Chairman of the St. James Central DEO, Selwyn Brooks.
No one knows when a disaster will come calling. This message from Chairman of the St. James Central District Emergency Organisation (DEO), Selwyn Brooks, as he recently delivered his report at the organisation’s annual general meeting in the Queen’s College school hall.
Expressing concern about the level of complacency of many persons on the island, he warned that one day when a disaster hits many persons will be "caught napping”.
Brooks made the point that the Caribbean has already experienced increased activity and the threat looms of possible increased potential for tsunamis. “Our little island has not been severely impacted since 1955. Already this year our road fatalities have exceeded the total for 2016, and the Fire Service has reported an increase in fires compared to last year,” he reminded.
At the helm of the organisation since 2003, Brooks highlighted the extensive work carried out by the St. James Central DEO which he said has approximately 65 active members. These include the identification and location of fire hydrants to facilitate easy access by the Fire Service; evacuation of persons following the B’s Depot fire and several fires at the landfill and the creation of community profiles.
He also pointed to the establishment of the Holetown Strategic Planning Committee which brought together stakeholders from hotels, the medical and business sector as well as the RBPF, the Barbados Fire Service and the Drainage Unit. “This led to the development of a comprehensive study of the Holetown area and its hazards which included a pilot project where all fire hydrants, wells and drainage devices were located, identified and assessed and a maintenance programme was established,” he revealed.
Brooks highlighted one of the greatest achievements, however, as assisting in the development of the Lime Grove complex, a joint governmental, private sector committee established under the chairmanship of the then Minister of Public Works.
“After investigative trips throughout the water courses from the Holetown Lagoon to the water source as far up as Apes Hill and Porey Springs, and research of previously produced documents, several planning meetings were held, where a number of initiatives were implemented and the rest is history. Jamestown Park, Holetown and it environs no longer flood like they used to prior to 2003,” he stated.
The chairman used the opportunity to challenge Barbadians, particularly those in the parish of St. James to answer a number of questions as it relates to their state of readiness. This includes whether they are living in flood-prone areas; level of preparedness in the event of a major fire which includes the identification of fire hydrants which have been periodically checked and flushed to ensure they are in working condition.
Brooks also queried about the evacuation strategies; risk assessments for their specific location; levels of insurance coverage as well as challenges related to the prevention of criminal acts.
Given the challenges recently faced with the South Coast Sewerage Project, he also queried the plan of action if a similar scenario unfolded when the west coast problem comes on stream. (JH)