May 31, 2016: The Brian Lara Promenade and the streets of Port of Spain came alive on Friday 27th May, 2016 as the ODPM – Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management conducted a PrepareAthon Booth & Walkabout in the capital city.
With the declaration of the Rainy Season earlier this month and the start of the 2016 Hurricane Season on June 1st 2016, the ODPM continued its preparedness activities by bringing invaluable information to citizens of Trinidad and Tobago with particular focus on vulnerable communities. Joining the ODPM and its corps of volunteers on this preparedness initiative were the POS City Corporation Disaster Management Unit, the Diego Martin Regional Corporation Disaster Management Unit and the Rotary Club of Trinidad and Tobago.
The PrepareAthon forms an integral part of the ODPM’s Communities Organised and Ready for Emergencies (C.O.R.E.) Programme the theme of which for this year is “Community Resilience”. A critical component of building resilience is education and awareness. In the wake of the warning from the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Services of a severe rainy season, the ODPM took to the streets to raise the awareness and preparedness levels of citizens.
Persons were given important hurricane safety information and encouraged to prepare themselves and their families by making a Family Emergency Plan and packing an Emergency Preparedness Kit. Persons were also advised to take advantage of the wide array of information available on the ODPM’s website www.odpm.gov.tt and on the ODPM’s mobile application “Disaster Ready” available on both Android and iOS platforms. Patrons of the joint ODPM and POSCC DMU booth were also treated to musical performances by winners of the POSCC’s Disaster Management Calypso competition encouraging them to become aware and be prepared for the upcoming Hurricane Season.
Recipients of the information were very appreciative and indicated their commitment to becoming more prepared, not just for the Hurricane Season but for other hazards as well. In fact, some persons said that they already had their emergency kits packed in preparation for the strong winds and heavy rainfall associated with the Rainy/Hurricane Season. The ODPM will continue to partner with key stakeholders in preparedness activities to bring the information to citizens throughout the nation.
