TEMA, ODPM want better disaster response

TEMA director Allan Stewart
TEMA director Allan Stewart

TT must do more to improve its responses to natural disasters, and the Emergency Management Association (EMATT) could be the game-changer in that regard.

Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart and Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) CEO Rodney Smart expressed this view when they spoke at the launch of EMATT at Briar Place, St Clair yesterday.

Stewart said, “We have not done well as a country to adapt to climate change or the perils that lie ahead, based on the threat of hazards which we are aware.”

He recalled that less than 24 hours after the passage of Tropical Storm Karen, “The entire island of Tobago came to a standstill because a critical ICT giant in this country – their infrastructure failed.”

As a result, Stewart said, “The entire island was not able to make a telephone call in many, many quarters.”

The after-action review done by TEMA revealed, Stewart said, “that the primary (system) had failed during the course of the storm and the secondary was damaged as a result of the mop-up.”

Stressing this should “never, never happen again,” Stewart said steps must be taken to better protect critical infrastructure during natural disasters and deal with lingering issues like flooding.

On flooding, Stewart quipped, “Some people say two people decide to pee too hard in Port of Spain, it will flood.”

He suggested changes to the legislative agenda to address small building codes and looking at manufactured and imported products. Stewart said while “sometimes we blame the builder,” the “product of choice” must be examined.

Smart disclosed that earlier in the day, he was at Pt Lisas overseeing the loading of relief supplies into a container which is due to leave for the Bahamas today.

Recalling the devastation inflicted on the Bahamas by Hurricane Dorian, Smart observed that many non-government organisations started gathering relief supplies for the Bahamas on their own.

But he added, “What we recognised was that there wasn’t a structure in place.” Smart said the ODPM had to co-ordinate all of these efforts, and this showed the need for organisations like EMATT.

Smart said today the ODPM will be in Piparo “treating with the mud volcano.”

While most people know about Devil’s Woodyard in Hindustan, Smart said, “We have quite a few mud volcanoes in Trinidad.”

He opined that TT is at “a point where our disaster management initiative must mature” to deal with natural disasters coming at TT and those that already exist.

EMATT acting president retired Col Dave Williams said the organisation was trying to fill a void and will not be swayed by partisan interests.

Williams identified natural hazard impact assessments will be one of several topics EMATT will be discussing with government and non-government organisations.

He claimed, “Every US$1 spent in any mitigation will save us US$7 in (disaster) response.”

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