San Pedro NEMO holds Search and Rescue/First Aid Training

The San Pedro branch of National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) is holding a Search and Rescue/Basic First Aid Training on Friday, July 1st. The training is being held with the objective to continue the preparation for the remaining hurricane season 2011. The training will be held at the San Pedro Town Council Conference Room commencing at 8:30 am.

The purpose of the training is four-fold: to enhance knowledge, skills and ability to better understand the importance of search and rescue; to train participants on how to conduct search and rescue; how to apply basic first aid on casualties and; the importance of search and rescue and basic first aid in the field before and after an emergency or disaster.

While the training is geared towards the emergency chairpersons and committee members, members of the general populace are welcome to attend. The terms of your participation would be discussed and you are asked to contact Ms. Jeromey Timrose, District Emergency Coordinator for NEMO San Pedro, no later than today at 600-8672/666- 476 OR 226-4291.

NEMO holds last meeting to officially closes the Hurricane Season 2010

The official hurricane season runs through the months of June through November. Tuesday November 30th marked the last day of the Hurricane season for the year 2010. The past Hurricane Season saw the country facing three major scares.

Hurricane season 2010 started on June 1st and promised to be one of the most active in recent years. With twenty one names listed: Alex, Bonnie, Collin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Igor, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Matthew, Nicole, Otto, Paula, Richard, Sharry, Thomas, Virginie and Walter, hurricane season 2010 was well underway. Twelve of those named storms became hurricanes and of those twelve, five were intense hurricanes; major hurricanes categories three four or five. For us here in Belize, the threats didn’t start until late June.

On June 26th at about six pm, tropical storm Alex, the first named system of the season made landfall in Belize approximately twenty miles north of Belize with maximum sustained winds of about 65mph. The damage suffered by the country as a result of TS Alex was fairly minimal notwithstanding the fact that it was a very large system.

Karl and Matthew followed within 10 days of each other. What started off as an area of interest, I92L, out in the Caribbean, moved westward and reached tropical storm status “Tropical Storm Karl” late Tuesday afternoon, September 14th. At about 7:30am on Wednesday September 15th, the center of tropical storm Karl made landfall just north of the country of Belize, passing through and going towards Chetumal, Mexico with maximum sustained winds of about 45 mph. The extent of the tropical storm covered the area between San Pedro and Belize City, covering the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts and northward over the Yucatan Peninsula. This was followed shortly after by Matthew and Richard.

Hurricane Richard was the 17th named storm and the 10th hurricane of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. Richard developed from an area of low pressure that stalled in the Caribbean Sea in mid-October. It slowly organized and was declared a tropical storm and given the name Richard on October 20th 2010. At around 5:40pm on October 24th, Hurricane Richard made landfall about 20 miles south-southeast of Belize City at peak intensity with wind gusts of about 90-100mph.

Hurricane Richard crossed the country of Belize to the Guatemalan Boarder maintaining its strength all the way through. Hurricane Richard caused major structural damage and power outage for most of the country. The citrus industry suffered a major blow as all the citrus crops were blown off the trees. Richard destroyed many homes leaving thousands without roofs over their heads. However most importantly, Richard also caused the loss of two lives.
Through all these threats and in some cases, hurricanes, the National Emergency Management Organization NEMO and its various sub bodies, including the members of the Emergency Operating Committee were instrumental in maintaining order and keeping residents of both islands safe.
Miss Jeromey Timrose Augustine, DEC District Emergency Co-ordinator for Belize Rural south which includes San Pedro and Caye Caulker, hosted a final meeting for the hurricane season 2010. The meeting was held at the conference room at the Villas at Banyan Bay on Thursday December 2nd at2:00pm. The purpose of this meeting was to officially close the hurricane season as well as issue Certificates of Appreciation and awards to outstanding chair persons and members of the Emergency Operating Committee EOC that have supported NEMO throughout the Hurricane Season. Over 35 individuals gathered at the conference room, where Mayoress Elsa Paz offered her thanks to the team for a job well done during the Hurricane Season, as well as reports given by the various committee leaders.

After certificates and awards were issued, the group was invited for refreshments and a social. The San Pedro Sun congratulates all members of NEMO, the EOC, Public Servants as well as volunteers that worked tirelessly throughout all the threats that we faced in the past months, to keep us all informed and safe. Now that the threats are over, it is now time to re-build and start making plans for Hurricane Season 2011.

NEMO holds First AID Training!!!!!!!!!!!

In keeping with the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) trainings schedule, another in the series is here on its second round. Community First Aid training is scheduled for September 8 - 9, 2010. The Venue is the San Pedro Town Council's Conference Room.

All trainings commence at 9:am and runs through 4:pm.

The training days are split into two sessions to accomodate twenty five participants on any given day. Please schedule your people as seems fit.

This training will be essential to both participants and workplace.

Feel free to call the District Emergency Coordinator at 666- 7476/600-8672.
or Nurse Natalie Palin 226-2500, to confirm your participation and dates.

Any contribution towards the training will be gratefully appreciated. Example
snacks.

Thanks in advance for your participation in preparing our Community to
respond in rendering first aid to those in need.

The life you save may be yours, a friend or your family member.

