From:TheBahamasWeekly.com

Bahamas Information Services Updates
NEMA Conducts Knowledge Exchange Workshop
By Lindsay Thompson
Aug 11, 2016 - 9:47:12 AM

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The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, conducted the 2016 National Knowledge Exchange Workshop, July 25-27, 2016. Pictured among the participants at NEMA are Captain Stephen Russell, Director, NEMA; Michael Chatman, Disaster Management Specialist and Response Lead, PDC; Jeffrey Smith, Humanitarian Assistance Programme Analyst, United States Embassy, Nassau/Northern Command (USNORTHCOM; Heatherlynn Gray, Disaster Services Analyst, PDC; and Gayle Outten-Moncur, NEMA. (BIS Photo/Kristaan Ingraham)

NASSAU, The Bahamas - The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its international partners -- the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) recently held the fifth Bahamas Knowledge Exchange Workshop for disaster managers.

The sessions were held at NEMA’s Headquarters on Gladstone Road, from July 25 to 27, 2016.

Director of NEMA Captain Stephen Russell, in opening the workshop stated that the aim is to strengthen capacity levels and to brainstorm over the past events, particularly Hurricane Joaquin which severely impacted the Central and Southeast Islands in October 2015.

The purpose of the workshop was to also provide participants with additional knowledge, experience and tools to communicate effective response planning.  The overall objective was to support the Family Islands with efficient response strategy.

A total of 34 personnel participated in the workshop.

Local presenters were Captain Russell, Director, NEMA; Luke Bethel, Operations/Training Officer, NEMA; Keith Philippe, Environment & Science Officer the Bahamas Environmental Scientific & Technology (BEST) Commission; Lindsay Thompson, Senior Information Officer, Bahamas Information Services; and Colin Trotman, Director of Television Production at the Broadcasting Corporation (ZNS).

The workshop was facilitated by: Jeffrey Smith, Humanitarian Assistance Programme Analyst attached to the United States Embassy, Nassau/Northern Command (USNORTHCOM); Steve Recca, Humanitarian Assistance Programme Advisor, Pacific Disaster Center (PDC); Michael Chatman, Disaster Management Specialist and Response Lead, PDC; and Heatherlynn Gray, Disaster Services Analyst, PDC.

The participants were issued Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Templates for possible use in strengthening respective existing plans.

Some of the topics addressed and discussed were:

·      An overview of Hurricane Joaquin, and Reviewing the National Disaster Plan

·      Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Best Practices

·      Assessing Community Risk and Needs

·      Potential Climate Impact in The Bahamas

·      Communication and Technology; and Working with the Media.

Participants were presented with certificates upon completion of the workshop.



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