We must prepare for an earthquake

THE EDITOR: As much as we are bombarded by the negative news of the day (which seems to be a key driver for media consumption), we should be just as balanced in our sharing of the positive.

In this instance, while my heart goes out to the people of Turkey, who have recently experienced a catastrophe that will have a lasting effect on the lives of thousands, I find the local media fearmongering to be nothing short of reprehensible and, more so, lacking in merit.

Earthquakes are not man-made occurrences. They are not an event that can be predicted and they are not avoidable. What we can do, though, is try our best to prepare ourselves for one, to avoid becoming victims.

At this point, I am sure readers are asking about what the Government is doing to prepare for earthquakes. That is a question that I myself had after learning of the Turkey tragedy. And while we can’t predict earthquakes, as a nation we have been taking steps to cope with the possibility of an earthquake.

I am referring to the article published by the ODPM last Wednesday on TT’s plans for coping with an earthquake. Though we all might join in chorus to ask where is the ODPM when there is flooding (but, after some research I understand they are not first responders), we would do well to remember that the responsibility of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management is not limited to one type of disaster.

With that in mind, I was heartened to see the measures that TT has in place to deal with the effects of earthquakes, and was put at ease to know that there is some national foresight on managing such a potentially devastating event. It is encouraging to learn about what has been going on behind the scenes, though I take some blame for perhaps not paying close attention.

Now even though the Government is working on its plans, we the people must do the same. There is much information available out there to help us prepare for disasters and, as the saying goes, knowledge is power.

Let us properly inform ourselves so we can do our part to prepare ourselves. Let us get involved in community response teams and volunteer groups. While we sympathise with the misfortune of others and seek to send aid, let us not forget to learn from those events, so we can cope if it were to happen to us.

STEPHAN GRANT

via e-mail