As we approach the brunt of the hurricane season, the Dept. of Disaster Preparedness is urging all and sundry to be prepared for the onslaught of any upheavals in weather conditions this year. By now, we would have well learnt our lessons from the notorious Hurricane Irma.
One organization that is surely preparing for such eventualities is the Seventh-day Adventist disaster response team, ADRA. This worldwide church auxiliary is focused on serving communities in response to the effects of both natural and man-made calamities.
Another organization that is sensitive to the need for ample preparation is the Anguilla Red Cross. Its services, like ADRA’s come into demand when disaster strikes and it provides not only relief services but also on-the-spot care services during and after disasters.
On Tuesday, July 31, local ADRA and Anguilla Red Cross members were participants in a day-long session of training at the National Emergency Operations Center in The Valley, where the focus was on Shelter Management. A total of some fifty attendees benefited from this session. Also participating were personnel from the Royal Anguilla Police Force and the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Services. The prime facilitator was Ms. Susan Hodge, Programme Officer in the Department of Disaster Management.
With the focus of the training on shelter management, it was emphasized that the Government of Anguilla is committed to minimizing the loss of life, suffering, damage and disruption caused by hazardous events. To this end, the Government of Anguilla has agreed to a National Comprehensive Disaster Management strategy that is co-ordinated by the National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC) and the Department of Disaster Management (DDM).
The National Comprehensive Disaster Management strategy includes provisions for a National Emergency Shelter Programme which offers shelter protection for members of the public when hazards threaten. The strategy also provides temporary shelter for displaced persons, should this become necessary in the aftermath of the hazard’s impact.
Among the objectives of Tuesday’s training session, was the aim to cover the major aspects of shelter management. Exposure to certain knowledge and skills were provided so that the trainees would be equipped to perform their required duties at designated shelters.
The trainees were instructed with regard their responsibilities that relate to each of their positions within the shelter during and following a disaster. They were also given insight as to how each of their positions at the shelters interrelate to form a cohesive team for the delivery of safe and secure public accommodations in the shelters.
In evaluating the training session, Ms. Hodge reported that the participants were extremely receptive and responsive to the information they received. She said the atmosphere was one where the trainees were eager to learn more with regard to their responsibilities and duties at the disaster shelters.
Since the passage of Hurricane Irma, designated shelters for the 2018 hurricane season are: the Mount Fortune Seventh-day Adventist Church in East End; the First Baptist Church Pre-School in Welches; the Methodist Manse in Sachassess; the Zion Methodist Church in North Hill; and the Bethel Church Hall in South Hill.
For further information on shelters or any other aspect of disaster preparedness, Ms. Susan Hodge may be contacted at the Department of Disaster Management at 497-2926.
