With more storms expected to blaze across the Atlantic Ocean during Barbados’ six-month hurricane season, the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) has launched an initiative aimed at making sure the country is as prepared as possible for a large-scale natural disaster.
Director of DEM, Kerry Hinds, is also satisfied that Barbadians are taking heed to advice, and also playing their part to mitigate losses should the country be battered by a storm like the Category 5 behemoth, Hurricane Maria, which devastated Dominica in its wake last month.
“At the national level we undertake preparedness actions on a constant and consistent basis to ensure national readiness of the state agencies to respond when the need arises,” Hinds told the SUNDAY SUN in a recent interview, a few days after presenting DEM’s 2016 report to the sixth working meeting of the country’s Emergency Management Advisory Council.
“We ensure that our plans and standard operating procedures are in place and they are well known by the emergency responders that have to operationalise them. We do regular reviews (annual or after action reviews) of our system, and where we identify challenges we seek to address them. The department encourages the householders, families and businesses to do the same, giving them the necessary preparedness tips to improve their level of preparedness. These persons will then be in a position to gauge their level of preparedness,” the DEM chief added. (BA)
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