Portland Disaster Committee Marks Earthquake Awareness Month

The Portland Disaster Committee has designated January as ‘Earthquake Awareness Month’ and has organized a number of activities to sensitise the public about earthquakes and how to prepare for such an event.
Among the activities planned are drilling exercises and lectures at a number of schools and health clinics and the mass distribution of pamphlets to provide information about earthquakes.
In an interview with JIS News, Coordinator of the Portland Disaster Committee, Faye Neufville said the activities were being conducted against the high level of interest shown by residents in the wake of the tsunami disaster in South Asia in December.
She said that drills have been conducted at the Bethesda Basic School, the Norwich Primary School and the Shebian Preparatory School and other exercises would be held at the Portland High School and the Portland Health Department.
Mrs. Neufville noted that the drills would go a far way in increasing awareness about what should be done to minimise the effects of an earthquake and asked that the exercises be taken seriously.
Turning to the general state of disaster preparedness in the parish, Mrs. Neufville said the Portland Disaster Committee was working assiduously with the communities to ensure that mechanisms were in place to minimise the effects of any disaster, which may occur.
She added that the zonal disaster committees and the emergency shelters were organized and could be mobilized at short notice.