Disaster preparedness drills planned for Phuket

PHUKET: A full tsunami evacuation drill is set to take place in Phuket on December 24, provincial officials have announced.

Speaking at a disaster preparedness meeting at Provincial Hall on Wednesday, Phuket Vice Governor Niwit Aroonrat said the drill is aimed at testing emergency response units’ readiness for disaster.

The full drill will be the culmination of three days of practice starting on December 22.

Drills will take place at Saphan Hin and Phuket International Airport, where officials will practice the evacuation of casualties.

Officials will receive theoretical training on how to give assistance during the weeks leading up to the drills.

On December 22 and 23 they will receive practical training at Phuket Disaster Prevention and Mitigation College.

Phuket’s last tsunami evacuation drill took place across the island on September 13.

Wiboon Sanguanpong, who heads the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), pronounced the drill an overall success, but said he would call for the warning tower on Soi Bangla to be made louder so it could be heard better heard in windy conditions.