NASSAU, The Bahamas – The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, is continuing its mission to building disaster resilient communities throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
From August 28 to 30, 2013, key individuals in the community of Acklins, an island in the southeast, participated in a three-day workshop aimed at capacity building and strengthening emergency systems in preparation for any disaster that might occur.
Force Chief Luke Bethel, Operations/Training Officer at NEMA, facilitated the training. He focused on shelter management, initial damage assessments and Emergency Operations Centre management.
Participants comprised Local Government, the Department of Fisheries, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Department of Environmental Health, the Ministry of Education, Bahamas Electricity Corporation and private entities. This group of individuals also makes up the Disaster Consultative Committee for the island.
They were also given a template on Tsunami protocol and an action plan for the island of Acklins, which sustained extensive damage during the passage of Hurricane Irene in 2011.
