Roseau , Dominica, August 2nd, 2013 (DAVibes.com) - Emergency response in Dominica has “received a shot in the arm” as forty-two citizens completed a five-day Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) at the Office of Disaster Management in Jimmit.
They were trained by three officials of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), fire officers, police officers and cadet corps officials from Monday 29th July to today, Friday 2nd August.
The participants were divided into five groups for the duration of the workshop. Group number 1 was adjudged the most outstanding group, while Dorita Challenger of Sans Sauveur was named the most outstanding participant.
One of the facilitators, retired general brigadier Earl Arthurs commended the participants for their outstanding performance at the workshop closing on Friday.
“We noticed major improvements in your team work, your leadership, your techniques for solving problems, because what we tried to do was to expose you all to a number of processes, procedures and guidelines, activities that will assist you on your journey to being a good CERT team member and eventually for some people, even CERT instructors,” Mr Arthurs said.
The participants engaged in practical sessions, outdoor sessions, daytime and nighttime exercises in the fields, physical lifting and carrying of stretchers and using of night navigation technology.
“You gave everything to this training; you worked hard, you did not stumble, you took all the shouting and the biting and you did an excellent job, so give yourself a hand,” Mr Arthurs told the participants.
He reminded them that they were only given basic skills and knowledge as a foundation to help them to be a good community CERT representatives and that they are not yet experts.
Mr Arthurs also encouraged them to remember their motto; “Doing the greatest good for the greatest number”.
Fire Chief, Josiah Dupuis who stated that emergency response received a boost, said the training was meant to make them leaders.
He encouraged them to remain engaged and active, reminded them of the need to volunteer, advised them to recruit others to participate in community response and take the lead in participating in community response groups or start one.
Meanwhile, permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Steve Hyacinth who represented National Security Minister, Charles Savarin noted that the participants successfully completed the objectives of the training.
“The objective of this workshop was to build capacity of participants to function as community emergency response team and the objective has been achieved and I wish to congratulate all of you for making this a reality”
Source: http://dominicavibes.dm/content/dominicas-emergency-response-gets-a-boost/