Six communities to receive training in Disaster Preparedness

Six rural communities are poised to benefit from training in disaster preparedness, courtesy of an 18-month project coordinated by the local Red Cross Society.{{more}}

The 8th DIPECHO action plan for St. Vincent and the Grenadines will target the communities of Owia, Welcome, Greiggs, Fitzhughes, as well as Union Island – which is considered a double community.

With a budget of EC$904,000, the project is funded by the Finnish Red Cross and the European Union; and will receive assistance from regional Red Cross organisations in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and Suriname.

Bernard T. Marksman, director general of the local Red Cross Society, said: “We are preparing the communities to be able to deal with disasters.”

He emphasised that before any actual training begins, the project team must conduct a vulnerability capacity assessment, which will measure the levels of awareness and preparedness in the targeted communities.

Marksman also said that First Aid training will be incorporated into the other activities, instead of separating them as was done last year.

Additionally, the project will address poor construction techniques being employed in home building in the rural and vulnerable communities.

Marksman lamented the fact that during Hurricane Tomas, too many homes lost their roofs – which he deemed “indicative of the way in which we have been building our houses”.

He pointed out that the local Red Cross has already strengthened 25 houses against the ravages of hurricanes, and will be completing more soon.

“We do not have the ability to tackle everybody… as far as our resources will allow us, we will do what we can,” he explained.

A similar project was carried out last year in three rural communities: Fancy, Rose Hall and Mayreau.

The project, which will provide training for first responders, will liaise locally with NEMO, the Royal SVG Police Force, and all other relevant government ministries and agencies.

Representatives from the Finnish Red Cross also gave brief remarks.

The organisation’s regional delegate to the Caribbean and Latin America Ritiva Lathi expressed her pleasure at being a part of this initiative and pledged her support at every stage of the project’s implementation.

She said that the local delegate (of the Finnish Red Cross) Miia Pollanen will assist in overseeing the recruitment of volunteers; to ensure “transparency and accountability”, and to ensure that the most suitable and qualified candidates fill the vacancies.

President of the St. Vincent Red Cross Society Bernard Morgan urged members of his organisation to fully cooperate with the planned proceedings to ensure the project’s success.

“Support the activities enunciated in the action plan,” he said. “We must all take ownership of this process, and implement it with a great sense of pride.”