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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION TRAINING FOR THE NORTHERN DISASTER DISTRICT

The Office of Disaster Management (ODM) has commenced Emergency Communications Training Workshops for the Northern Disaster District which will be in two groups from June 21 – 24, 2021 at the Cabrits National Park Conference Facility from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily.

• June 21-22, 2021 training will target participants from: Savanne Pille/ Tantan, Portsmouth, Capuchin and Cottage.
• June 23-24, 2021 training will target participants from Penville, Vielle Case, Bense, Borne, Paix Bouche, Dublanc, and Bioche.

The training workshop is being funded by the Government of Canada, under the project titled “Establishment of a Community Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Capuchin and a Communications System to link Capuchin and other West Coast Communities to the national EOCs (Main and Alternate)”.

The training workshop will be facilitated by Sgt. Joseph Raymond of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force and the staff of the ODM and will cover the following topics:

1. Emergency communication protocols
2. Regulations and License conditions
3. Components of the radio equipment
4. Basic radio operations

This activity is in-keeping with the Dominica Country Work Programme (CWP) 2021- 2025, Outcome 1.3: Improved Operational Readiness, Output 1.3.2: The emergency response communications system is resilient and redundant. It is also in-keeping with the Dominica Climate Resilience and Recovery Plan (CRRP) 2020-2030 Climate Resilience Target no. 8 – 100% functioning of critical Government and emergency services during and after an extreme climatic event.

The ODM extends gratitude to all the participants who have committed to this activity and for their support with the advancement of Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) in Dominica.

The Office of Disaster Management convened an after-action review (AAR) of the District Disaster Management Committees emergency operations during the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season on Friday December 17, 2021, at the ODM Headquarters in Jimmit.

The objectives of the AAR were to highlight the successes of operations and document the best practices, to identify the challenges and gaps in coordination, to discuss solutions aimed at addressing the challenges and gaps identified and to develop a joint plan of action for implementing the feasible recommendations put forward.

In his opening remarks, the National Disaster Coordinator, Mr Fitzroy Pascal noted that “the end of the season is not a signal to let down our guards as we are operating in a multi-hazard environment. While weather events affect the island more frequently, the Disaster System and the general public should keep in mind other hazards such as volcano, earthquake and the on-going COVID 19 pandemic”. Mr Pascal went on to highlight the valuable contribution of Disaster Committees during the hurricane season and extends appreciation for their work

Mr Glenroy Toussaint, the Local Government Commissioner in his comments highlighted the tremendous work of volunteers especially shelter managers. He noted that “at the community level every effort should be made to build resilience to hazards in an effective and efficient manner through a collaborative effort”.

Members of the disaster committees provided valuable feedback on operations during the 2021 hurricane season. Some of the recommendations put forward by committee members include: harmonizing damage assessment and trainings with the ODM and key partners, a recognition system for volunteers and development and maintenance of a database to support planning and decision making.