant and thus the exercise focused on protective actions such as sheltering, distribution of potassium iodine tablets, and evacuation.
The aim of the exercise was to demonstrate, but also test the collaboration and crisis communication between the different role-players including the DRMC and other City departments, Eskom, the Western Cape Education Department and emergency services.
‘Emergency exercises are part and parcel of our Disaster Risk Management Centre’s operations. Not only do these exercises help the authorities in clarifying plans and identifying gaps should a major incident occur, but it also helps communities, facilities and industry get to grips with their responsibilities. Disaster prevention and mitigation is a shared responsibility, and the more involved everyone is, the higher the likelihood of a better outcome in the event that something happens,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Supplied by: City of Cape Town
