Participants and presenters take time out from The Southern Bahamas Disaster Conference, held February 14 to 16, 2012 at the Sheraton Cable Beach Resort to pose for an official picture. Pictured seated from fifth left is Captain Stephen Russell, Director, National Emergency Management Agency; Jeffrey Smith, US Northern Command; : Dr Erin Hughey, Senior Disaster Management Specialist, Pacific Disaster Centre, Hawaii; and Gary Knowles, Ministry of Lands and Local Government. Standing far right is Captain Michael Iwanicki, US Embassy, Nassau. (BIS Photo/Kris Ingraham)

NASSAU, The Bahamas -  The  objectives of the Southern Bahamas Disaster Conference have been met, said Director of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Captain Stephen Russell as he closed out a three-day conference Thursday, February 16, 2012.

The conference which opened Tuesday, February 14, attracted Family Island administrators and chief councillors who had the opportunity to review and correct deficiencies in the steps taken prior, during and in the aftermath of the Category 3 Hurricane Irene experienced in August 2011.

The conference was held under the theme: “Building Disaster Resilient Communities through Mitigation, Preparedness and Effective Recovery”. Participants engaged in group activities and panel discussions on the application of initial damage assessments, damage assessment and need analysis, working with the media during response and recovery phases, financial procedures in disaster recovery and improving response and recovery by building regional emergency management capabilities and other related topics.

Captain Russell encouraged the participants to implement what they have learnt during their sessions, in keeping with the objective to be better prepared to respond to any disaster which might occur.

“The objectives of the conference have been met. I encourage you to engage residents in your communities towards this end,” he said.

Participants who assembled at the Sheraton Cable Beach Resort represented the Southern Bahama Islands of Great Inagua, Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Cay.  Others represented key Government agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations.

The conference, the third in a series was sponsored by NEMA, the Ministry of Lands and Local Government, the United States Embassy in Nassau, the Pacific Disaster Centre, and the United States Northern Command.

The key presenters were: Dr Erin Hughey, Senior Disaster Management Specialist, Pacific Disaster Centre, Hawaii; Steve Recca, Humanitarian Assistance Programmes Advisor, Pacific Disaster Centre; Captain Stephen Russell, Director, NEMA; Luke Bethel, disaster manager, NEMA; and Gayle Moncur, disaster manager, NEMA.