More than just practice: Officials say disaster drills crucial for real emergencies

A senior fire official is calling for more large-scale disaster simulation exercises in Barbados, saying that such joint operations are critical to sharpening emergency responses, identifying weaknesses, and ensuring seamless coordination among security and medical agencies.

Station Officer Fernando McAllister of the Barbados Fire Service, who is attached to the Regional Security System (RSS), made the appeal following a mass casualty drill in The Whim, St Peter, on Thursday. 

The exercise, which simulated the aftermath of two public service vehicles crashing during inclement weather, involved over 40 casualties and two fatalities.

“We need continuous joint training so that we can understand the roles and responsibilities of the various network entities,” McAllister stressed. “That’s the only way we can do it, so that when we are at a major incident, there’s unison at the incident ground, and we’re not wondering who is the incident commander, who does this and who does what.”

The full-scale simulation, designed to test Barbados’ emergency response to a hurricane-induced mass casualty event, was the result of a collaboration between the Barbados Fire Service, as part of its 70th anniversary activities, and the Barbados Defence Force (BDF).

“We had torrential rains the night before in the scenario,” McAllister explained. “Two buses ran off the road. One of them went through a group of hikers… and as you can see, that’s what you have here—a mass casualty response according to emergency protocols.”

Representatives from the Barbados Fire Service, Police Service, Department of Emergency Management (DEM), Barbados Defence Force, Barbados Red Cross, Roving Response Team, and the Rapid Relief Team (RRT) participated in the simulation. The RRT also provided rehydration and meals for responders in the field.

McAllister praised the contribution of volunteer groups: “These are volunteer groups that we don’t pay. They give back to the community. So I want to give many thanks to the Rapid Relief Team for supporting us.”

He noted that while similar exercises had been held in the past—such as during Barbados’ 50th anniversary celebrations and under the US-led Tradewinds initiative—major drills of this scale remain infrequent. “This is the first time in a while we’ve done something of this magnitude, and we need more.”

Exercise communications liaison Glyne Alleyne underscored the importance of such drills, noting they provide critical insights into how effectively agencies work together under pressure.

“This is a mass casualty incident with numerous response agencies—police, fire, ambulance, DEM, BDF—each playing their role seamlessly to mitigate the incident,” he said. “We have over 40 casualties today, so you can appreciate the scale. A team of evaluators is on site to assess what goes right, what goes wrong, and identify strengths and weaknesses.”

Alleyne also highlighted the media’s role in real-life incidents. 

“Had this been a real incident, you would also be mobilised to cover it. So there would be media briefings to get the word out while law enforcement maintains cordons to control the scene.”

However, the exercise also exposed challenges. 

“Some persons have breached the cordon and are stealing the victims’ possessions,” Alleyne said. “These are the types of real-world issues we must prepare for.”

Assistant Superintendent of Police Carolyn Blackman-Alleyne, second-in-command of the Northern Division, provided additional details on the simulated scenario, which included two fatalities and three reported thefts.

“In this regard, investigations will be conducted into the unnatural deaths. Three suspects are in custody, and the driver of one of the buses is assisting with investigations,” she said.

As climate risks increase and regional vulnerability to natural disasters grows, McAllister insisted that preparedness must go beyond tabletop exercises and occasional drills.

“We can’t just train in silos. We must train together, regularly, so that when it really happens, we’re ready.”

 (SZB)