The evacuated employees and tenants gather according to their floor in Benpres to facilitate the headcount

Benpres Building employees and occupants took part in the Metro Manila Shake Drill spearheaded by the Metro Manila Development Authority on July 30, 2015.

A siren signaled the start of the exercise at 10:30 a.m. and all the lights were turned off.

The employees performed the Drop-Cover-Hold position for 45 seconds and once the siren stopped, evacuation followed. Guided by evacuation marshals, they then calmly proceeded to the open basketball court in the parking area via the emergency exits.

The safety officer of each office conducted a headcount, after which a “sweeper” checked that the building had been completely evacuated. The head of the evacuation team reported to the incident commander (IC) that all the employees were accounted for.

After 30 minutes, First Philippine Realty Corporation president Oscar R. Lopez Jr., the IC, announced that it was safe to reenter the building. The tenants returned to their offices per floor.

Meanwhile, members of the Benpres Building Council Incident Command System (ICS) and QESH participated in the night drill held on Exchange Road, where a simulated fire rescue operation took place. The ICS team successfully retrieved several employees trapped in the elevator.

About 300 people, including first responders, fire fighters and “casualties,” took part in the nighttime exercise.

Incident commander Oscar R. Lopez Jr. (left) and deputy Rico de Manzana (with megaphone)

The medical unit stands by for “casualties”

A staged car crash on Exchange Road