Prune your trees – ODPEM

The Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Jackson, is advising persons who have tall trees on their property to prune them but not remove them. The advice was given as Tropical Storm Tomas advances towards the Central Caribbean.
In his briefing with emergency response agencies on November 1, Prime Minister Bruce Golding was advised by Mr Jackson that the trees posed a risk to life and property and persons should make every effort to prune them. Mr Jackson advised that the trees should not be removed as they helped to prevent land slippage. The Managing Director of the Water Resources Authority (WRA), Basil Fernandez told the Prime Minister, that in many areas the ground remains saturated and that surface water could rise again.
Addressing journalists at a press conference following the briefing, Minister Vaz advised that
“One of the other things that has been discussed as a preventative measure is the creation of a hotline where residents of various communities can seek assistance on the pruning of trees, and if necessary, the removal of trees that may cause a threat. It was highlighted that the ideal situation is more pruning than actually removal”.
Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Joan Gordon Webley, confirmed that the agency had 30 chain saw crews which were deployed across the island and they would be addressing priority needs in communities.