Civil Defence Mock Drills were conducted across the country today. The exercise was aimed at assessing the operational efficacy and coordination of various Civil Defence measures. In Nagaland, the drill was carried out across the 10 designated Civil Defence Districts of Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha, Zunheboto, Mon, Phek, Tuensang, Kiphire and Peren. Sirens were blared for two minutes from 6:30 PM. The sirens were immediately followed by a “Black-Out” for five minutes.
As part of this nationwide initiative, Nagaland held a series of coordinated drills in various locations to simulate emergency scenarios, improve preparedness, and sensitize the public.
Kohima: Kohima district participated in a coordinated air raid precaution drill aimed at enhancing disaster preparedness and public awareness. The exercise was led by Deputy Commissioner Kohima, B. Henok Buchem, NCS, and Superintendent of Police Kohima, Teisovise Metha, NPS.
The mock exercise commenced with the first siren at 4:30 PM, signalling the start of various simulated emergency activities. The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) sounded the air raid siren from the IPR Directorate at 6:30 PM, followed by a brief two-minute “Black-Out” exercise involving a temporary power shutdown.
Designated locations in Kohima were prepared for the drill: the Capital Convention Centre served as the staging area; a temporary hospital was set up at the Directorate of Social Welfare; a demilitarized zone was established at the Directorate of Higher Education; and the NPSC Office was marked as the air raid-affected area.
Officials reported that the exercise was conducted smoothly and received positive cooperation from all participants.
Wokha: The staging area and incident site was the SP Office, New Complex, Wokha. The incident simulated a search and rescue operation in response to structural damage caused by fire.
During the exercise, SDRF, Home Guards and Civil Defence, and Fire & Emergency Services personnel demonstrated how to administer first aid and evacuate casualties and injured persons during emergencies. The Department of Health and Family Welfare assisted by providing first-aid services.
The entire exercise was conducted under the supervision of the district administration, Wokha District Disaster Management Authority, and other line departments.
Phek: A sequence of mock drill activities simulating an air strike attack from external forces was conducted at Phek on 7th May 2025. The alert siren was sounded at 4:00 PM from the DC office building’s top tower. The exercise was conducted under the District Level Incident Response System.
Deputy Commissioner Phek, Rhosietho Nguori, served as the Responsible Officer, while the District Commandant, Home Guards, Civil Defence & SDRF was the Operational Section Chief. The exercise was successfully concluded with the sounding of the final alert siren.
Mon: The scenario began with a siren alert at 4:00 PM simulating an air raid. The District Commandant’s office (Home Guards, Civil Defence & SDRF) was designated as the incident site and was reported to be on fire. Upon receiving the report, the SDRF team responded promptly to vulnerable sites and retrieved two dead bodies, two seriously injured persons, two with moderate injuries, and four wounded individuals.
The “Black-Out” siren was sounded at 6:30 PM by the DDMA, followed by a two-minute power shutdown.
Tuensang: The incident site was located at the old DC Office building and a nearby petrol pump. The Parade Ground served as the staging area with designated zones for the Incident Command Post, search and rescue operations, a makeshift hospital, morgue, and relief camp. Active participation came from the district administration, SDRF, Fire and Emergency Services, DEF, CMO, 29 Assam Rifles, and DPRO Tuensang. A two-minute blackout was observed at 6:30 PM.
During the debriefing session, DC Tuensang Lithrongla Tongpi Rutsa thanked all participants for their timely actions. SP Tuensang Longpoksang Lemtur emphasized the importance of following procedures during real incidents. Lt. Col. Harsh Jain of 29 Assam Rifles, who served as the observer, commended all teams and emphasized learning from the exercise to avoid mistakes in real emergencies.
Dimapur: The DC Office Complex was designated as the staging area and demilitarized zone, while the DRDA office served as the affected site. A temporary hospital and mobile medical aid centre were set up at the Urban Primary Health Centre, and the emergency communication centre was activated with assistance from the OC Police Radio.
The DDMA, supported by the DPRO and Fire & Emergency Services, activated the town-wide siren using the Mayor Brigade vehicle. Ten volunteers acted as air raid victims and were rescued by Home Guards, Civil Defence, and SDRF personnel. Seven had minor injuries; three had major injuries. The victims included three females and seven males.
A power blackout was simulated by the Executive Engineer of the Power Department. Firefighting demonstrations were carried out near the DRDA office.
Deputy Commissioner Tinojongshi Chang appreciated all departments and volunteers for their coordination and underlined the importance of such exercises for public awareness and preparedness.
Heads of various departments attended the briefing and actively participated in their assigned roles.
Peren: The exercise simulated an air raid affecting several buildings in the district headquarters, including the DC’s Office, resulting in fire and building collapse.
The drill began with the emergency siren sounded by Fire & Emergency Services at 4:05 PM, followed by the activation of the Incident Response System (IRS) and a briefing by the Responsible Officer. A search and rescue team, consisting of personnel from DEF Peren, Fire & Emergency Services, and Home Guards & Civil Defence, was dispatched.
The scenario reported two deaths (both males), five seriously injured (all males), and three rescued (one male, two females).
A debriefing was held at the DEOC where DC Peren, also the Responsible Officer, appreciated the coordinated efforts and encouraged continued readiness. Observer Major Pranav P. Subramanian praised the inter-departmental coordination and emphasized maintaining the same spirit to minimize casualties in real incidents.
Zunheboto: The drill saw active participation from all concerned departments under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Zunheboto, Dharam Raj (IAS).
Mokokchung: The exercise aimed to help both authorities and the public better understand their roles and responsibilities during emergency situations.