Mayor of Montego Bay Calls for Development of Disaster Response Manual

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, is proposing the development of a disaster response manual to guide agencies and improve coordination during emergencies.

The manual is intended to strengthen preparedness, improve logistics and streamline response efforts for future disasters.

“We need a manual, a quick reference guide, so we don’t need to be asking questions when we should be positioning ourselves to deal with situations,” Mr. Vernon said at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) deactivation meeting held on March 3, at the St. James Municipal Corporation building.

The Mayor commended the agencies that operated within the EOC from October 25, noting that the team delivered commendable service despite the widespread devastation caused by hurricane melissa.

“This team here in St. James stood out nationally. During the height of the disaster, we had persons who placed citizens before themselves, waiting for calls so they could respond immediately and provide rescue,” Mayor Vernon noted.

Recovery efforts remain ongoing, particularly in infrastructure, utilities, housing restoration and economic revitalisation.

“We will continue to work with the National Works Agency (NWA) to ensure that we repair roadways, rebuild bridges and reconnect communities,” Mayor Vernon stated.

He also announced that the Municipal Corporation’s Commercial Services Department has been activated to identify and address fallen cables across the parish. Cables obstructing roadways will be removed by the Corporation, and the responsible utility companies will be billed for the work.

Additionally, Councillor Vernon indicated that the Municipal Corporation has resumed regulating entertainment activities, as promoters have restarted events.

“We’re looking forward to more applications. We will try as best as possible to facilitate requests so that we can use these events to revitalise the local economy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor, Councillor Dwight Crawford commended the leadership and agency cooperation demonstrated throughout the emergency response.

“I personally would like to commend you, Mr. Mayor, for a job well managed. It is the first time in my lifetime we’ve experienced such a disaster, and I think it is worthy of note,” Mr. Crawford said.

He also recommended that all agencies submit written suggestions to the Mayor’s Office to inform future disaster planning.

All agencies represented at the EOC confirmed that the parish has returned to a state of stabilisation, though recovery work continues.