Focus on Hurricane Preparedness

11 June 2021 | Press Release | By: CIG Communications

Government leaders turned their focus to hurricane preparedness on Friday, 4 June 2021.

Following a meeting of the National Hazard Management Executive, co-chaired by the His Excellency the Governor Martyn Roper and Premier, Hon. Wayne Panton in the morning, both men attended a joint hurricane preparedness exercise by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Air Operations Unit and the Cayman Islands Regiment in the afternoon.

The executive, which is the lead decision making body in a national crisis, held its first meeting of the hurricane season on Friday. 

In addition to the Governor and the co-chair members of the National Hazard Management Executive include:

 

  • Leader of the Opposition
  • Deputy Governor
  • Attorney General;
  • Minister responsible for Finance;
  • Chief Officer, responsible for Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI); 
  • Director, HMCI
  • Police Commissioner
  • Cabinet Secretary
  • District Commissioner
  • all Ministers of the Cabinet.

The meeting was also the first since the General Election on 14 April returned a new Government, which meant that almost all MPs present were attending the meeting for the first time.

Governor Martyn Roper began by explaining the role of the National Hazard Management Executive in a disaster.

Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) Director Danielle Coleman then provided an overview of the structure and work of the National Emergency Operations Centre which co-ordinates on the ground response in an emergency.  

Meanwhile Deputy Governor Franz Manderson who chairs the National Emergency Operations Council walked the group through the NEOC’s experiences with severe weather-related activations in 2020.

National Weather Service Director General John Tibbetts concluded the session by outlining the Atlantic Hurricane Seasonal Prediction.

Later that afternoon the Governor and Premier got a close-up look at a joint Hurricane preparedness exercise by the RCIPS Air Operations (Air Ops) Unit and the Cayman Islands Regiment.

The two men, accompanied by Acting Chief Officer for the Ministry of Home Affairs Michael Ebanks and Regiment Commander Lt Col Simon Watson, flew in the RCIPS helicopter from the Air Ops base in George Town to the Bodden Town Community Playing Field.

After the regiment and RCIPS team worked together to land the helicopter, a member of the Regiment cast in the role of an injured patient in need of medical attention, was onloaded and then offloaded by regiment troops as part of the training process.

The chopper then returned to the Air Ops base with the Premier and Governor.

Working to help safely land helicopter crews in a disaster is a standard part of training for the regiment which was created to strengthen the on-island public safety response in the event of a national disaster.

Governor Roper commented: “It’s been really reassuring to look around and see the work going on across the Cayman Islands to ready the country for hurricane season. Members of our disaster preparedness community are constantly developing their skills in this area and their commitment to keeping the country safe is second to none.”

Commending public safety agencies, and associated community volunteers, for their response to preparedness, Premier Panton encouraged Caymanians and residents to also get ready now for hurricane season.

“These days it is impossible to predict at what stage during hurricane season a dangerous storm may threaten. We are also seeing more instances of rapid intensification. As such I urge everyone in the Cayman Islands to plan now how they can protect themselves and their families”, the Premier remarked.

Mr Panton added that the Hazard Management Cayman Islands website, caymanprepared.gov.ky, offers useful information for anyone looking to prepare for the upcoming season, whether they have lived here all their lives or are newcomers.

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