thebahamasweekly.com - NEMA Promotes Safer Building Practices

From:TheBahamasWeekly.com

Bahamas Information Services Updates
NEMA Promotes Safer Building Practices
By NEMA
Mar 18, 2013 - 4:49:57 PM

Captain Stephen Russell, Director of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, speaks with participants at the Safer Building Course held Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15, 2013 at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, BTVI. (BTVI Photo/Edward Russell III)

NASSAU, The Bahamas - The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA in collaboration with the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency, CDEMA and The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute held a Safer Building Course to ensure buildings are constructed according to the country’s building code.

The course held Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15, 2013 attracted participants from CDEMA participating states of The Bahamas, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

NEMA is seeking to enhance community resilience to disasters by promoting safer building in the Caribbean. Additionally, BTVI proposes to implement the Regional Code of Practice for the Construction of Houses (COP).

NEMA is further seeking to ensure sustainability, as it plans to facilitate programmes in partnership with BTVI and Urban Renewal Centres on the Safer Building Course throughout The Bahamas and selected Family Islands.

The target group for the course included individuals who are currently in the construction field, from the Ministry of Works and Urban Renewal, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Her Majesty’s’ Prison, and the Englerston Urban Renewal office.

Participants in the Safer Building Course touring the facilities at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, BTVI, where the course was held from Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15, 2013. (BIS Photo/Kris Ingraham)

Participants heard from instructors were qualified in their respective fields namely Alexander Darville, Dean of Construction & Work Force, BTVI; Graham Thornley, Head of Department, BTVI; Craig Delancy, Building Controller, Ministry of Works and Urban Renewal; Craig Knowles, Engineer, Bahamas Electricity Corporation.

The first Safer Building Course was held over a five-week period from February 21 to March 21, 2011 at BTVI. Two sessions were held weekly, Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Sessions lasted four hours. A total of 40 hours inclusive of classroom and practical instructions were held to fulfill the requirements, while instructors from BTVI monitored and facilitated all sessions. Eighteen persons successfully completed the course.