Last Updated on July 20, 2024, 2:46 AM AST by Anthony Morris
St. Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew undertook a three-day National Hurricane Preparedness and Response Simulation Exercise hosted by the National Operations Centre (NEOC).
PM Dr Terrance Drew, who is also the Executive Director of the National Emergency Operations Centre, actively engaged in this week’s Hurricane Preparedness and Response Simulation Exercise scheduled from July 17-19, 2024 to assess St. Kitts and Nevis’s response systems in the event of a hurricane.
“We have to be ready for any eventuality,” stated Prime Minister Drew while sharing the glimpses of the three- day discussions and exercise.
PM Drew initiated this important simulation exercise and attended the discussions given his strong belief that preparedness is crucial and extremely important in mitigating the challenges and risks caused during times of emergencies.
The three-day scheduled exercise centred around the scenario of the potential impact of a fictional Hurricane, that started with a pre-strike meeting at National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Headquarters on day 1, July 17.
The Prime Minister intently participated in the first two days of the exercise and noted that an exercise of this nature helps in determining if more financial resources are required to improve for the nation’s readiness to any unfortunate event.
Attorney General Garth Wilkin and Minister of Agriculture, et al., Samal Duggins also participated in the exercise.
The preparedness and simulation came to an end on July 19, with chairs of the various NEOC sub-committees providing assessments on the extent of damages to different sectors and projections for the resumption of services.
In addition to this exercise, Cabinet Ministers and NEOC officials made on-site visit to three locations impacted by the simulated storm. The visited sites included the Irish Town Bay Road, a residential area in Cayon, and Stone Fort.
The three-day simulation exercise was successfully conducted and provided invaluable insights on the Federation’s readiness and response systems. This also highlighted the areas where improvements are needed in order to keep the citizens safe and alert during the times of disasters.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
