|
|
|
 |
|
Emergency resilience enhancement programme officially launched
7/3/2012
…for Holetown/Sunset Crest area
A TWELVE MONTH pilot project has been launched to improve the overall emergency response mechanisms with direct results in Sunset Crest/Holetown and to recover and reduce the cost of a number of hazards.
The Holetown Sunset Crest Emergency Resilience Enhancement programme was officially launched by the St. James Central District Emergency Organisation and the Holetown Strategic Emergency Planning Committee at the Beach House in St. James.
The programme is intended to provide a framework in which the Holetown Strategic Emergency Planning Committee, in collaboration with the St. James Central District Emergency Organisation and national stakeholders can co-ordinate initiatives necessary to enhance the emergency resilience to this vulnerable part of the west coast.
According to Chairman of the St. James Central DEO Selwyn Brooks, “The overall strategy of the programme is to outline specific approaches and practices which will allow residents, business and private sectors within the boundaries of the programme to enhance their individual emergency planning initiatives, therefore increasing their potential to adequately respond to a number of hazards”.
“This programme will be a 12 month pilot project allowing for continuous approaches, be it preventative and mitigative initiatives, educational forums, simulations, establishing and testing plans”.
Brooks reminded the stakeholders in attendance of the significant inconvenience and financial losses experienced during the passing of the most recent tropical Storm Tomas in 2010.
“Directly following that impact there was a heightened awareness of what emergency planning procedures and initiatives were needed to be established, but as time passed, several persons have fallen back into their perceived safe havens and unacceptable levels of complacency”.
“To continue to assume and practice current levels of complacency will one day catch us napping, some will not wake up from their slumber, while some will remain dazed for unacceptable periods of time with catastrophic consequences to themselves and their business”.
The Chairman also revealed that a continuous risk assessment to several hazards which can impact the area was conducted leading up to the launch of this project and a number of vulnerabilities, which have been brought to the attention of our major stakeholders have been identified.
“If the financial potential and the contribution this west coast contributes to our island’s stability are to remain viable, we see this programme as another effort by the Holetown Strategic Emergency Planning Committee and the St. James Central DEO to work with all, stakeholder agencies and emergency resources to enhance the emergency resilience of this area,” he said. (JH)
Email
us your comments. | Top
|
|
|
|
|
