bvc_june2017

12 13 OPENING LINES DISCIPLINED FORCES TRAINED FOR CARICOM DISASTER RELIEF UNIT IN BARBADOS T hirty-one participants from the disciplined forces, including police, military, and fire services took part in the annual Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Disaster Relief Unit (CDRU) train- ing, held at the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Coordinating Unit and the headquarters of the Regional Security System (RSS) in Barbados from May 29– June 2, 2017. The CDRU is a specialized humanitarian re- sponse team equipped to provide assistance to any of the 18 CDEMA participating states, affected by natural or technological hazard. Members of the disciplined forces have been tasked to be bold, courageous, and innova- tive in harnessing the capabilities required to respond. This challenge was issued by CDE- MA’s Executive Director, Ronald Jackson, in his address at the opening ceremony. Jackson highlighted the importance of the CDRU in light of the increased exposure and vulnerability of the region to hydro meteo- rological events, potential seismic, as well as crime and security risks. He also said that there remains a challenge to the Caribbe- an Community in tackling the humanitarian needs after disaster events, which further underscores the need for a coordinated unit to facilitate response and relief efforts. “What we have done over the past 25 years and our responses most recently in the after- math of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, our sup- port after the 2010 earthquake again in Haiti, and our operations in Dominica post Tropical Storm Ericka, only serve to validate that back in 1991, the leaders of the Caribbean got it right in terms of what we need to advance in this regard,” Jackson noted. The CDRU is one of the specialized teams trained by CDEMA each year as part of the Regional Response Mechanism (RRM).The RRM, which is coordinated by CDEMA, is based on the collaboration and cooperation of key regional and international organizations supported by a collection of Agreements and Protocols.