Thousands Participate in ‘Caribe Wave’ Tsunami Exercise as NODS Declares Success

The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) has declared Thursday’s national tsunami exercise ‘Caribe Wave’ a success, with approximately 7,000 participants across about 90 entities in Antigua and Barbuda taking part in the annual drill.

Caribe Wave is a regional and international exercise held every year to test various aspects of tsunami readiness.

According to officials, participation was widespread, including “pre-schools, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, hotels, banks, insurance companies and other private entities, clinics and government departments.” The Care Project, a facility for individuals with special needs located on the grounds of Holberton Hospital, also took part in the exercise.

During the post-exercise assessment, officials noted both successes and areas for improvement.

“The drill went well at several locations,” a release stated, while adding that “a few schools and workplaces needed to be better organized especially with regards to having a central alert system and improved evacuation procedures.”

The exercise revealed specific concerns regarding the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) app, particularly “the absence of the notification feature and the various sounds that come with the alert.” Officials explained that currently, “individuals must open the app to see that an alert was sent.”

Another issue identified was the limited availability of the CAP app on Android devices. “As it relates to the downloading of the CAP app on android phones, it is not available in the Play Store, an issue which technicians are still working to rectify,” they confirmed, adding that “the CAP app is available on other app stores like Aptoide and the App Store for iPhones.”

A notable advancement in this year’s exercise was the first-time activation of FM radio interrupters at four stations: ABS, Observer, Lighthouse, and Zoom.

“This allows for on-air programmes to be interrupted with an emergency message being read by Artificial Intelligence,” explained the NODS representative, noting that “this aspect of the exercise went well at two of the stations.”

The exercise benefited from broad support, with telecommunications companies assisting by sending alerts via text messaging. Additional support came from various emergency services and organizations, including “the fire and police forces, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross, Antigua and Barbuda Search and Rescue (ABSAR), the Eastern Caribbean Marina and Boardyard Limited at Jolly Harbour and Stonewall Sound System.”

NODS indicated that the findings from this exercise will help improve emergency preparedness and response capabilities across the nation.