St. George’s, Grenada: The National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) continues to promote a culture of disaster preparedness at all levels of society.

To this end, more than thirty (30) head teachers of preschools throughout Grenada attended a two-day training exercise, the brainchild of the Ministry of Education, to develop and implement hazard-specific plans, facilitated by NaDMA at the PWU Conference Room.

Among other topics, the workshop covered hazard identification and analysis and evacuation procedures, to equip participants with the knowledge and awareness of the importance of personal and school safety, how to identify and reduce risks, respond to incidents that may occur at their school, and evacuation procedures for different hazards.

A culture of safety is important because these institutions are responsible for the lives of small children, who may also have special needs.

The participants, who described the workshop as extremely timely and one that created a great learning experience, are expected to present a draft disaster plan and a floor plan for the school to the Early Childhood Division. The plans will be vetted by the National Disaster Management Agency and the Ministry of Education for implementation at the schools once approved.

NaDMA continues to ensure that volunteers are equipped, and ready to serve should a hazard result in a disaster.

Simultaneous disaster management-related training exercises were recently conducted in Grenada and Carriacou. They involved damage assessment and needs analysis (DANA), with the Ministry of Social Development in Grenada, and initial damage assessment (IDA) shelter management with volunteers in Carriacou.

NaDMA is convinced that adequate training prepares individuals to make sound decisions to save lives and property during emergencies. The agency encourages individuals, families, and communities to volunteer and become part of the district teams.

For additional information, please contact Mrs. Ruth Jacob-Roberts, Public Information Officer at NaDMA 440-8390-4, cell 533-0766, or email admin@nadma.gd and pro@nadma.gd.