Trelawny Residents Being Sensitised About Relocation

Residents of Trelawny who live in flood prone areas, are being sensitised about the importance of moving quickly to a shelter in the event of a hurricane or flooding.
Disaster Preparedness Co-ordinator for the parish, Deon Hylton-Lewis, told JIS News that Zion in Martha Brae was chief among flood-prone areas that were under the ‘watchful eyes’ of the disaster committee, the other areas being, Bottom Town in Clarke’s Town, Congo Town and Bliss Pasture.
“We continue to sensitise these residents about the importance of being on the alert, so they can relocate quickly to the nearest shelter, in the event of a hurricane or flood warning. We carry out regular community meetings where citizens from these areas receive training in basic disaster management and first aid,” Mrs. Hylton-Lewis noted.
She advised that the drive was on in earnest to ensure that all 46 designated and 53 contingency emergency shelters across the parish are inspected and passed as satisfactory.
“At the moment, we are short on our stock of emergency supplies and protective gear for shelter managers and first responders, who have all been trained under a programme, which has been sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). We are hoping that the Parish Council will be able to purchase these needed items soon,” she said.
“However, we are continuing to be active with our community awareness initiatives and citizens are responding well. Our drain cleaning programme is on track, thanks to the National Works Agency, which is targeting the most critical ones across the parish. I can safely say that the parish of Trelawny is about 75 per cent ready for the hurricane season,” Mrs. Hylton-Lewis added.