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Last Updated: Aug 25th, 2008 - 12:28:35 |
Source: http://www.nationnews.com/story/311270019355482.php
Barbadians stepped up their rescue training yesterday when they joined more than 20 seasoned rescuers from the region for the urban search and rescue light level course at Paragon in Christ Church.
Not only did they upgrade their routines, but Director of Emergency Services Judy Thomas announced the island would soon have a fully-equipped logistical response vehicle, for first responders rescue personnel.
Thomas, speaking at the course's closing ceremony, said Government would soon be purchasing the $80 000 vehicle.
"That will reside in my own department, the Department of Emergency Management but it will be fully equipped to support the first responders wherever they have to be in the theatre," she stated.
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| Members of a rescue team listening attentively for response to their calls for assistance |
Earl Arthur, senior programme officer of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Relief Agency (CDERA), who was also speaking on behalf of CDERA, said he wanted to see three more regional training facilities established.
"One of the things that we want to achieve in CDERA is to have countries with instructors for search and rescue, countries with trained search and rescue teams so that we will be able to develop regional instructors and to have regional search and rescue teams," he added.
The course which encompassed facilitators from Mexico, California, Fairfax Virginia and Costa Rica, saw personnel from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, Antigua and Barbuda Police/Fire Service, St Kitts and Nevis Fire Service, Jamaica Fire Brigade/Red Cross and Disaster Office as well as the Barbados Defence Force/Fire Service going through some rugged training in a set-up "collapsed" structure, searching for four victims.
This rescue training course is the second one organised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The first was conducted in Panama nine months ago.
Regional advisor for the USAID Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, Julie Leonard, noted this training was planned before the Arch Cot tragedy last August 26 and the earthquake last November, which then showed the need for skills in such areas.
Leonard said the United States was pleased to support the training activity, noting it had a two-pronged approach that sought to strengthen and develop the capacity for rescue operations in these countries.
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