Cadet Force conducts earthquake simulation exercise

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cadet Force conducted an earthquake simulation exercise on July 12 and 13 in which the assessors Colonel Edward Woods of the Cadet Vocational Qualification Organization (CVQO) and Captain Randall Luces of the Trinidad and Tobago Cadet Force expressed satisfaction with the exercise.{{more}}

The simulation, held at Argyle, was designed to test the preparedness and response of the Cadet Force’s emergency response in the event of an earthquake. It was conducted as part of a disaster capacity building project funded by the St Vincent and the Grenadines National Commission for UNESCO.

Approximately 120 cadets and adult staff as well as personnel from the National Emergency Management Organisation( NEMO) participated in the two-day activity. Colonel Woods noted that while there were some challenges, the execution was very good.

The scenario was based on St Vincent and the Grenadines being impacted by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter Scale which resulted in widespread damage to houses, roads, bridges, buildings and some critical facilities. The Cadet Force, which was at the time conducting its summer camp, was mobilized as first responders at the major affected area.

The Officer-In-Charge of the exercise Major Bertillon Hamilton described the scenario as a mass casualty exercise and stated that the cadets and adult instructors equipped themselves very well. The Commandant of the Cadet Force, Lieutenant Colonel Dwight Lewis, was also on hand to witness the event and was full of praise for the manner in which the exercise was conducted and also for the performance of the cadets.

Among the positives identified by the observers was the level of treatment given to the injured, including the administering of first aid and transferring persons to the Medical Reception Station. On the other hand, some of the methods used in dealing with casualties and the deficiencies in communication were indentified as some of the weaknesses in the exercise.