The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) is to embark on an initiative to
install emergency sirens in strategic locations around Antigua as an expansion to
the official notification system the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).
In a statement, NODS said already, it is consulting with key stakeholders on the
project.
Local Consultant on the project Refica Attwood held the first of a series of
consultations Wednesday morning at the NODS headquarters with representatives
from the police and defense forces, the fire department, telecoms providers and the
department of gender affairs.
Attwood says the consultations will gather knowledge from the technical and
telecoms sector in determining how the sirens will work once erected. Matters
being discussed include measures to address possible risks, the creation of a
training plan for all stakeholders involved and a draft standard operating
procedure.
The establishment of the sirens follows the introduction of radio and television
interrupters in several media houses namely ABS Radio and Television, Observer
Radio, Zoom Radio and Radio Lighthouse.
Director of NODS Sherrod James says meeting with the stakeholders is important.
“You representing your agencies have very vital input for us in determining how
this is rolled out, to look at where we need to be, what type of sirens, how we
interact and how do we get public participation on a whole in this process”, said
James.
A second consultation will take place next week, Wednesday June 19, with another
group of individuals. The consultative process, which is the first phase of the
project, should be completed by October.
The consultations are funded by the European Development Fund (EDF) project
entitled “Building the resilience of the CARIFORUM states to Disaster Risks and
Climage Change Impacts” (BRICS), through support from the Caribbean Disaster
Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
