SHILLONG, APR 24: The Directorate of Civil Defence & Home Guards, Meghalaya, Shillong, conducted a statewide mock exercise on air raid and blackout titled “ARMEX-I 2026” across all districts on Friday.

The exercise was carried out in two stages, covering emergency response simulations and blackout procedures.

Stage I focused on simulations of “search and rescue operations, fire response, evacuation, and medical response,” according to the directorate. It was conducted from 3pm to 4pm.

“The Civil Defence siren was sounded at 3:00 PM in all districts to signal the commencement of the exercise and simulate an air raid,” the directorate said.

“At 4:00 PM, the siren was sounded again to indicate the ‘All Clear’ signal and the conclusion of Stage I.” Following the completion of Stage I, “a debriefing session was conducted with inputs from all districts,” it added.

Stage II focused on “air raid sirens and a blackout simulation” and was held from 6:59 PM to 7:02 PM. “At 7:00 PM, the Civil Defence siren was sounded to signal an air raid and the commencement of the blackout,” the directorate said.

“The blackout lasted for two minutes and concluded at 7:02 PM with the sounding of the ‘All Clear’ siren, marking the end of the exercise.”

The mock drill was conducted simultaneously in all districts of the state to assess preparedness and coordination of civil defence mechanisms.