IPN Joins 1st National Drill 2026

Reporter: Zenaida Alzaga / Photographers: Jorge Aguilar and Javier González

The IPN community in Mexico City and other states where the “Guinda y Blanco” institution is present participated in the government-led drill The Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) took part in the First National Drill 2026, convened by Mexico’s National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC), with the aim of strengthening civil protection mechanisms and safeguarding public safety.

At exactly 11:00 hours (Central Mexico Time), seismic alerts were activated through loudspeakers across different areas of the capital, while mobile devices also received an alert simulating a magnitude 8.2 earthquake on the Richter scale. The hypothetical epicenter was located in the Guerrero Seismic Gap, 55 kilometers northwest and 18 kilometers deep near Acapulco, Guerrero.

Following the activation of the alert systems in IPN facilities, personnel at the General Directorate building—as well as other areas such as the General Secretariat, Public Relations, and Institutional Image Coordination—followed Civil Protection Unit protocols. These included first taking shelter in place and then evacuating to designated safe zones. The building was fully evacuated in four minutes, with the participation of 163 people.

The Secretary General of the IPN, Ismael Jaidar Monter, noted that 41 years after the 1985 earthquake that struck Mexico City, there remains a strong national commitment to reinforcing prevention culture and preparedness for emergencies of this nature.

He added that IPN continues to implement training programs for staff in civil protection, search, and rescue techniques to ensure the community is prepared in the event of a seismic emergency.

He also emphasized that earthquake drills are not exclusive to Mexico City but are conducted nationwide to help safeguard the population’s physical safety.