BVI News

Take emergency drills seriously, residents told

Previous tsunami exercise. (Photo provided)

As the 2019 hurricane seasons draws closer, residents are being told to take the various emergency exercises and drills seriously and test their individual level of preparedness in the event a real natural disaster.

That warning came from Governor Augustus Jaspert following a tsunami exercise in the territory last week.

“The big priority is making sure that we are ready for disasters — not that we ever want any — but if any are thrown at us. The reasons for the tsunami exercises is to see how ready we are and we will be doing a wash-up with the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) to look at how things went,” the governor said.

He said it is important that the public know what to do when the National Early Warning System is sounded. He discouraged residents from dismissing the emergency drills as a silly exercise.

Governor Jaspert said the exercises are to not only inform members of the public of what to do and not do when the tsunami warning is issued but for the DDM to fine-tune their preparedness levels.

He said issues such as the entire population being made aware of the exercise among other topics will be discussed during the assessment of the activity.

DDM working

In the meantime, Governor Jaspert said the DDM is working “to ensure that designated shelters are functioning; marine shelters are being progressed; contingency supplies are being replenished, and that the early-warning systems are being tested.”

He added that he is pleased that the United Kingdom has been able to assist in providing back-up satellite communications, emergency generators and contingency supplies to the territory.

“There is still much to be done, and I will continue to work with the government to ensure that we are preparing for the upcoming season in an effective way,” he stated.

The Atlantic Hurricane season begins on June 1.

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9 Comments

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  1. critic says:

    They should be running up the hill,not walking

    Like 10
    Dislike 6
  2. lol says:

    We survived Hugo, Marilyn, Irma, Maria and the NDP. WE ARE BUILT FOR IT

    Like 6
    Dislike 18
  3. Lol says:

    Not so funny… Ndp my my

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  4. Politico Nuevo says:

    The VI, along with the remainder of archipelago from the Bahamas to Jamaica to Barbados to Trinidad and Tobago, is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, ie, hurricanes, earth quakes, tsunamis…….etc. It is not if another major hurricane will hit the VI but when.

    Consequently, residents/territory must be fully prepared to be in high state of readiness to protec life and property, minimizing/preventing structural property damages. IMO, the territory was not fully prepared for the September 2017 storms. The slow response post storm bear this out; the response was not the territory’s finest hour. The territory must prepare, ie, drills, mock events….etc so that when the storm hits first responders, general public…….etc will know what their roles and responsibilities are. Winging it after the storm hits can be a double disaster.

    Moreover, a 100-year major storm does not mean it occurs every hundred years. It means that there is at least a 1% chance of one occuring every year. The VI got a reprieve in 2018. Nevertheless, it cannot lets its guard down. Now is the time to prepare and be ready, not 24-48 hours before for example hurricane is projected to make landfall.

    • Jamela says:

      We were not prepared but to be fair, who would be prepared for an Irma? Thank God for the British army coming as without them and the Governor, we would have been much worse off. That’s not a slight on our government or the population as a whole, it’s just a fact of life for all tiny countries like ours.

  5. @Governor says:

    Perhaps you would see more persons take this serious if more or better yet all persons can hear the alarm.

    It’s not heard outside town or even if your in town and work inside a hurricane proof building with tight shut windows and doors.

    Like 5
    Dislike 1
    • Isolde says:

      There are no habitable hurricane proof buildings. Hurricane resistant perhaps, but not hurricane proof. You should know that by now.

  6. Right says:

    We will take them serious when we get the text message when s**t is really happening not 5 minutes after the damn drill.

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