As Director of Barbados’ Department of Emergency Management, Judy Thomas exudes confidence when talking about its ability to respond to any crisis.
After all, she has headed the crisis response system for at least 25 years and knows the ins and outs of emergency planning and execution. So much so that she has developed or reviewed disaster management work programmes throughout the Caribbean, and she has received accolades for her work from regional and national agencies.
Stated simply, she is recognized as one of the region’s highly trained and experienced experts on emergency management.
That’s why when the National Association of Barbados Organizations (NABO), the umbrella body of Bajan groups in the United States, British and US Virgin Islands and Bermuda, wanted to advise the diaspora about the best way to respond to emergencies back home, they invited Thomas to address a one-day workshop at St Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, a Brooklyn parish headed by rural dean Eddie Alleyne.
“It’s part of our outreach activities and services to our members,” said Janice Bispham, who chairs NABO’s executive board.
Before explaining how her department functions, Thomas said it just didn’t respond to hurricanes and floods, but also dealt with a wide range of crises, such as extensive fires, major traffic accidents involving multiple fatalities and injuries, evacuations of people from disaster areas and air or sea tragedies, not to mention the collapse of occupied buildings.
“We perform a coordinating function working with the police, fire service, Ministry of Health and other Government departments and agencies. We stand ready to respond to events on a 24/7 basis,” she said.
She was clear about some things Barbadians abroad, who are eager to help in a crisis, should know. One of them is the sending of clothes.
“We have a policy that we aren’t taking any clothes. Clothes are not our business. They are labour intensive and we don’t have the personnel to sort and distribute clothes.”
That’s precisely what Barbadians at home did last year. “When we made the appeal for Haiti after the earthquake the response with clothes caused us a lot of horrors,” said Thomas.
Next is food. Although the DEM hasn’t ruled out food relief, she said they have put a “maybe” on foodstuff and medical supplies, depending on need.
“We have decided that in an emergency we must do our assessments properly first to determine needs. We want to ensure that what we request we really need,” she said. “It’s a dynamic process that can change based on what has been damaged. Food can be a priority area but we would first have to do surveys to determine the quantum. As for medical supplies, the Ministry of Health determines what’s needed and how Barbadians abroad can assist.”
In any case, she recommends overseas nationals remain in constant contact with diplomatic and consular missions to find out the specific needs.
What then is the priority? Money heads the list. Cash enables the system to respond in a relatively easy and flexible manner and allows the country to buy much needed goods and services very quickly, she said.
“People shouldn’t rush out and start sending or buying things after a disaster in Barbados,” Thomas insisted. “Hold onto your cash until you hear what’s required or what the Government would do with the money.”
Stringent rules enable the country to account for every penny. But emergency response wasn’t the only item on the workshop’s agenda.
Lennox Price, consul general in New York, Andre Padmore, consul, and scores of people heard from Dr O’neall Parris, chairman of the Barbados Cancer Association (USA) Inc, BACA, on a proposed hospice, a Bds$1.5 million initiative that’s being undertaken with Government help by a coalition of associations.
Ervil Spencer, a Barbadian and a former Wall Street banker who is the managing partner of CS Financial Advisors Inc., outlined the dos and don’ts of operating tax-exempt social institutions, while Carl Husbands, an attorney who has been practising law in the city since 1995, focused on the legal accountability and best practices for non-profit organizations.
“The Government recognizes that partnering with the overseas-based community is one of the keys to weathering the prevailing economic crisis and the workshop not only provided us with an economic opportunity to do so, but it also demonstrates Government’s commitment and appreciation for all in the Barbadian community,” said Price.