TWELVE Saipan public and private schools will participate in a tsunami drill starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada said.
“We would like to appeal to our parents and guardians to please stay off the road during the time when the tsunami drill gets underway to ensure a seamless implementation of our readiness and preparedness plan,” Ada added.
To accommodate students with special needs, only PSS school busses and vans will be on the routes leading to and from the participating public schools:
William S. Reyes Elementary School, Chalan Kanoa Head Start/Early Head Start Center, Oleai Elementary School, Oleai Head Start, Marianas High School, Susupe Early Head Start, Garapan Elementary School, Tanapag Middle School and Tanapag Head Start/Early Head Start.
The three private schools that will join the drill are Mount Carmel School, Saipan Community School and Saipan Seventh-day Adventist School.
Between 4,000 and 5,000 students and staff are expected to participate in the tsunami drill which will be held in partnership with the Department of Public Safety, CNMI Homeland Security, the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp, among other agencies.
Evacuation routes
Evacuation routes have been identified in the event of a big earthquake that can trigger a tsunami warning.
The evacuation routes or safe zones are:
• For WSR Elementary School, it will be the Office of the Saipan Mayor’s As Perdido Animal Shelter;
• For Chalan Kanoa Head Start/Early Head Start — Corner Stone Church;
• Oleai Elementary School — Northern Marianas College;
• Oleai Head Start — YCO Do It Best Hardware;
• Marianas High School — NMC
• Susupe Early Head Start — YCO Do It Best Hardware
• Garapan Elementary School — Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation new parking lot;
• Tanapag Middle School — Camacho residence compound;
• Tanapag Head Start/Early Head Start — Camacho residence compound;
• Mount Carmel School — the former Ladera International School of Saipan;
• Saipan Community School — Saipan World Resort; and
• Saipan Seventh-day Adventist School — NMC
Half-day
PSS said all students will return to their respective schools following the drill on Tuesday. Parents and guardians can pick up their children at their respective schools.
The dismissal time for WSR Elementary School, Oleai Elementary School and Garapan Elementary School will be 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
For Chalan Kanoa Head Start/Early Head Start, Oleai Head Start, Susupe Early Head Start, and Tanapag Head Start/Early Head Start, the dismissal time is at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday.
Tanapag Middle School and Marianas High School students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m.
PSS buses and vans will also drop off students at designated bus stops following the drill.
“Again, in the event that we have a drill, [parents and guardians,] please don’t go to the schools,” Commissioner Ada said. “Go instead to the designated evacuation sites or the safe zones.”
On May 10, 2022, three Saipan schools held a primary tsunami drill. They were Francisco M. Sablan Middle School in San Antonio, Hopwood Middle School, and Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School.
On Aug. 22, 2022, the first day of the new school year, FMS Middle School held a surprise primary tsunami drill for its students.
It was in 2013 when PSS designed a comprehensive emergency disaster and recovery plan, including a tsunami response plan, in partnership with CNMI government agencies.
In February of that year, an 8.0-magnitude undersea earthquake struck the Solomon Islands and generated a destructive tsunami that affected about 1,000 households across 25 communities. There were 11 deaths, mostly children and the elderly.
During a tsunami drill on May 10, 2022, Hopwood Middle School students are safely escorted out of their campus to an evacuation safe zone in As Perdido. On Tuesday, Sept. 13, 12 schools will stage a simultaneous tsunami drill.
