Prepared for disaster following workshop

International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies’ trainers Jill Marie St John (left)
and Xavier Castellanos

Monday, April 5, 2004

Members of several government departments and ministries gathered on Wednesday, 31 March, for the start of a three-day Red Cross workshop aimed at increasing disaster preparedness in the Cayman Islands.

The Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) helps communities identify the potential for hazards within a community, how vulnerable groups in the community are to those hazards and assess their capacity to cope with the subsequent effects.

James Ryan, Chief Secretary with the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs, opened the session, which included representatives from the Ministries of Health, Child and Family Services and Tourism, and the Departments of Fire, Police, Public Works, Civil Aviation and Government Information Services. Representatives from the Water Authority and Cayman Airways were also in attendance.

After welcoming the facilitators and the participants to the workshop, Mr Ryan noted that it was “especially good to see that there is such a group of people to stand ready in a case of a disaster”.

Main facilitators of the workshop were Xavier Castellanos and Jill Marie St John of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cross Societies, Sub Regional Office in Trinidad. Both Mr Castellanos and Ms St John have experience in disaster preparedness.

Jondo Malafa-Obi, Director General of the Cayman Islands Red Cross and Tomeaka Mc Taggart, the Branch Training Manager also assisted with the workshop.

Ms Obi said: “We feel that this is a very important workshop that not only encourages us to think ahead, but that also means that key government ministries and departments are working together with the Red Cross to ensure that we are prepared if faced with a hurricane or other disaster.”

The Red Cross will be offering the VCA workshop to Red Cross volunteers in the coming months.

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