18/11/2016
Over 800 residents of the communities of Mariana and Barra Longa participated in the simulated exercises about procedures to be adopted in case of dam failure. The drills were held on 08 and 09 November, organized by the Civil Defense, and had the support of Samarco and Fundação Renova.
The drills started at 5 pm in ten localities. Upon hearing the siren, the residents started heading towards the meeting points previously defined and marked in each community, duly accompanied by the community leaders responsible for checking if all people had left their homes safely. At each meeting point, multidisciplinary teams, formed by members of various entities which are part of the State System of Civil Defense and Protection, awaited the residents to provide emergency care, simulating a real situation.
In all, 58 people participated in the work teams in Mariana. In addition, 33 vehicles and a helicopter of the Air Patrol Battalion of the Military Police lent support to the activity. As for Barra Longa, there were 48 members and 28 vehicles involved, including the helicopter, in the drill.
These actions are part of the Dam Emergency Action Plan, and were coordinated by the Civil Defense with the support of Samarco and Fundação Renova. In Mariana, the drill was held in Camargos, Ponte do Gama, Paracatu de Baixo, Paracatu de Cima, Pedras, Borba and Campinas, involving some 300 people. In Barra Longa, about 500 people participated in the activity at the county seat and in the districts of Gesteira and Barretos. The time between evacuation and arrival at the meeting points was from 15 minutes to an hour, sufficient time to reach safety in a real emergency situation.