NEMO Posts Storm Shelters Throughout the Country

NEMO Special Advisory #1

The latest update is, the center of Tropical Storm Alex was estimated to be near latitude 17.5 N and longitude 87.2 W. This position is about 70 miles east of Belize. Tropical Storm Alex is moving west northwest at 9 mph and is expected to continue on that track for the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds are now 45 mph with further strengthening expected. However, strengthening will be limited due to the storm’s proximity to land.

Persons in southern Belize who wish to receive information from NEMO can call Mr. Keith Emmanuel at 630-9711 and Mr. Kenton Parham at 662-4434. They can also call NEMO headquarters and ask for ACP Magdaleno at 610-0114 and Santiago Acosta at 668-4179

In San Pedro Town the following shelters will be opened: San Pedro High School (upper flat only), which will be managed by (Ms. Betty Longsworth); The Belize Yatch Club will be Melony Grinage and Maricia Leal and Ken Dyre; Evangelical Church Hector Alamilla; and Shalom Church Camille Ottley, which will be managed by: (Ms. Betty Longsworth). The Shelters will be opened at 4:00pm. The district coordinator is Ms. Timrose Augustine and her contact number is 600-8672 and 226-3651/ 3654.

Public Officers, who are in San Pedro, should report to Ms. Betty Longsworth so that you can be placed on shift.

In Caye Caulker the following shelters will be opened at 4:00 pm: Roman Catholic School and Private Homes which will be managed by (Ms. Nelda Rosada). The Shelters will be opened at 4:00pm. The District Coordinator is Ms. Timrose Augustine and her contact number is 600-8672 and 226-3651/ 3654.

In Corozal Town the following Shelters will be opened: Corozal Community College and will be managed by (Jael Cobb from Civil Aviation; Earl Miller from Customs Department; and Nazly Lopez from Ministry of Agriculture Corozal). The district coordinator is Mr. Elodio Aragon and his contact numbers are 610-0914 and 422-3158/ 3654.

In Belize City the following Shelters will be opened at 4:00 pm: On the North Side is Trinity Methodist Primary School which will be managed by ( Eugene W. Sabido from Forestry Department; Mary Guzman Election and Boundaries; Sheila Pitterson General Sales Tax Department; Wayne Frazer Income Tax Department; Shasta Gentle Audit Department; Karina Marage Customs Department; Charles Flowers Audit Department; Shellymae Crawford Police Department; and Alea Gillett from Fishries Department).

Mr. Charles Flowers is in charge for the Human Resource Personnel/Public Officer.

All Saints Primary School which will be managed by Elizabeth Betancourt from Ministry of Education; Fatima Godfrey Election and Boundaries; Tricia Wade Police Department; Sean Lord General Sales Tax Department; Maxine Davis Income Tax Department; Ian Lopez Civil Aviation; Keith Smith Customs Department; Randolph I. Young Audit Department; Dominique Fabro CITO;and Salvador Alvarado ITVET Belize). On the South Side shelters are Gwen Lizzaraga High School which will be managed by (Balita Campos Youth for the Future; Edmund Zuniga Audit Department; Jeneisha Gill Ministry of Works; Yvette Robateau Police Department; Ewart Bradley Jr. Ministry of Economic Development; Gary Brian Peters Ministry of Housing; Jaqueline Willoughby? Director of Public Prosecutions; Jason Daly Immigration Department; Tamika Swift Police Department; Hector Cunningham Fisheries Department; Jeavon Hulse? Department of Environment)and St. Johns Vianney which will be managed by (Dawn Brackett Director of Public Prosecutions; Eleanor Belizaire Ministry of Education; Tanya Peters Ministry of Labour; Ella Jean Gillett Policy and Planning Unit; George Castro Audit Department; Kenisha Stuarte Bureau of Standarts; Rudolph Baptist Post Office; Maelyn O’Brien Police Department). The district coordinator is Mr. Roger Espejo and his contact number is 670-8192.

Belize Rural will open Shelters at 4:00 pm in Lucky Strike – Government School , Maskall School Santana, Corozalito and Rockstone Pond Community Center which will be manned by the Village Chairpersons. The district coordinator is Mr. Calbert Budd and his contact numbers are 602-8632 and 225-5149.

In Orange Walk Town the following shelter will be opened at 4:00 pm: Complex Building, which will be managed by: ( Teresita Reyes Magistracy Department). The district coordinator is Ms. Suliema Celiz and her contact numbers are 629-1151 and 322-3228.

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NEMO holds training exercise

For the spectators on the beach, it seemed as though there was an accident in progress, but in fact, it was a simulation exercise for NEMO participants. Having trained for search, rescue and evacuation, participants of the exercise put what they learned into action. According to Mr. Frank Panton, the scenario was as such: “Two boats collided between the reef and Central Park. Belize Port Authority (BPA), Coast Guard, NEMO and SP Team came into action and tried to rescue and help those on board. There was one (hypothetical) death and one injury during the simulation, and participants had to apply what they had learned in the classroom.” He added that the exercise was completed successfully.

NEMO hopes that boat owners, managers, operators, participants and the public at large, will now ensure that passengers using the water taxis are documented (and not just by head count), plus that life jackets are won or made readily accessible to all who travel via water taxis. It is important for all to work together in a collaborative manner and be able to communicate with each other in such incidents. Safety and accountability for passengers was the top priority demonstrated.