Emergency responders told to be resilient

Corriette believes in traditional ways of curbing the effects of naturals disasters
Corriette believes in traditional ways of curbing the effects of natural disasters

In a world where financial aid for emergencies is quickly drying up, 53 individuals trained to be part of a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), have been advised to go back to the indigenous ways to build resilience in their communities.

Addressing a closing ceremony of the training held at the Office of Disaster Management on Friday, Director of the Office of Disaster Management, Don Corriette, said efforts should be made in taking greater responsibility for efforts at building resilience, “and to start to dig deep and to commit to the sustainability of such programs as the CERT.”

“So we need therefore to find creative and innovative ways in building our capacity to deal with and to manage some of the hazards that will continue to challenge us. We can do so by revisiting some of our indigenous ways used to protect ourselves from some of the natural hazards that we face,” he noted.

Corriette pointed to some helpful things done in the past that assisted in curbing the effects of natural disasters such as slope stabilization using natural technologies, counter lining, wind breaks, natural drainage to protect from floods and other natural phenomenon during heavy rains or doing some brush cutting around houses to protect from fire.

“So we need to start to look within ourselves and find ways, creative as it may, going back to our roots, as Chubby would say, to protect and to build our own resilience. Given the fact that the traditional sources of monetary aid, even resource aid is drying up,” he pointed out.

He also urged the CERT members to further train themselves by taking advantage of what the fire Service and health sector has instilled in them.

Meantime program manager at the Disaster Management Office, Steve Joseph, stated that the ceremony served as a culmination of 10 hard days of work and commended the team for joining such an important group that stretches internationally.

“Here locally in Dominica it’s a family that’s growing beyond 100 strong at this point and we are pleased this afternoon to see a closing ceremony as we graduate an additional 53 participants who completed the CERT training course,” he said. “Dominica now has the benefit of your expertise. Your expertise will provide support to emergency services … it means that communities are supposed to be safer.”

Those who completed the training include 31 from Castle Bruce to Petite Soufriere and 22 in the Capuchin area.

They are now equipped with green neon vests and helmets, along with emergency back packs and certificates.

Sponsors for the program include Australian Aid, United Kingdom Aid, Canada, OECS Secretariat and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

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8 Comments

  1. April 29, 2014

    Train and equip people at the grass roots level and all you rediculing them instead of encouraging them – doh train and involve people at the grass roots level all you criticizing the office of disaster management garcon Dominican really hard to please wee! all I know RED Cross and disaster office doh stop what all you doing nuh because is the same criticizers that will critisize all you for not doing so do self; me myself I want my bag pack and my green vest and my helmet tan!. let ‘ we ready remain unready’ and do let Homosapopportunist discourage allyou while St. Kitts ; Saint Vincent and others not laughing but begging for similar programmes — hahahahaha check their website – healthy head!

  2. chette soilder
    April 28, 2014

    :mrgreen: :twisted: :-P :-? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

  3. Anonymous
    April 28, 2014

    every famil
    y member of skerrit can fly anytime

  4. Medical Pot
    April 28, 2014

    This is no laughing matter.
    This equivalent to a weak member.

  5. ##Dominica.#
    April 28, 2014

    Congratulations!!!! to all.

  6. Homosapopportunists
    April 28, 2014

    We eh ready yet, Garcon you not good nuh!I doh want to but I ve to laugh. No need to tickle me. DA just full of jokes in every sector. Politician giving peeps land sometimes its land belonging to other peeps who are abroad. Old squatters can stay new ones can’t.
    Then they say listen to what am telling allyou leave by May 2nd.Squatters saying for May 29th lol!
    Disaster prep heads telling us they trained scores and now they are equipped . They are now equipped with green neon vests and helmets, along with emergency back packs and certificates. Is it a plan to make us laughing stocks of the Region? As if we are not already.
    DA seems to be full of uneuchs & talking heads (Like radio Heads) where are the men with testicular fortitude ? Answer Dead,s bought, ,sold became turn coats .So many black power advocates of yesterday gone silent. Oh almost forgot some turned religious, others suffering from” Big Hair” .Investments in houses not homes to big to play politics on the wrong side .Sick or health playing it safe and accumulating wealth I guess. They going to leave it behind soon. What a land full of sick heads.

  7. We eh ready yet
    April 28, 2014

    They are now equipped with green neon vests and helmets, along with emergency back packs and certificates
    hahahahahahah! marvle qui non! That’s all they’ve equipped with.Is this a joke or what? That’s equivalent to going before a tank with a placard.

  8. Doc. Love
    April 28, 2014

    The certification of these individuals are timely. Just today, Mr. Martin told radio Q95 of his concern as regards the Geothermal project in the valley. According to Mr. Martin, things are not are rosy as the Government claims.

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