TEMA: Procurement system hampering agency's efficiency

WITH the hurricane season already in full swing, Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart admits the agency is hamstrung by several challenges that are preventing it from carrying out its mandate more efficiently.

Asked if TEMA is fully prepared for the season, Stewart told Newsday on June 13, “Yes, but we have seen better years in terms of our preparation. There are challenges which we are coping with, vehicle fleet, things like that, the ability to procure things in a fast way. It’s very difficult given the type of procurement structure that exists. So we have our challenges.”

But he said TEMA, as it has done in the past, would continue to fulfil its mandate with the resources that were available to the agency.

Over the past few days, bad weather triggered flooding in several parts of the island. TEMA also responded to reports of fallen trees, electrical hazards and road blockages.

Stewart said on the evening of June 12, powerful winds also damaged the roof of a property in Studley Park.

“The residential property has a restaurant and bar and I understand that the restaurant part of the roof was damaged.”

He said teams were in the field conducting damage assessments and needs analyses of all of the incidents.

“There are also what you may consider to be minor reports coming out of the weather system that the teams are now turning their attention to, some of which are on residential properties – trees that may have fallen but not really causing destruction to the home. They are dealing with those reports now.”

Stewart said since the start of the adverse weather system on June 9, the agency has received 21 reports, most of which involved fallen trees and blocked roadways.

But he said there was a need for greater co-ordination among the various disaster response units “so that we can be a bit more efficient in terms of our timeliness and how we approach some of these incidents when they occur.”

Stewart urged Tobagonians to be mindful of the rapidly shifting weather patterns.

“I think what is happening is that we have to take this season very seriously as we can see that the weather is behaving in an erratic manner. Look at the type of flooding we are experiencing in Trinidad.

“The winds came and in a matter of minutes, blew off a building roof. So we have to be cognisant and do the necessaries to prepare ourselves adequately in our residential properties and businesses.”

Stewart said the State also must provide resources “to ensure that we could mitigate against some of these hazards where you can’t prevent them.”