During the Friday morning conference, the national coordinator of Civil Protection, Laura Velázquez Alzúa, announced the implementation of a second test of the seismic alert system on cell phones, as part of the first National Drill 2025, scheduled for next Tuesday, April 29 at 11:30 AM. This exercise aims to strengthen the population's preparedness for a possible earthquake and consolidate a mass alerting system that will position Mexico as the second country in America to have a centralized network of this kind.
The test, initially focused on the Valley of Mexico, will consist of sending a message to millions of mobile devices with the message 'This is a drill,' accompanied by a distinctive sound to familiarize citizens with the alert. 'This is a drill; that will appear on the cell phones of those of us in Mexico City, along with a sound that we will identify little by little,' explained Velázquez Alzúa. It is estimated that at least 5 million devices will receive the notification in this phase.
The announcement comes after a first test conducted on September 19, 2024, which was deemed unsuccessful due to technical problems that prevented the message from reaching all intended users.
The coordinator highlighted that, for this occasion, there has been intensive work in coordination with the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency, and more than 10 technical trials have been conducted with the main telecommunications concession companies: Altán Redes, Telefónica, Telcel, and AT&T.
The drill on April 29 will be based on a hypothetical earthquake of magnitude 8.1, with an epicenter in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, one of the most seismically active areas in the country. Additionally, it will include a simultaneous tsunami exercise in the Pacific Ocean, coordinated by the Navy Secretariat (SEMAR), with the aim of preparing coastal communities for such emergencies.
The seismic alert system will activate in 12 federal entities, using 14,491 speakers installed in strategic points, as well as radio and television signals. Velázquez Alzúa emphasized the importance of this technological advancement, which places Mexico as a pioneer in the region, second only to Chile, in the implementation of a centralized mass alert system.
The coordinator also called on citizens to actively participate in the drill, following evacuation instructions and checking the functionality of the alert on their devices.
