Trincity, Trinidad W.I.; March 01, 2010 – On March 01, 2010, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) launched a Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System (TCHWS) Project at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain. This project is a collaborative effort between the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UWI Seismic Research Centre (UWI SRC). The main purpose of this project is to implement activities and projects which will educate and empower residents of coastal communities so that they can prepare for and respond to tsunamis and other coastal hazards.
Key speakers at this launch were the Chief Executive Officer of the ODPM, Colonel (Ret’d) George Robinson; Director of the UWI SRC, Dr. Richard Robertson, (whose presentation focused on edifying those present on tsunamis); Instrumentation Engineer of the UWI SRC, Mr. Lloyd Lynch and Ms. Stacey Edwards, Education Officer of the UWI SRC. Also in attendance were the permanent secretaries, executives and technical officers of the ministries, government agencies, associations and organisations involved in this project.
In his speech, Colonel (Ret’d) George Robinson affirmed that “We face the undisputable reality that earthquakes and tsunamis can occur at any time and most times without early warning. These specific hazards are not like hurricanes, tropical storms or even fires which normally have some sort of advance warning. Therefore it is important that all citizens and specifically those in coastal communities, educate and empower themselves so they are equipped to respond to these coastal hazards.” During this launch, the media were introduced to all the material developed with specific reference to the public awareness and education material which will be rolled out in the print and electronic media from the second week of March 2010.
The ODPM continues to remind citizens that it is only through plan and preparing that we can preserve the well being of our families, communities, country and region. For more information on this project and others related to disaster risk management in Trinidad and Tobago, follow us on Facebook (ODPMTT), Twitter (ODPM_TT), visit our website (www.odpm.gov.tt) or contact us via telephone at 640 1285.