CDEMA Prepared To Assist In Hurricane Season

by Shanna Moore The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has declared it is fully prepared to offer support to the region amid predictions of an active hurricane season. Speaking at the regional agency’s annual press briefing on the region’s preparedness in St Kitts on Tuesday, the executive director Elizabeth Riley outlined CDEMA’s comprehensive preparedness measures, highlighting the significance of its Regional Response Mechanism (RRM) in coordinating disaster responses. “The RRM is our very unique arrangement with participating states as well as regional and international organisations and militaries, delivering timely and coordinated responses to affected participating states upon their requests,” she said. “It’s the only arrangement like this that exists globally, and we have many regions around the world, including a delegation from the African [small island developing states], who will be visiting Barbados this week to study the RRM.” Riley noted that in preparation for potential activations of the RRM, CDEMA has trained additional members for teams such as the CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit to support humanitarian operations, which is ready for deployment. She also highlighted recent advancements in search and rescue capabilities: “We had 36 persons who were trained across the CDEMA states last year, bringing the number...