St John's, June 7, 2005 (DMCA) - Montserrat was the venue for a major international exercise June 5-10, 2005.

(Left to right) General Earl Arthurs of CDERA, Roger Bellers, Chief Minister John Osborne, Ms. Rebecca Arias and Katarina Toll-Velasquez (GUI)

The On-site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) training module in International Search and Rescue Operations and other disaster scenarios formed part of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team’s (UNDAC) training programme.

This training module was designed to train UNDAC members, support staff, national disaster managers and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) liaison officers who were likely to be called upon to establish an OSOCC.

Thirty-nine (39) participants from a total of eighteen (18) countries/islands and ten (10) regional/International organizations participated in the course.

The Participants were introduced to the historic evolution of the OSOCC Concept and the OSOCC in a multi-organization environment, training in the use of the equipment needed to establish a functioning OSOCC, the “UNDAC” Mission software and the Virtual OSOCC.

Furthermore, participants were trained in the establishment of Receptions/Departure centre and Sub-OSOCC and were informed on the principles on which International responses are based and the role of the United Nations in Sudden- onset disasters. It was the result of a collaborative process among OCHA, the Montserrat authorities, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for the Eastern Caribbean States, based in Barbados, and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA).

In order to create a realistic understanding of the emergency and the international relief environment, several simulation exercises were be played during the training event, interrupted by theoretical course sessions, as appropriate.

The course ran for twenty (20) hours including evening sessions.

The main funding for the UNDAC training course was provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) based in Geneva.

Participants of the course (GUI)

Participating Countries
Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Montserrat, panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands, Switzerland, The United Kingdom and the United States.

Regional/International Organizations

• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA)
• Central American Centre for Disaster Prevention (CEPREDENAC)
• Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
• Pap Action
• United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
• OCHA
• Regional Security System (RSS)
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees (NHCR)
• UN Development Programme (UNDP)
• International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP) – Finland (providing an equipment support module for the course and Exercise).

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Captain Horatio Tuitt
Director
Disaster Management Coordination Agency,
St John's
Montserrat
Tel: (664) 491-7166
Fax: (664) 491-2465/7003
Email: tuittqh@gov.ms