Exercise Pacific Wave 06

Exercise Pacific Wave ‘06, 16-17 May 2006 was the first Pacific-wide tsunami warning test ever conducted. Its foremost goal was to evaluate communication links for message dissemination. The Exercise provided scenarios for countries to chose from, to decide how they would test their systems’ responsiveness in the case of a trans-Pacific tsunami. At the national levels, Tsunami Warning Focal Points were encouraged to work with local authorities and other responsible agencies, and the public, if they desired. Of the forty countries involved in the exercise, five of them chose to include the public to plan and perform evacuation drills. These were France (Papetee, Tahiti), United States (American Samoa), Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines (Albay Province).

For example, in the Philippines, the Albay Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (Albay-PDCC) oversaw evacuations of three barangay (local villages) in Albay Province, located in the southeast section of Luzon. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) issued the incoming ‘mock’ warning messages to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), who in turn contacted the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), which provides vital information on impending disasters to the local government units (LGUs) and regional OCD offices (RDCCs). The RDCCs relay information to the provincial (PDCC), then to the municipal or city (M/CDCC) and finally to the barangay (BDCC) for appropriate action.

Among those taking part in the exercise, were international observers, invited by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the IOC. The international observers were from Indonesia, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Because Albay Province has a high level of preparedness for frequent hurricanes and volcanic activity, it was selected as ready for a drill involving evacuation. Drill planning activities included developing local tsunami communication plans, deciding on evacuation routes, and developing community maps.

Exercise Documents