Preparing for disaster –A first responder approach

Introduction

We are all aware of the disasters that have happened in the last few weeks in our region. This must be a wakeup call for all of us, individuals, city managers and central government alike that much is lacking in our first responder approach. As citizens we are not educated and aware of what to do in the case of different kind of disasters. I have written two books on this subject, Securing Business Intelligence (2004), and Thriving in the Age of Terror (2006) and numerous columns in the daily papers.

We in Guyana have been lucky never to have experienced a hurricane, major earthquake or a tidal wave but given global warming, weather patterns are changing and one can make a turn for us.  We experienced our own disaster with the great flood of 2005, but really have not learned from the lessons of that disaster. The lack of an early warning system can be disastrous for our nation.

This last week, there was a US military mission in Guyana looking at our first responder approach. It is important for the US to engage in such a mission as much of the burden on recovery, as in Haiti, falls on that country.  The mission was to define Guyana’s current disaster response, emergency nedical, and overall health capabilities and to determine Guyana’s plan for future programmes in disaster response, emergency, and general healthcare services.

During my US military service, I was part of a Southern Command mission to Guyana to look at the overall response systems back in 1997 and to establish medical protocols.

First responder systems

In normal circumstances, we are appalled at the ambulance services in our nation. There is not an efficient or sufficient service available to serve in normal conditions much less a major disaster. The 2010 budget did not address any major form of contingency planning for these areas. There is a great need to add ambulance river boats to a response system.

As in the Chile and Haiti disasters, what was needed also was the ability to treat mass causalities. This must be practiced regularly by our medical staff.    We do not have any warehouses around the country with extra stretchers, oxygen, and other medical equipment to access in case of disasters.

In addition, we the citizens are not aware of any gathering points based on the type of disasters; this is an education gap that must be addressed quickly.

We need our local and central government to develop systems where our landlines and cell phones can be activated in case of disasters with clear instructions to operate widely distributed.  In addition we must install sirens and speaker systems throughout the coastal plains with the appropriate warnings. Such an outdoor warning system is designed to alert residents about possible danger. Specific emergency announcements can be broadcast over any of these sirens which should be located on poles and on top of buildings throughout all neighbourhoods.

Citizen preparedness

We should make a plan, build a kit (buy canned foods and store in your home to last a few days), and get involved in practicing for different scenarios.

Business readiness

In a previous column I wrote on contingency planning and why business must have a recovery plan. A recovery plan is important in many ways for businesses in order to survive during a disaster. Most businesses have their warehouse with excess supplies either at their current location on the coastal plains instead of a warehouse on higher ground such as at up the Linden highway.   With an offsite storage area, a business has the opportunity to recover given a major natural disaster. Scanning paper records into electric format is also a way to create backup records as well as improve access to important documents.  The loss of essential records, files, and other materials during a disaster is commonplace and can not only add to your damage costs, but also delay your return to normal operations. The longer your business is not operating, the more likely you are to lose customers permanently to your competitors.  The cost of downtime is significant

Civil defence

After a thorough assessment of past disasters and the likelihood of future catastrophes, Guyana needs to anticipate every form of calamity, be it a natural disaster or otherwise, and take the necessary steps to insure the ongoing safety of its citizens.

A crisis management plan should be in place that can be initiated in a moment’s notice should disaster strike. Another wise step would be to create and distribute a readiness document detailing what steps should be taken by the citizens during the most probable disasters, which in our case is most likely another flood or hurricane-type weather. The document should specify the dangers that should be avoided in a given situation, such as driving into moving water, staying away from electrical outlets and how to shelter from high winds.

A solid and reliable infrastructure plays an integral role in being prepared for any disaster as well.

Conclusion

There is no reason why an entire country should be flying by the seat of its pants when it comes to disasters. Being prepared can save money on property damage, but most importantly, it can save lives. A car can be replaced and a home can be rebuilt, but a life lost can never be replaced.

We need to re-invent our Civil Defence Commission that is tasked to ensure we are ready for disasters. We need to be prepared for disasters; we need to be educated on how to act; we need to be informed prior to such events as early as possible; and we in the business community need to develop our business recovery plan and test it regularly. Let’s us get ready. We can prepare now for the preservation of life in the unknown future. Until Next time “Roop”

Send comments to peter.ramsaroop@gmail.com