Palaceside Building held an "earthquake response drill" this morning, the 6th, from 10:00. Based at the 5th-floor Mainichi Building office, 1st-floor disaster center, and B6 central monitoring room, the drill covered the entire building. About 50 people joined — Mainichi Building staff plus contracted security, facilities management, and cleaning — for 45 minutes.
At exactly 10:00, with a loud "Training earthquake!!" as the signal, the drill began on the scenario of a quake of lower 6 intensity. A building-wide blackout occurs, but power switches automatically to emergency generators — simulated in the drill, with manual switchover also checked.
By 10:02, as shaking subsided, personnel reports came in from each section and the "earthquake countermeasures headquarters" headed by the president was formed. First order: shut off gas. Facilities staff immediately went on inspection per manual and that day's commands. Sales staff checked tenant safety on each floor and the parking area.
Then simulated incidents from 10:05–10:30: escalator emergency stop with injury; fire alarm on B1 retail; three people trapped in Elevator 16; shelf collapse with injury on 1F retail; shaft leak in B mechanical room; parking monitor falling; 1F tenant fire alarm and extinguisher use — trainers kept creating scenarios.
Calls poured into headquarters from the disaster center and central monitoring with urgent reports and requests for decisions — 45 minutes without a breather.
From 11:00 after completion, a full review meeting; from 1:00 p.m., headquarters staff met to confirm issues for next month's drill and update the manual.
We repeat drills again and again. "What you cannot do in training you cannot do in the real thing" is our boast about Palaceside Building disaster drills.