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Today though, NEMO put St. Ignatius Primary School in Belize City through a fire drill to see how well they execute under pressure. Monica Bodden found out how they mobilized a school of 800 students:..

Monica Bodden reporting
As the clock struck 11:20 this morning - the PA system at St Ignatius's Primary School went off - alerting the entire school of a fire.

The teachers assembled their students in lines of twos and then quickly processed to evacuate.

Over 8 hundred students exited the school compound through this one front exit. The school wardens stopped the traffic - so the students could cross the street to safer grounds.

Everything seemed structured and in place and it was all done in just minutes - The fire department arrived on the scene a little under two minutes after the emergency call was made.

But there wasn't a real emergency at the primary school this morning - It was only a simulation put in place by NEMO to help the schools develop an emergency plan in case of a disaster.

Phillip Willoughby - Councilor, CEMO
"What we did hear today was to help the school develop an emergency plan - a disaster plan in case of a disaster and how well they evacuate from the school firstly. That was evaluated. The fire department showed up at 1 minute 24 seconds after the call went out. The last child exited the gate at 2 minutes 45 seconds. That's a pretty good for a huge school. One exit and its about 800 students along with teachers and you know that other parents and other persons were on the compound likewise. All of them had to be evacuated."

While councilor Willoughby stood and watch from the sidelines - when the simulation was over he commended the school for a job well done. But the councilor did admit that they were a few areas that were lacking in the emergency exercise- one of those was the police not showing up.

Phillip Willoughby - Councilor, CEMO
"I think it was pretty good, like I said 1 minute, 24 seconds after the call the fire department came out. Two areas that I think was lacking but the way modifications made on one of them firstly the police department didn't show up to help us. I know it's just a simulation exercise but nonetheless once the call goes out to the fire department it was supposed to transcend to the police department likewise, simulation or real time. Secondly, the council - I don't think we are tied into the national grid of response callers as first responders. I think we need to ensure that we are placed on that grid of communication once the call goes out. But because of the zoning initiative on behalf of the council now, an officer was in the area and was able to respond very quickly and that's another initiative on behalf of the council, not saying that we don't need to tie into the communication grid for the first responders. I think whilst that was a short coming because of what the council has implemented remedied that shortfall quite smoothly."

And there will be a timeframe put in place where all preschools, primary schools and secondary schools in the city must have an emergency plan in effect.

Phillip Willoughby - Councilor, CEMO
"There is a timeframe that all primary schools/kinder gardens/secondary schools must have an emergency plan - a disaster plan and how they evacuate. This is the third school that has been seeing this exercise thus far and we will continue to strategically move along with the other primary schools to ensure that they develop such set plan. This is all in an effort to keep up with the city's mandate in terms of improving the quality of life. If you would take note, that when these kids go home today, mommy, daddy we had a simulation exercise, do we have a plan home? Can we execute and exercise our simulation plan here?"

"For a real time event, you know that all these school have now the kitchens and so forth that is a potential threat and danger to all school and the kids who attend that school through the feeding program which is an excellent initiative, but there is the possibility that something might go wrong and we need to be prepared and again improving the quality of life. These exercises are very critical and crucial for us to implement and execute and I am more than honored and privilege to be here ensuring that it is done well and done properly."

NEMO will be doing simulations at other city schools.