Above: Earl Freeman, a volunteer fireman on Nevis (right) participates in a search-and-rescue simulation exercise in Montserrat

By the Caribbean Journal staff

A group of three Nevisians recently concluded a five-day emergency response training programme in Montserrat.

The three, which included firefighter Earl Freeman, Fire Sub Officer Catherine Joseph and Project Officer at the Nevis Disaster Centre Brian Dyer, were taking a Community Emergency Response Team programme sponsored by the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union and the Italian government.

It was designed for “community leaders who have demonstrated the ability to teach and train others.”

The programme “educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations,” Dyer said.

A total of 27 participants attended the workshop from islands including Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat and the Virgin Islands.

“The CERT programme provides an opportunity for communities to become more self-reliant during disasters that may affect them,” he said. “It enables the development of multifunctional response teams whose members can give critical support as first responders and provide immediate assistance to victims.”