CORE continues to impact communities

For the second time since its commencement at the end of April the ODPM’s Communities Organised and Ready for Emergencies (CORE) initiative, returned to the sea-side region of Mayaro on Saturday July 09. This community interface which began at 4:00 p.m. was conducted in partnership with the Disaster Management Unit of the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation (MRCRC) and the Trinbago Emergency Network Team (TENT).

During this visit, residents were interviewed by members of the ODPM, TENT and the MRCRC. During these brief interviews, residents were asked about their knowledge of the nearest shelters, previous flood impacts, main causes of flooding in the area and their preparedness for the hurricane season. In response to the main causes of flooding in their area, most residents indicated that clogged drains, poor drainage design and close proximity to a river or watercourse incited this hazard. The ODPM intends to transfer this information to the Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Works and the region’s Member of Parliament for their attention so that mitigation efforts can be targeted.

After each interface, residents were given information on safety tips for the hurricane season and ways to prepare for other hazards, a list of shelters in the region and first aid kits. The ODPM believes thatbuilding community resilience is crucial to building a resilient nation and thus we believe that equipping citizens with the necessary information, is a pertinent step towards creating a culture of safety and resilience.  In the upcoming weeks, CORE plans to visit Williamsville, Malabar and Trincity.

For more information on family preparedness, preparedness at the community level or the CORE programme, visit www.odpm.gov.tt, peruse our Facebook page: ODPMTT or call 640 1285.

ENDS

Issued by:

Public Information, Education and Community Outreach Unit

About CORE:

Launched in April 2011, CORE is a community-based flood mitigation and education project which is aligned with the ODPM’s mission to implement pro-active measures to mitigate the impact of all hazards that threaten the people of Trinidad and Tobago. This project is a partnership with Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the private sector and targets the highest flood risk communities throughout Trinidad and Tobago in order to deliver education programmes that will empower and prepare residents for the upcoming rainy & hurricane seasons. These community-based sessions incorporate a wide range of topics including interviews on risk and hazard impacts and distribution of information on measures to adopt before, during and after a range of hazard impact.

Since its launch, CORE has visited Barataria, Carapichaima, Carenage, Cedros, Curepe, Grand Riviere, Montrose, San Fernando and Point Fortin.