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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Bahamas Information Services Updates
NASSAU, The Bahamas – The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, hosted a two-day Shelter Management Certification Course for personnel of the Department of Social Services, Royal Bahamas Defence Force and other agencies, in preparation for the 2016 Hurricane Season. The shelter management course is part of NEMA’s ongoing training programme aimed at building disaster resilient communities throughout The Bahamas. Some 25 people participated in the workshop held May 19-20 at NEMA on Gladstone Road, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by way of the manuals used for the training. Luke Bethel, Training Officer at NEMA said more than 500 people on New Providence and about 300 on the Family Islands have been trained and certified in shelter management over the years. “NEMA is in refresher mode and wants more members of the general public to become certified in shelter management,” he said. Deputy Director of the Department of Social Services Lillian Quant Forbes said that the department is ready for the coming hurricane season and in the process of confirming designated shelters throughout the country. Workshop trainer Felicia Turnquest, Registered Nurse with the Department of Public Health, took the participants through the manual, which outlines shelter identification and selection, inspection guidelines, shelter manager duties and responsibilities, ‘shelteree’ preferences and needs, shelter pre-activation, activation and de-activation, amongst other things. The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs June 1 to November 30. A total of 14 named storms; eight hurricanes and three major hurricanes are forecast during the 2016 season. The 2016 named storms are: Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Ian, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Matthew, Nicole, Otto, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tobias, Virginie, and Walter.
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