Shillong, April 25: The Directorate of Civil Defence & Home Guards in Meghalaya carried out a statewide mock exercise titled “ARMEX-I 2026” on April 24, covering all districts to evaluate emergency preparedness and coordination among response agencies.
The exercise was conducted in two phases, focusing on both operational readiness and public alert mechanisms. In the first phase, held between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm, authorities simulated emergency situations such as search and rescue operations, firefighting, evacuation procedures, and medical response.
Civil Defence sirens were activated at 3:00 pm across districts to signal a mock air raid, followed by an “All Clear” alert at 4:00 pm marking the conclusion of the phase. A debriefing session was later held, where officials reviewed the exercise and gathered feedback from district-level teams.
The second phase involved a controlled blackout drill aimed at testing public compliance and system coordination. Sirens sounded at 7:00 pm to indicate a simulated air raid, prompting a two-minute blackout from 6:59 pm to 7:02 pm. The exercise concluded with an “All Clear” siren, signalling the return to normal conditions.
Officials said the initiative was designed to assess preparedness levels, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and enhance public awareness of emergency protocols.
