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ODPEM to get new Building

March 7, 2008

The Full Story

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for local government reform, Robert Montague has informed that there are plans to construct a new building for the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM)
“You cannot have a disaster response agency that the first thing they worry about is if the headquarters is going to keep standing during a disaster,” he said.
The State Minister was speaking at a media round table on local government reform, held yesterday (March 6), at the Department of Local Government on Hagley Park Road. He also noted that Jamaicans need to be informed that ODPEM does not only respond to hurricanes, but they also respond to natural disasters, such as fires and earthquakes. “We need to begin to lift that discussion across the country. So therefore, we are going to go back to the whole question of community response, zone committees, parish committees,” Mr. Montague said. The State Minister said there are also plans to upgrade the nation’s infirmaries and to utilize alternative sources of energy, “so as to reduce the cost of operating a lot of our infirmaries.” Mr. Montague pointed out that these infirmaries would be fenced, in order to make them more secure.

Last Updated: March 7, 2008

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