TEMA celebrates 27 years, needs equipment upgrades, more funding

THE Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) is celebrating 27 years of yeoman's service to the island. The agency was established in accordance with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Executive Council Minute No 64 of March 09, 1998.

TEMA is now known as the island’s first responders when it comes to disaster and emergency management. The agency aids in rapid recovery from natural disasters and safeguarding against catastrophes, through proper preparation. It directs its efforts towards maximum preservation of life and protection of property in times of disaster.

Speaking with Newsday on March 11, TEMA’s director Allan Stewart said he joined the agency in 1999, one year after its establishment, as an assistant co-ordinator, before becoming the director in 2011.

“After 2008, there was some restructuring done whereby TEMA was no longer doing a co-ordination role, but because of the restructuring and the enhancement of staff, the concept of a director came into being and therefore there was a director setup. By 2011, I took over from my predecessor until now.”

He said his hope in going forward is to see more emphasis given to the agency.

“We have our own challenges; we have challenges with the ageing of our resources. In a period where we have been told that the (budgetary) allocation is low and therefore when the Assembly is short on funds then you have challenges with replacement and upkeep of equipment and things like that. Our emergency resources are ageing and therefore we would want to see improvements.”

He added: “I think it is high time that we give thought to the area of a multi-sourcing fund for TEMA so that we can access and maintain the level towards that which the Tobago public has grown accustomed to, and these are the innovative ways that we have to look at things going forward.”

In June 2024, over $900,000 was spent to procure three new vehicles which have been added to the fleet at the agency. At a handing-over ceremony at TEMA’s headquarters in Bacolet, Scarborough, on June 21, THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said the agency had not been in receipt of new vehicles since 2011/2012. TEMA, he said, was overdue for new vehicles, promising that the fleet would be further increased when the next financial year started in October.

Supervisor at the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Brian Thomas described that milestone as wonderful.

CERT is the community’s first line of defence during emergencies. They are a dedicated group of trained volunteers who step up to assist when disaster strikes. Objectives include advocating for advanced training and capacity building, developing mobilisation standards, ensuring access to equipment and PPE for CERT teams, and fostering community resilience through inclusion in response plans. They also conduct vulnerability assessments to drive proactive disaster risk reduction initiatives, making communities safer and better prepared for emergencies.

Thomas said he has been in the organisation for the past 19 years.

“It’s transformation from National Emergency Management Agency to TEMA – I was part of that process. I also was one of the pioneers behind CERT and seeing it rise from just a thought into what it is today. So I am really, really elated to be part of this organisation that is world renowned in disaster management.”

Most notable for him, he said, was the 2012 accident in Charlotteville.

“The army truck turned over on Turpin Bend with 21 soldiers on board from the rugby team. We had a mass casualty where we had all these damaged people, and we had to airlift them to seek medical attention. I was the one chosen to provide medical assistance to two persons who were airlifted by helicopter back to Trinidad as they were critical. First we had to transport them to Roxborough where the helicopter picked us up and took us to Mt Hope.”

He said the most recent disaster was the February 7, 2024, oil spill.

“That really took a toll on our workers. It was something that we had never experienced before to that magnitude. Some of the workers along with myself did some training in oil response, but not to this magnitude.”

He said he was grateful to the agency’s past director Owen Sandy along with the present director for the success of the organisation.

Melissa Yearwood-Jack, the Community Outreach Programme Officer, said she joined the TEMA family in 2015 as the public Information and Education Training Officer. Her greatest memory during the tenure was the agency's response to the raging conditions of Tropical Storm Karen in 2019.

“I had to do an impromptu organise and moderate a media conference for the public and I had to explain what happened and how that went smoothly. The other thing I remember was the same tropical storm, how that affected Scarborough, the flooding that happened in Scarborough, the fact that the banks were flooded out and how that affected the community at large and how we at TEMA had to activate and help our community.”

Yearwood-Jack added: “Through our logistics department, we sent out cots and beds. Through our CERT department, where we had to cut trees. We were buzzing with activities during that time.”

She recalled that during the weather, heavy flooding affected the Port Authority's security booth and the T&TEC compound in Scarborough, while seven people were trapped in a house at Birchwood Triangle, Lowlands. There was also some power outages and a fallen pole with hanging electrical wires at Winchester Trace, Patience Hill. It was also said that a yacht had run ashore at the Mt Irvine Bay beach facilities.

She said looking ahead, she envisions the organisation to really start deepening its community roots by expanding local partnerships.

“Education as empowerment, we can have youth-focused programmes, example school partnerships, the creation of accessible resources in multiple languages and formats as well as strengthen alliances with NGOs, businesses, and policymakers to turn community feedback into actionable policies.”