Dominica being one of the countries most affected by the passage of Hurricane Irma and Maria in September 2017 has been the focus of a Government of Japan partnership with UNDP to strengthen disaster preparedness especially in vulnerable communities.
The Commonwealth of Dominica and its Office of Disaster Management (ODM), along with 11 trained CERT Instructors and Supervisors, lead training in Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for 28 community members (18 women, 10 men) from the Calibishie, Marigot, Wesley and Woodfordhill northeast communities of Dominica in the disaster areas of Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Fire Suppression, Disaster Medical Operations, Disaster Response Operations, Light Search and Rescue Operations, Team Organization, and culminating with Disaster Simulation Exercises.
The Closing and Presentation ceremony was held at the ODM on Friday May 24th, 2019 following a challenging week of training and activities from the period Monday, May 20th, 2019 – Friday, May 24th, 2019. Offering his closing remarks at the Closing Ceremony, John Walcott, UNDP Early Warning Systems Project Coordinator, commented “I am proud that each of you have earnt your course completion certificate as an appreciation for your dedication and application to the training, and an achievement of persevering through this week.
My hope and desire is that your life is forever changed, as you are now equipped to save lives in your community, and largely, within the Commonwealth of Dominica”. Participants were encouraged to enjoy the occasion, to keep refreshing their training, reviewing their learning resources, and to live out a team spirit in keeping together.
ODM expressly thanks the Government of Japan and the UNDP for lending their support and enabling additional CERT trained community members who will serve their community and country in their new role as ‘CERTs’.
