news_item_april05

NEWS ITEM

By Anthony Henry (Observer reporter) - 21 April 2005

While Nevis is not fully ready for a full scale disaster such as a major flood, hurricane or fire, the Director of the Nevis Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Mr. Lester Blackett, is doing all he can to prepare agencies and the general population of Nevis in the event of a disaster.

Mr. Blackett and his staff are working to ensure that the island is in a state of readiness by June 1st, the start of the hurricane season. Over the next two months, the NDMO and Public Works Department, will carry out inspections of 28 designated disaster shelters and assess their status as shelters, using established guidelines.

"We are working with the 2004 Shelter list and after the inspections we will know how many of them could still be used as shelters, or what modifications and maintenance works are required" said Blackett. "Those owners of privately owned shelters will be asked to do critical maintenance, if needed".

Mr. Blackett said that the Department is trying to enhance communication between the different Government and essential Non-Governmental agencies. "All of them need to be on the same page and to know what each other is doing".

The Department has requested that essential agencies including Health, Public Works Department, Fire Services, Police, Cable and Wireless, NEVLEC, and others submit Disaster Plans by 16th May. The Plans should detail the responsibility of each agency and their reactions to any disaster or significant emergency.

As part of a NEMA initiative, the NDMO will be benefiting from an improved communication system by the installation of VHF, microwave transmitters and receivers, in addition to repeater systems.

Climatologist, William Gray, for the 2005 hurricane season forecast, on Friday predicted 13 named tropical storms in the Atlantic, seven of which will become hurricanes, with three turning into major storms, with winds clocking speed in excess of 111 miles per hour.

Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) has issued a report saying that there will be an increase in hurricane activities in the region for this hurricane season.

The NDMO has held a number of workshops to sensitise agencies on various aspects of Disaster Management: Shelter Management and Initial Damage Assessment. Staff from the NDMO and other agencies has also attended Regional and International Conferences and Workshops.

On April 26-27, there will be a Disaster Management Workshop at the Nevis Red Cross Building, with the objective of revamping and updating the �Nevis Disaster Plan�, drafted in 1989. Additional workshops, seminars, courses, public awareness and education initiatives will also be held.

The Nevis Disaster Management Office, which is currently operating at the old Customs warehouse in Charlestown, will shortly be operating from new offices, courtesy of the US Southern Military Command (US Southcom).

The building will be at Long Point. According to Mr. Blackett, the building will house a warehouse, a training/conference room, a communications room, a library, an Emergency Operation Centre and administration offices, among others.

Construction of the building is likely to begin by July and should be completed by the year's end. Mr. Blackett said that US Southcom has been providing Nevis with in-kind assistance, augmenting its disaster supplies. "Recently the US Southcom donated stretchers, cots, tables, chairs, blankets and sleeping bags to use in the event of a disaster".

Currently, the Department is comprised of 4 staff members (an increase of three), but will require additional personnel and other resources to effectively coordinate the Island�s Preparedness, Mitigation, Response and Recovery, in the event of a disaster.

According to the financial Estimates 2005 adopted by the Nevis Island Administration, $141,000 was allocated in this year's budget to the NDMO, of which $27,500 is the operational budget (that is, excluding salaries and wages). Mr. Blackett indicated that arrangements need to be made to improve security at the current location as there were break-ins at the previous warehouse location, which cannot be facilitated by the current budget.