The national coordinator of Civil Protection, Laura Velázquez Alzúa, announced that a pilot test will be carried out in the Valley of Mexico to send a seismic alert message to millions of mobile devices. This message will have the legend 'This is a drill' and a distinctive sound. It is estimated that at least 5 million phones will receive this message, placing Mexico as the second country in America to have a centralized system of this kind.
The government reported that, when the corresponding alert sounds throughout the Mexican capital, an emergency will be activated in the Metro. For three minutes, trains in operation will stop to allow staff to carry out safety checks. The objective of this trial is to improve the Civil Protection culture among users of the Mexico City Metro and strengthen the response capacity in emergencies within this public transport.
The companies Altan Redes, Telefónica, Telcel, and AT&T will collaborate in sending the alert. Authorities emphasize the importance of actively participating in the drill and following instructions correctly. Furthermore, citizens are invited to register their properties on the digital platform to improve emergency plans.
The national drill of 2025 commemorates the 40th anniversary of the 1985 earthquake and its main objective is to strengthen the prevention culture and measure the response capacity in emergencies. The exercise will take place in Mexico City and several states of the country on Tuesday, April 29, at 11:30 in the morning. During the drill in the CDMX Metro, a special security protocol will be applied and brigades will coordinate the withdrawal of users and the inspection of facilities.
The hypothesis of the drill is an earthquake of magnitude 8.1 with an epicenter in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, primarily affecting the central and southern areas of the country. It is essential for Metro users to be aware of safety recommendations, such as staying calm, following staff instructions, and taking shelter in case of a real emergency.
