The first national drill of 2026 already has a confirmed date: it will take place on Wednesday, May 6 at 11:00 a.m., Central Mexico time, with expected participation in the 32 states of the country.
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The Government of Mexico, through the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection and the National Coordination of Civil Protection, has called for this exercise as part of its strategy to strengthen the culture of prevention and measure the reaction capacity of brigades and internal units in emergencies. This event is also part of this year’s drill calendar, which includes a second national drill on September 19, as well as a regional earthquake exercise already held on February 18 in Mexico City and the State of Mexico.
How to register properties
The official call invites public and private institutions throughout the country to register their properties no later than May 5. It also specifies that the drill scenario may vary depending on the federal entity and the type of risk identified in each property, since not all regions of the country are exposed to earthquakes.
To register a property and participate, the procedure must be done on the national registration platform. There, it is necessary to select the federal entity, enter the property data, and complete the procedure before the deadline, set for May 5 at 11:59 p.m. The site also enables a specific tracking section to check the status of the procedure. Registration allows Civil Protection to know how many spaces join the exercise, better plan the deployment, and evaluate the response capacity in different urban and rural contexts.
How the earthquake alert system works
The drill will also serve to test the mass alert system, particularly the activation of emergency messages and sounds on cell phones, speakers, and other broadcast channels. The event is linked to the commemorative activities for the four decades of the National Civil Protection System, created on May 6, 1986, as an institutional response to seismic risk after the earthquake of September 19, 1985.
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Participate this May 6 at 11:00 a.m. in the First National Drill 2026 for earthquake. 📣🏠
It is vital that we practice our emergency plans at home, school, or work.
🔗 Don’t forget to register your property: https://t.co/0hItTxC7Bp pic.twitter.com/U4xSZpksUw— Government of Mexico City (@GobCDMX) April 20, 2026
The alert is expected to be activated on speakers, broadcasting systems, monitoring applications, and mobile devices through SMS and cell broadcast-type messaging technologies, which do not depend on mobile data. During the exercise, users will receive a sound notification on their phones accompanied by a text clearly identified as a drill, aiming to avoid confusion and panic among the population.
The last regional drill set a precedent regarding reaction times that authorities seek to improve. On that day, 8.2 million people evacuated in an average of one minute and 50 seconds, according to the capital government.
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