On Saturday, an earthquake emergency drill will take place in Torrevieja to carry out an exercise aimed at testing the communications network that would be used in the event of such a catastrophic situation, once the usual systems have been lost.

Javier Manzanares, the councillor for security, gave brief details of the practise at a press conference on Thursday at which he was joined by the Deputy Coordinator of the Emergency Radio Network (REMER), Raul Berrocal and the Deputy for Civil Protection, Estela Prieto.

Manzanares explained that this simulation will take place “within the framework of collaboration that has been developing in recent months between the local Civil Protection group and REMER.

“Our volunteers are being trained in communications, in the use of emergency communication networks and in the management of radio transmitters. Now it is necessary to go one step further and put into practice all that has been learned, “he said.

The exercise will get underway at 8am on Saturday morning when REMER will request the support of the local Civil Protection group. Two members of REMER and the Civil Protection deputy head will move to the Town Hall where they will install a radio, two transceivers and two antennas specific to the exercise. Shortly afterwards all the volunteers will be deployed for the earthquake simulation, during which they must be able to communicate with the town hall and a relay station to be installed in Alto de la Casilla.

The simulation will involve several vehicles and about 30 volunteers from the local Civil Protection group and members of REMER.