Puerto Rico's Secretary of Education, Eliezer Ramos Parés, and Public Security Commissioner César González Cordero announced a new emergency preparedness training program that will reach approximately 22,136 teaching and non-teaching employees across the seven educational regions. The initiative is part of the ongoing prevention agenda run by the Office of the Commissioner of Security throughout the school year, which includes scheduled drills, simulations, and reviews of schools' operational security plans.
The training will affect emergency protocols at 856 facilities, including schools and other Education Department (DEPR) dependencies, and aims to ensure staff—including newly hired employees—know how to respond appropriately in emergencies. Ramos Parés said student and employee safety requires constant preparation and that new staff continually join schools, making it essential everyone understands their responsibilities.
The in-person trainings will cover emergency management, the Incident Command System (ICS), risk identification, CPR and first aid, defibrillator use, scene stabilization, search and rescue, victim triage using the START method, and evacuation procedures. Sessions will also review schools' emergency operational plans and include practical exercises and drills to apply the knowledge gained.