NEMO Prepares Government Agencies to Weather Crises
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Contact: Chris Satney
Monday, 10 March 2008 – The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) is helping government departments and agencies develop or review plans that will ensure the continuity of their operations, in the wake of a crisis.
Legislation enacted in 2000 requires every government agency to have at least one liaison officer to work with NEMO on issues of disaster management. Director of NEMO Dawn French said through this relationship is developed a plan to deal with crisis situations.
“This looks at everything from medical emergency to computer breakdown to a hurricane strike or earthquake. We have been working with the government agencies to ensure that if something happens they can continue to service the public, to ensure the services can continue with minimum interruption.”
NEMO recently conducted a session with the Department of Human Services, aligned to the Ministry of Health, to help the unit develop such a plan. The NEMO Director said whereas some departments have a plan in place for hurricanes or earthquakes, other situations that can affect their operations are often overlooked.
“If you are at a workplace, be it government or private, and the electricity or the water goes, it means therefore your air-conditioning will also be out; how long will you be able to function in that office space until it becomes unbearable? A decision may have to be taken to close the office for the day,” said Ms. French. “Having highlighted a number of those areas the team will go back to work on the document and return to us for another dialogue. The document will eventually be taken to the Permanent Secretary for him to sign off as a document for protocol in a crisis situation at the Department of Human Services.”
The plan also involves non-traditional issues such as HIV/AIDS, violence in the work place, sexual harassment, and stress management. NEMO has also suggested the inclusion of other threats including computer meltdown, loss of utilities, withdrawal of labour, hostage situations and an Avian Influenza outbreak. |
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