A year has already passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. We extend our sympathies once again to those affected. Lately, research and news reports have circulated suggesting a 70 percent chance of a magnitude-7-class earthquake directly under the capital within four years, with shaking reaching intensity 7 in Tokyo. Department stores and supermarkets reportedly continue to sell disaster-preparedness goods in huge volumes. There is no substitute for preparing for a major quake.
Palaceside Building held a disaster-response drill on the 13th, simulating a major earthquake with building personnel. At the signal of an earthquake, the building declared an emergency disaster deployment, and participants worked with unusually serious expressions on emergency inspections of facilities, establishing a response headquarters, communications using business radios on the assumption that internal and mobile phones would be unusable, emergency repairs, rescue drills for the injured, and checks of stored emergency food and blankets.
At a review meeting afterward, participants shared points that fell short during the drill and areas for improvement, resolving to strengthen disaster preparedness further.