The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

A copy of a letter dated August 29, 2011, which was hand delivered to NEMA and copied to the officials indicated. The contents are self-explanatory.

NEMA  personnel should have been aware from the start of the hurricane season that there were islands that did not have satellite telephone or the ones that they had were not working. The NEMA representative on the islands affected should have been in constant communication with Nassau from where he would have been instructed to open shelters.

I did not receive and response to this letter, except from the police.

National Emergency Management Authorit

Captain Stephen Russell

August 29, 2011

Dear Sir,

Please accept the contents of this letter as being constructive and informative. The contents are from my experience as a police officer from the fifties through the eighties; months of training at the Scottish Police College with emphasis on Emergency and Disaster Planning and Crome Prevention Education,and the old methods of hurricane preparedness employed by the Police and other agencies in The Bahamas, that may be still relevant in this modern age.

Hurricane Preparedness must begin as early at March of each year, with a meeting of your organisation to be attended by government department heads and their management teams, including Family Island administrators. Law enforcement management teams must be in attendance. Hotel resort operators should be invited. It is at this meeting your organisation would be expected to discuss hurricane preparedness and delegate responsibilities to specific individuals and departments. The preparedness must include:

• The pruning of trees, that are close to BEC & BTC cables, which could prevent damage to cables and the loss of power. In the old days Police patrols reported these hazards and the responsible agencies pruned the trees. The large number of cut cables were avoided.

• Drains in areas prone to flooding were cleaned and kept cleaned to provide for the continuous flow of water during heavy rainfall. This was a continuous task being done by personnel from the Public Works Department.

• Police patrols reported the presence of construction material and debris left lying in areas where high winds could turn them into dangerous flying objects. Contractors and others concerned were told of their responsibility to have such items removed early in the hurricane season.

• Maintenance and testing of equipment prior to the start of the hurricane season, eg generators, satellite telephones and any other form of communication.

• Confirmation from the Social Services Department that they are ready and able to operate the shelters with trained personnel and volunteers.

• Hotels and resort executives must be asked to prepare and produce emergency plans for their resorts and copies submitted to NEMA for perusal.

• Anything else, that can be done to make our preparedness effective.

Upon my return to The Bahamas from Scotland, I was instrumental in the preparation of an Emergency Manual for the Police Force. After leaving the police service, I was instrumental in the preparation of Emergency Manuals for the Paradise Island Resort & Casino, the Crystal Palace Resort & Casino and the Lucayan Beach Resort & Casino. In those manuals a lot of emphasis was placed on preparedness prior to the emergency, eg, list of trained volunteers, lists of heavy equipment and lifting equipment providers, vehicles for evacuation of persons and the establishment of a centre for public information.

During Hurricane “Andrew” I was the Corporate Director of Security at the Paradise Island Resort & Casino. The usual hurricane preparedness meeting was held for executive management and department heads in April, 1992.

All of the above mentioned hurricane preparedness plans were discussed as documented in the manual. Pruning of trees near to any cables began. Lists of providers for needed materials and equipment were updated and confirmed.

Food and beverage suppliers were updated and confirmed. A list of volunteer employees, willing to work during a storm was updated and confirmed. An office was designated as the command centre and personnel selected to operate from the command centre.

Planned evacuation of visitors from two smaller hotels to the large hotels was part of the plan and the teams responsible to provide for the evacuation was named in the manual, also the procedure to follow.

During the previous years, there was always concern for the sea surge flooding the basements of the Britannia and Paradise Towers, where there were offices, restaurants, storage rooms, laundries and the switchboard operators. The use of sand bags eliminated that problem.

A wall was built with hundreds of bags of sand that effectively deflected the flow of water from the sea away from the basements through a parking lot to a canal. For the first time I saw how effective sand bags can be used. Persons residing in areas where there is flooding, such as Pinewood Gardens should be encouraged to use sand bags.

The emergency manual and the commitment of the teams of employees at the Paradise Island Resort & Casino received commendations from senior management.

All of our government ministries, corporations and departments must be committed to preparedness prior to any emergency. There must be a manual which must disclose requirements, responsibilities and the government agencies responsible.

In conclusion, I wish to state, that I am gainfully employed and am not in search of any work or appointment, but owe it to The Bahamas to provide information and knowledge which I gained through the courtesy of the government and people of this my adopted country. I am prepared, if you so desire to meet and discuss the contents of this letter and more at your convenience.

PAUL THOMPSON Sr

Nassau,

October 8, 2015.