CDC builds disaster risk management capacity in regions

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) after consultation with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and several meetings with the Regional Executive Officers (REOs) of the ten administrative regions in Guyana embarked on a mission to conduct Disaster Risk Management (DRM) training in these regions. This was all in a bid to build the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) capacity and levels of resilience at the community and regional levels, and by extension the country.

 

This started in July 2012 with the training of 85 persons from Region 3 and concluded 14 months later (September 14, 2013) with the training of 69 persons from Region 5. By this date and time, the training team from the CDC consisting of Major Kester Craig, Captain Sean F. Welcome, Captain Althea Daniels-Stuart, Mr. Carlton Semple, Mr. Owen Paul and Ms. Susan Lewis-Clarke had successfully delivered and conducted training in Shelter Management, Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis and Emergency Operations Centre Management in all ten Administrative Regions of Guyana.

 

This saw 219 persons trained in Shelter Management; 204 trained in Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis; and 210 in Emergency Operations Centre Management. These figures represent an 82% attendance rate for the Shelters and Shelter Management workshops; 76% attendance rate for the Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis workshops and 79% for the Emergency Operations Centre Management workshop. There was all overall 79% attendance rate at the completion of this Regional Disaster Risk Management initiative which was satisfactory.

 

Apart from conducting the various workshops, the CDC also provided each Regional Democratic Council with an emergency operation box. These boxes contain items such as copies of the map of the region; copies of the map of Guyana; various emergency data states/tables; stationery and office supplies. These items will be used in the setting up and operating of the Regional Emergency Operations Centre (REOC) whenever the need arises.

 

With this newly acquired knowledge, skills and resources, the participants are now better equipped to function in the three specialty areas; thereby positively contributing to disaster risk management capabilities of their respective regions. The respective RDCs are now better positioned/capable to establish the REOC and the Regional Disaster Risk Management Committee using some of the persons trained by the CDC. The remainder of trained personnel can be used to establish the various sub-committees (EOC Management/DANA/Shelter Management) and response teams such as DANA and Shelter Management.

 

Follow up DRM training will be done in Community Emergency Response Team (CERT); Vulnerability Capacity Assessment (VCA), Geographic Information System (GIS) and Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM). This is to further strengthen the DRM capacity at the community and regional levels. (CDC)