Turks and Caicos Islands preparations for the forthcoming 2012 Atlantic Hurricane continue apace Horatio Tuit, Assistant Director, TCIG Department of Disaster Management will explain later today, Fri, 25 May 2012.
Tuit will speak at a multiagency meeting held on Providenciales where the initial hurricane forecast for this year will be promulgated and he will remind all involved that disaster preparation is everyone’s business, the Department for Disaster Management’s theme for 2012.
The following activities are part of the TCI’s preparations:
- Hurricane Preparedness Meeting: Provo – 25th May 2012
The DDME is holding a preparedness meeting in advance of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season today and involve at all Response Agencies in Providenciales as well as the District Commissioners’ Office in North and Middle Caicos. The meeting will receive from DDME the Hurricane Forecast for 2012, a briefing on the updated Disaster Management Structure for TCI and the Standing Operating Procedures for the Emergency Operations Centre. It is also expected that the various agencies represented will update the DDME on their state of preparedness.
- United Kingdom Caribbean Overseas Territories & Bermuda: 5th Annual Disaster Management Seminar – 28th to 30th May 2012
This is an annual meeting for Directors of Disaster Managers and staff of the Governor’s Offices from the five UK Caribbean Overseas Territories & Bermuda to meet and finalise plans ahead of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. They are supported by departments from the United Kingdom Departments that would normally provide support to the Overseas Territories in the event of an emergency. The UK Departments being represented includes Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development, Ministry of Defence.
The conference will also be attended by representatives from CDEMA, US SOUTHCOM, US Coast Guard, NOAA/NHC, Norwegian Cruise Lines, British Red Cross and Consular Services from Washington and Bridgetown.
- Disaster Management Briefing for Advisory Council: Provo – 31st May 2012
Members from the Disaster Management Fraternity from TCI, Caribbean and the UK will take the opportunity to brief members of Advisory Council on the response capability and mechanisms that will be available to respond to the TCI in the event that the territory is impacted during this hurricane season.
- Disaster Management Exercise: Provo – 31st May & 1st June 2012
A Disaster Management Exercise will be held in Provo to test the functioning of the Emergency Operations Centre. It will expose members of the EOC to a scenario based on a hurricane making landfall in Provo. The exercise will commence on 31 May with the territory under threat from a hurricane and the DM Executive receiving a briefing from the Director DDME. On 1st June, the exercise will resume with the territory under Hurricane Warning and the EOC being activated and making final preparations before the hurricane makes landfall. It then continues with the hurricane making landfall in Provo and the EOC is operational at first light, preparing an initial brief for the Governor and the Executive Group.
