The Civil Defence Commission (CDC), in collaboration with ExxonMobil, yesterday rolled out the oil spill response training component of its Volunteer Emergency Response Team (VERT) programme.
The course, a Department of Public Information release stated, is divided into two sections, and will be executed through a three-day workshop, which will engage VERT participants in sessions geared toward building capacity in oil spill response.
The release added that the areas being focused on are the Incident Command System 100/ 200 (ICS) and the deployment of oil spill response equipment. At the end of the workshop, the participants will be required to complete the ICS 100 and ICS 200 examinations online before being certified. Additionally, tomorrow, the last day of the workshop, there will be a practical session of equipment deployment.
Speaking to the importance of a training session of this nature, DPI reported that Director-General (DG) of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, related that the probability of an onshore oil spill occurring is far greater than an offshore spill. Further, with fuel vessels traversing the country’s rivers and roadways, there is a likelihood that a spill might occur.
“We want to ensure that we have volunteers who are trained and equipped and ready to respond to any oil spill if it occurred in any part of Guyana,” he stated.
Similarly, Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs at ExxonMobil, Deedra Moe, noted that volunteers that are equipped with relevant skills and knowledge are critical for providing support to relief agencies when accidents occur. “…What you’re doing here is so very important because there are significant benefits that can be derived from your involvement at the local and national level,” she stated.
