Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 15, 2015 (NEMA) – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is collaborating with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) on the presentation of a training course related to the roles and responsibilities of users of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) at NEMA HQ, on 26th and 27th January, from 9am.
The NEOC Management Training Course is being provided as a precursor to Tradewinds’ 2015 Maritime Phase, which will be hosted in St. Kitts-Nevis from May to June, of this year. Tradewinds is a United States of America Armed Forces-sponsored exercise, which is conducted in the Caribbean on an annual basis. It aims to promote regional security, cooperation and an improved response to disasters including those resulting from land and maritime-based threats.
CDEMA CU’s (Coordinating Unit’s) Programme Officer, Response and Recovery, and Operations Specialist, Mr. Robert Harewood and Brigadier General (Ret.), Earl Arthurs, respectively, will conduct the training that targets National Plan Chairpersons, with particular emphasis placed on participation by Police, the Army, Fire and Rescue Services, St. Kitts-Nevis Red Cross Society and NEMA officials including Consultant, Supt. (Ret.) Ivor Blake.
“In keeping with our Government’s decision to host Phase 1 of the Regional Exercise (Tradewinds),” according to National Disaster Coordinator, Carl Herbert, “The NEOC on St. Kitts and the EOC on Nevis, will be activated for three days of the exercise to address and to test coordination, information management and communications, during the exercise.” The Nevis Disaster Management Department hosts EOC training for two days, beginning January 29th.
The St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force has been designated the lead agency for Tradewinds 2015, with Major J. Anthony Comrie serving as Co-Chair of the Steering Committee. Major Comrie has advised that some 200 persons are expected in the Federation to participate in the exercise, which commences on 31st May, 2015.
Tradewinds supports the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), as well as U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM’s) goal of building partner nation capacity at the tactical and operational levels.
It was designed to conduct joint, combined and interagency training focusing on increasing regional cooperation in countering illicit trafficking while building capacity to plan and execute complex multinational security operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, among participating nations. It provides realistic simulated disaster events to test the capacity of National Disaster Management Agencies as well as the CDEMA, while focusing on maritime security and countering transnational organised criminal groups on the high seas.
SOUTHCOM is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation in its assigned Area of Responsibility which includes: The Caribbean, (except U.S. commonwealths, territories, and possessions). It is a joint command comprising more than 1,200 military and civilian personnel representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and several other federal agencies of the USA.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the NEOC Management Training Course, please contact the Deputy National Disaster Coordinator (DNDC), Mrs. Claricia Langley-Stevens at 466-5100 or 762-9233 or by visiting NEMA at Lime Kiln, Basseterre.