Forbes: People need to look where they are building homes

Acting Director of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) Michelle Forbes is advising persons to be more cautious when selecting locations to build their homes.{{more}}

“People need to look where they are building homes,” Forbes told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, December 14.

The Acting Director was at the time sharing her views on an incident which occurred on Wednesday, in which rocks fell on the home of David Poyer, leaving him hospitalized.

Poyer’s home is located just a few feet from the bottom of one of two abandoned quarries in the Roseau area.

In relation to the incident, Forbes said she received a call some minutes past 5 on Wednesday morning and she immediately responded. She was the first official from NEMO on the scene.

“I was told that rocks fell on two homes in Roseau, but when I got there, it was actually one home of the male occupant,” she explained.

Forbes warned that persons who build their homes below banks and rocky areas may reside at the location for years without any harm, but it only takes seconds for something to happen.

Forbes said NEMO does not compensate persons whose homes are damaged, if the persons are squatters.

“This is our general policy,” Forbes said, adding that NEMO does not want to encourage persons to break the law.

“In those situations, we would refer persons to the relative Ministry that has to deal with informal living, or another department.

“We try to use that as a general rule, because if not, a number or problems can arise. We just can’t have people not adhering to the planning regulations. If we do, then we would be having a lot more phone calls concerning incidents like this,” she added.

In Poyer’s case, Forbes revealed that they are not aware if the land on which his home was built is legally his, but NEMO will be carrying out investigations into the matter.

However, David’s mother Leslyn Poyer told SEARCHLIGHT that David bought the land and has a deed.

“He owns the land,” she said.

In the area where the rock fell, there are a number of other homes situated below the quarry, and according to residents there, this is not the first time rocks have fallen from the 25 foot rocky hill.(AA)