We often have cause to criticise the powers that be for taking a reactive, rather than proactive, approach to dangerous situations.

It seems standard that there has to be a catastrophe for a pothole to be filled, a traffic signal to be fixed and proper emergency measures to be put in place.

So, the persons at the Portmore Municipal Council who organised the recent earthquake drill at the Portmore Town Centre must be congratulated.

A report in Saturday's STAR said the drill, done in collaboration with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, fire service and Red Cross, was successful. Not only did it go smoothly, but the shop tenants and their customers were also able to indicate where mistakes were made and where the procedure could be improved.

There was a recommendation from the fire brigade that a passage was needed to access a particular area of the third floor.

This is what we need more of - preparing for potential disasters before they happen. Being prepared is the difference between life and death when disaster strikes, because reaction time is everything.

Now, the question is, how many other drills of this sort are being done? What procedures are in place for the high-rise structures in New Kingston, for example, should there be an earthquake or a fire? Are the current tenants and regular users up to date with emergency procedures, which might have been put in place some time ago?

Even as we extend our congratulations to the Portmore Town Centre earthquake drill, it shows us that a lot more could be done in other areas.