QUEZON CITY, April 17 – To prepare its employees should a calamity strike during work hours, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) recently conducted an earthquake and fire drill at its office grounds in Diliman, Quezon City.
According to NGCP Spokesperson Atty. Cynthia P. Alabanza, the activity is part of the company’s Integrated Disaster Action Plan (IDAP) which aims to protect not just power transmission facilities such as lines, posts and towers physically exposed to calamities, but more importantly, the lives of its employees.
“To address emergencies specific to earthquakes and fires, NGCP, in coordination with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) of Quezon City, conducted evacuation drills and safety exercises last March 12,” said Alabanza.
NGCP’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) facilitated the drills, which included evacuation procedures, demonstrations on first aid treatment and the proper use of fire extinguishers.
The IDAP provides guidelines and coordinated procedures in preparing and coping with typhoons, heavy rains, floods, landslides, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunami. It also lays out specific tasks and assignments per group that would expedite power restoration processes during actual emergencies.
Preparations include, among others, posting of line crews in strategic pre-selected locations to speed up actual deployment, inspection and evaluation of damages on facilities; postponement of all scheduled transmission line and substation shutdowns in the affected areas until such time that the situation has stabilized; and the provision of back-up telecommunication facilities, equipment, vehicles, line materials and hardware necessary for the immediate repair of transmission facilities.
One overall and four regional command centers oversee and coordinate all restoration efforts and monitor the operational status of all affected transmission lines and substations. (NGCP/ PIA Sorsogon)
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