Exit strategy

NATURAL and man-made disasters are an inevitability.

 

They can occur anywhere and at times with little or no warning. With most natural disasters, we have found a way to buy ourselves some time, particularly as it relates to storms and hurricanes.

 

When it comes to earthquakes and tsunamis, things are a bit more unpredictable, particularly for us in this region. Right now New Zealand is reeling from a massive earthquake and tremors which triggered a tsunami. So how should such a small island prepare?

 

Over the weekend the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) hosted a community tsunami awareness exercise in the north of the island, which in this writer’s view should be replicated across the island to truly ensure that the response times of Barbadians are rapid.

 

However, it became blatantly clear that sounding the alarm for a possible near shore tsunami is not an easy task. For this reason, we need persons to pay attention to the natural warning signs and know what to do and where to go before the generated waves come inland.

 

We should also encourage public address systems in all workplaces, and where possible ensure that a radio is playing throughout the day, or if only in the waiting area or a secretary’s desk if an office-wide system might be too disruptive.

 

Additionally, with almost every Barbadian owning a cell phone, sometimes two or three, we must also make a more formal arrangement with our cell phone providers, to ensure that mass messages can be sent out so that persons can be notified about a disaster within minutes or even seconds.

 

One of the officials from the DEM pointed out that many persons hold the view Barbados is flat and it is impossible to outrun a tsunami. This might be in a sense true, but what would be the alternative? Standing up in awe and waiting for the wave to hit? Wouldn’t it be better to know that with a few minutes warning, you may actually get some metres inland or reach higher ground.

 

An important outcome of the tsunami exercise was that those residents who took part, were able to show the District Emergency officials some alternate routes that would facilitate a more rapid exit. Panicking at this time would only make a bad situation worse.

 

It was also pointed out that fitness plays an important role in this equation. While the first instinct would be to sprint and try to beat Usain Bolt’s world record, at the same time that can only get you so far. It is virtually impossible to sprint up an incline or a hill for any long period of time. This is yet another good reason why we should all pay attention to our fitness levels, which medical officials say leave a lot to be desired.

 

While able-bodied persons will have a good chance of making a run for it, we must not forget the vulnerable persons in our society. This is where our community spirit needs to be improved, where we get to know the elderly, the physically challenged and even the parents with small children who may need a helping hand during a disaster.

 

At the end of the day, it would be a mistake to scoff at or to ignore the public service announcements about the natural warning signs, and it would be an even bigger mistake not to map out an exit strategy with an alternate route, in the event that one day this preparation will be called into action. What do we have to lose?