The Disaster Emergency Communication System has proven effective in coordinating the activities of the national emergency management process. Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, said the system, which was developed by the Government of Jamaica in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has allowed emergency responders to concentrate their efforts in those areas where...

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ), Audley Deidrick, says an assessment will be done of conditions at the island’s airports, once Hurricane Beryl has passed. He told JIS News that the assessment is to “attend to any issue that may inhibit opening and state how these will be dealt with in short order for...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has advised that personnel at the Port Royal Fire Station have been relocated to York Park, downtown Kingston, due to storm surges associated with the passing of Hurricane Beryl. JFB Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, told JIS News that the possible blockage of the Palisadoes strip in Port Royal also contributed to the relocation. He indicated that...

Citizens are being advised that emergency services may still be contacted during and after the passage of Hurricane Beryl, even if cell phone signals have been disrupted. Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, told JIS News that persons may dial 110, 112 or 119 to contact the ambulance services, JFB and Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), respectively. He said the...

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, is reporting that 84 persons are being accommodated in emergency shelters across St. James. He told JIS News that 50 are tourists who were evacuated from the Zoetry Hotel in Rose Hall. They are being housed at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, which serves as the tourism shelter. Councillor Vernon said the remaining...

In anticipation of the potential impact of Hurricane Beryl, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has taken proactive measures to ensure the safety and security of all citizens. As an integral part of the national emergency response mechanism, the JDF stands ready to respond to any incident that may arise as a result of the storm. In accordance with standard protocols...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says 488 persons are now in shelters across Jamaica. “More shelters are coming on and more persons are going in,” he further advised. The Prime Minister was speaking during a visit to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), located at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Kingston on Wednesday...