National Post-Drill Evaluation 2025: Tested Alert Systems, Diverse Citizen Participation

Following the First National Drill 2025 conducted at 11:30 AM CT, reports and analyses issued during the afternoon and evening of April 29 indicate adequate functioning of the alert systems, including the pilot test on cell phones, although citizen participation showed significant differences across the country.

The 2025 National Drill, based on a hypothesis of an 8.1 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter in the Gulf of Tehuantepec and a possible tsunami in the Pacific, tested the warning infrastructure and response protocols in all 32 states. Reports from the Command, Control, Computing, Communications, and Citizen Contact Center (C5) in Mexico City, published this afternoon, confirmed the activation and monitoring of thousands of loudspeakers.

In addition, the Cell Broadcast system was successfully tested in the capital, sending a text and audio message to millions of cell phones as part of efforts to diversify alert channels. However, post-exercise reports revealed uneven citizen participation. While public institutions and some urban areas demonstrated an orderly evacuation and adherence to protocols, preliminary reports indicated low participation in states like Oaxaca, where only public institutions reported significant adherence to the drill. This disparity underscores a persistent challenge: even if alerting technology works properly, its true effectiveness in an emergency depends on the population's preparation and consistent practice.

The evaluation suggests the need to strengthen awareness campaigns and adapt civic participation promotion strategies in future civil protection activities.

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