Dillon hold talks on rainy season disaster plan

WITH the start of the rainy and hurricane seasons for 2018, Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon on Friday met with stakeholders from key Government ministries to discuss their collective level of preparedness.

A statement from the ministry said discussions focussed on lessons learnt by all agencies following several incidents of flooding that seriously impacted communities in 2017.

“Issues discussed included the establishment of inter-operable communications systems among responder agencies; stronger coordination and management of disaster shelters; greater public education drives for wider preparedness of the population; and strengthening the recovery process.”

Dillon told the meeting that a proactive approach to disaster management and preparedness was the modus operandi for 2018.

He encouraged the various agencies to continue to build relationships so that there was greater communication and involvement of Government agencies and the wider society for disaster preparedness and management.

Present at the meeting were Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan; Minister of Social Development and Family Services Cherrie-Ann Critchlow-Cockburn; acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government Stara Ramlogan; Acting Chief of Defence Staff, Defence Force, Group Captain Darryl Daniel; deputy Commissioner of Police Deodat Dulalchan; acting Head, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, Captain (Ret’d) Neville Wint; and other representatives of the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Works and Transport.