Training begins for future members of the National Network of Structural Evaluators Pre and Post Seismic Event (REED)
SANTO DOMINGO. - The National Office for Seismic Assessment and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (ONESVIE) started the first round of training for the National Network of Dominican Structural Evaluators (REED) pre and post seismic event.
The diploma in Evaluation of Existing Buildings, which began on March 17 at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), will last 12 weeks and is part of the recently signed agreement between the National Emergency Commission (CNE) of the National Council for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Response, el Project to Strengthen Disaster Risk Management in the Dominican Republic (PROGERI-RD) and the university, managed by the Environmental Management Center (CEGA-INTEC), attached to the Area of Basic and Environmental Sciences of INTEC.
In this diploma course, financed by the European Union, 50 professionals will be certified, from various public and private institutions in the country, in structural issues of infrastructures, buildings, vital lines and in the implementation and use of the electronic tool for the evaluation of seismic vulnerability "Program of Recognition, Evaluation and Estimation of the Risk (PRESENT)”.
Alliet Ortega, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance at INTEC, introduced the act noting the importance of the agreement designed to develop proactive actions against possible risks at the national level. "Disaster risk management is essential for any country and organization, which is why it has to be managed comprehensively, and universities play a fundamental role."
He stated that, through CEGA-INTEC, the institution continues to work with comprehensive risk and disaster management, an initiative of high strategic interest for this house of studies.
Leonardo Reyes Madera, general director of ONESVIE, recognized the relevance of preventive actions in emergency disaster situations: “Until now, we have turned our backs on taking on the challenge as professionals and we have been reactive. But we are aware that this type of training, which is beginning for the first time in the country, will allow us to have professionals with the necessary training and sensitivity to assess the vulnerabilities of different types of buildings, infrastructures, and vital lines," he stated. .
La coordinator of the PROGERI-RD Project y representative of the European Union Fund, Yanelba Abreu, valued the collaborating institutions of the event and the participants of the training that will make up the REED. "We appreciate the willingness and willingness of all the institutions to participate in this first Diploma of Evaluation of Existing Buildings. This shows us that there is a need, a will and a desire that we can have more capacities in this important issue in our country”.
Furthermore, the Legal Adviser of the National Emergency Commission (CNE), David Ruiz, considered the National Comprehensive Risk Management Plan as the main instrument for comprehensive disaster risk management in the country. "This has a large update deficit and, in a process of relaunching the National Emergency Commission, the national disaster prevention, mitigation and response system will be strengthened and consolidated," he announced.
REED is conceived as a system capable of managing professionals certified by ONESVIE to carry out physical vulnerability studies of buildings, infrastructures and vital lines, at different levels of detail: before, during and after an event.
The theoretical-practical training of the diploma in Evaluation of Existing Buildings will be on topics related to pre and post seismic event evaluation, with the aim of strengthening their knowledge on the subject. At the end of the training days, field practices will be carried out in the pilot municipalities, Santo Domingo and Santiago de Los Caballeros.
With the results of the field practices, the creation of structural risk maps is contemplated, an activity coordinated by the Department of Compilation of Geospatial Information of ONESVIE.
Those who reach the minimum qualification required and established by a committee of examiners will receive a certificate from the coordinators that will accredit them as REED evaluators.
Also present during the opening ceremony were the coordinator of the Environmental Management Center (CEGA), Elena Del Conte, and Jeanette Chaljub, Level Coordinator of the Basic and Environmental Sciences Area.