Activities associated with disaster management are dealt with at the parish level through a Parish Disaster Committee, which operates out of the Parish Council’s office. The Parish employs a Parish Coordinator, for coordinating all activities geared towards awareness, prevention and response.
The Parish Disaster Committee has the responsibility of formulating a parish plan for local emergencies in keeping with the guidelines set out by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management. The committee forges links with response agencies, community groups and community-based organizations.
The St. James Parish Disaster Committee meets on the second Monday of each month and is chaired by the Mayor or his designate.
Activities of the Parish Disaster Committee
- Public information, education and training through meetings, workshops, seminars and mass media programmes on disaster related issues. Persons may visit the Parish Council’s office for documentation to be used for awareness, training and research programmes.
- Hazard management programmes:
- Identification of high-risk areas.
- Hazard mitigation strategies and programmes.
- Formulation and monitoring of Emergency Plans and Policies.
- Compilation of reports following major incidents.
- Management of Parish Shelters and Zonal/Community Programmes.
- During times of emergencies, the Parish Disaster Committee is responsible for activating, operating and deactivating the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). This includes :
- Coordinating the activities of the relevant operational agencies
- Supporting the operational agencies by facilitating access to available resources Providing communication resources
- Handling requests for assistance/relief
- Monitoring the emergency event and assessing physical impact.