Dennis Chung Appointed New ODPEM Board Chairman

Dennis Chung is the new Board Chairman for the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, officially introduced Mr. Chung during the National Disaster Risk Management Council meeting at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in St. Ann on Wednesday (May 29).

“He has been duly appointed to serve for the next three years as Chairman of the Board,” Mr. McKenzie informed.

The Minister said Mr. Chung’s appointment comes at a crucial time with forecasts indicating that this year’s hurricane season will be one of the most active in recent history.

The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1.

Mr. McKenzie said the new Chairman’s extensive experience will be a boon to ODPEM, which is tasked with ensuring that Jamaica is resilient against the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

“This Administration has put ODPEM in a strong financial position to put in the necessary infrastructure for the organisation to work… effectively and efficiently. We have put in place a new Board of Management to help to ensure that the organisation is in a position to respond,” the Minister added.

Meanwhile, Mr. McKenzie is underscoring the importance of personal responsibility in disaster preparedness.

He reiterated that Jamaica is among the top-five most susceptible countries to natural disasters globally.

“You can never be overprepared, because you don’t know when [a disaster will strike],” Mr. McKenzie cautioned.

For his part, Mr. Chung outlined the three-phase approach imperative for effective disaster management.

These, he pointed out, are resilience, planning, and preparedness (stage one); management of the disaster (stage two); and response (stage three).

He said greater emphasis on the initial stages will simplify the latter, thereby enhancing overall disaster management.

Mr. Chung further acknowledged the critical role the Council and ODPEM have in shielding Jamaicans from natural disasters.

“This doesn’t mean that we cannot improve even more. The next step I see, certainly, is for us to enhance the forecasting. It’s better for us to build resilience and have minimal impact, and we need to do this because, inevitably, a disaster will occur, especially with the impacts of climate change,” he explained.

The National Disaster Risk Management Council meeting facilitated a review and update of Jamaica’s disaster preparedness and response plans, via presentations from various government agencies, departments and stakeholders, all aimed at guaranteeing a unified and efficient response to disasters.

The meeting also entailed assessments of current risks and vulnerabilities and focused on formulating and outlining policies and strategies to reduce disaster risks and enhance resilience.

Among the entities represented were the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Meteorological Services of Jamaica, Earthquake Unit, Mines and Geology Division, and ODPEM.