The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is striving to strengthen its ongoing public education and awareness programme by launching a series of town hall meetings in different communities throughout St. Kitts. The meetings begin this Thursday, 27 th April, from 7:00- 9:00 p.m. at the Old Road Community Centre. The purpose of the activities is to host a conversation with residents, regarding their role and responsibilities, along with those of public and private sector entities in the Comprehensive Disaster Management process.
Comprehensive Disaster Management or CDM refers to the need for all individuals to give on-going attention to the various hazards to which St. Kitts-Nevis is vulnerable. “One of the hardest notions for us at the NEMA to dispel is that we are only active during the Hurricane Season,” according to Public Relations Officer, Vesta Southwell; “and that could not be further from the truth.”
In seeking to address the topic, according to Miss Southwell, a Panel has been setup including representation from key stakeholders and led by Deputy National Disaster Coordinator, Mrs. Claricia Langley-Stevens.
Donna Pierre, CDEMA’s Disaster Risk Management Specialist, will be on mission in the Federation and is to sit on the panel to address the CDM through the lens of the Regional Mechanism. “We are delighted with the timing of Miss Pierre’s visit as she is responsible for the Community Resilience Framework Project, which falls in line with what we are proposing via the CDM Awareness exercise. Our aim is to educate communities including vulnerable groups i.e. differently abled individuals and the elderly, the media, businesses and particularly those living in known vulnerable areas, on CDM,” Mrs. Stevens said.
The ultimate goal of the exercise, according to National Disaster Coordinator Carl Herbert, is to create and to facilitate collaboration between all players, to enhance response coordination based on clearly defined roles and the twinning of government resources with those of affected communities, in the case of an impact and or disaster. Persons interested in signing onto the National Volunteer Index are especially invited as Registration Forms will be made available at each meeting.
SCHEDULE
27 th April, 7-9:00 p.m.
OLD ROAD COMMUNITY CENTRE
Districts #3 and #4
Wigley Ave. West to Palmetto Point
Challengers to New Guinea
4 th May, 7-9:00 p.m.
SADDLER’S PRIMARY SCHOOL
Districts #5 & #6
Sandy Point, Fig Tree & Newton Ground to Harris Village
18 th May, 7-9:00 p.m.
ST. PETER’S COMMUNITY CENTRE
Districts #7 & #8
Belle Vue to Ottley’s Ghaut East
Ottley’s Ghaut West to St. Peter’s
25 th May, 7-9:00 p.m.
TO BE DETERMINED
Districts #1 & #2
S.E. Peninsula to Victoria Rd. East
Victoria Rd. West to Wigley Ave.
