Plans are in high gear for the staging of a major earthquake simulation exercise in St. Ann on Wednesday.

It is part of islandwide activities by the Office of Disaster Prepared-ness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) to encourage greater preparedness for earthquakes.

St. Ann Parish Disaster Co-ordinator, Alvin Clarke, told the Jamaica Information Service that earthquake drills would be carried out across the parish, but the major simulation exercise would be held at the Brown's Town Community College's Wesley campus in St. Ann's Bay.

"The purpose of the exercise is to allow the agencies and the general public to heighten their awareness of earthquake manage-ment and also to improve coordination and cooperation between agencies in the whole effectiveness of triaging, rescuing and incident management," he said.

Mr. Clarke said agencies and organisations of the St. Ann Parish Disaster Committee were playing their part in the planning of the exercise, noting that the idea is to "have agencies and voluntary organisations as well as members of the St. Ann's Bay community come together to respond to this major incident".

He said after the simulation exercise on the Wesley Campus, the team will proceed to Jonas Rhyner to do triaging and further to the St. Ann's Bay Hospital

Mr. Clarke is appealing to citizens to participate in the event.