Broadcasters on board

Stations sign MOU with DEM to boost dissemination of emergency info to public

By Brittany Brewster

The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) is on a mission to enhance and extend its Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (EWS).

To achieve this goal, it has entered into an agreement with five broadcast stations.

The partnership, which has been in the works for the last few months, aims to ensure the prompt and accurate dissemination of information concerning potential disaster risks.

The signing of the agreement took place on Monday at the Ministry of Home Affairs with Pulse Broadcast Services Inc. (Capital Media HD 99.3), BBS 90.7 FM, Faith FM 102.1, Mix 96.9 FM, Nothing But God (NBG) Radio 104.7 FM, and Starcom Network.

During the signing ceremony, Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams said that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) empowers the DEM to interrupt regular broadcasts or secure priority broadcasting slots with the media companies to ensure the swift delivery of critical messages to the public in a timely manner.

Highlighting the increasing unpredictability of weather conditions, Abrahams underscored the importance of effective communication. He referred to one instance when an unexpected storm hit during the night, leaving little time for alerts.

“We are, therefore, trying to provide as much information for Barbadians to allow them to make the right choices and to be informed,” he said.

While discussing measures to enhance the MEWS, Abrahams mentioned the involvement of the US-based Hurricane Hunter aircraft and a fixed-wing drone to improve prediction accuracy.

He stressed that having accurate information is pivotal for risk assessment, monitoring, and hazard analysis. However, he emphasised that translating this information into accurate and timely warnings for the public is the ultimate goal, making partnerships with media outlets vital.

“All of these measures are utilised to give us every chance to know exactly what is going to happen and to put things in place. When you have no notice, people act in panic, then it causes chaos. If persons know what to expect and know that they will be notified in the shortest possible time frame, it leads to some confidence in the system and some confidence in our ability to respond to a disaster,” Abrahams said.

Director of the DEM Kerry Hinds echoed Abrahams’ sentiments and pointed out that the collaboration with media stakeholders is part of a broader initiative to elevate the Multi-Hazard Early Warning System programme and align it with global standards.

“It is important that we seek to ensure that there’s early warning to the population to engender early action, and today really represents a very important step in advancing our early warning system and in advancing resilience in Barbados,” she said.

During the signing ceremony, General Manager of Starcom Network Anthony Green lauded the DEM and the Government Information Service for collaborating with local media houses.

“Media has always played a critical role in disaster management. There is a lot of work happening at every level to ensure that we have the best chance during a natural disaster, so it is good that the media can play a part in this because ultimately it is to help people,” he said.

Meanwhile, CEO of Mix 96.9 FM Scott Weatherhead said he was pleased that he was able to participate in the partnership which had been raised over the years, during meetings with the DEM.

“The emergency alert service, as we in the media would know it to be in broadcast, is a very important system that has been implemented in America and Canada since the early 1980s, and it is important because it allows all radio stations to be interrupted by the Department of Emergency Management and an important emergency message sent out across all media instantly and at the same time…. So we’re excited to see that it will be finally implemented in Barbados and to the benefit of all of our citizens here,” he said.

brittanybrewster@barbadostoday.bb