Youth storm into disaster prep

The Department of Emergency Management is placing a strong emphasis on youth involvement in disaster preparedness, as demonstrated by its intern-led event held on Friday.

Director Kerry Hinds stressed the importance of young people becoming knowledgeable about disaster management and actively participating in community volunteer groups at the DEM’s summer event.

“You can be a volunteer in your community,” Hinds urged, highlighting the department’s efforts to engage youth in disaster preparedness activities. “I was very happy to see that a number of the young people also indicated that they would want to volunteer within their district emergency organisations within their various communities.”

The director’s comments came following the successful “High Winds; Rough Seas” event, organised and executed by interns at the department. The one-day event, which showcased the interns’ project planning abilities, featured interactive games and activities designed to test participants’ knowledge of disasters and preparedness. Summer camps and youth groups were invited to take part, further emphasising the focus on young people.

The event brought together representatives from various disaster management organisations, including the Barbados Red Cross, The Barbados Citizens Band Radio Association, The Amateur Radio Society of Barbados, The Barbados Defence Force, Barbados Meteorological Services, Barbados Fire Service, Sagicor General Insurance, and the Barbados Water Authority.

It targeted young people between the ages of seven and 21 and was designed to raise awareness of the various hazards that can affect Barbados and the Caribbean region and equip youth with practical skills to build their household emergency plans, create emergency supply kits and adopt safety measures.

(LG)