Written by Roddy Heyliger

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):— The application process for Mobility Passes for the 2012 Hurricane Season which starts from June 1 to November 30, starts as of April 18 only for the business sector and vital organizations.

The pass allows the aforementioned to assess possible damage to their property. Potential applicants have until May 25 to present all relevant information related to the process of requesting a Mobility Pass.

For the 2012 season, the application form as well as information sheet can be downloaded from the Fire Department’s website www.brandweersxm.net under the tab link “Hurricane Information” followed by the “Hurricane Passes” tab or via the direct link: http://www.brandweersxm.net/?page_id=114.

Passes are issued to the following categories: government personnel, personnel of essential companies or organizations, (sub) contractors for the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), transportation passes for hotel staff, business owners and members of vital organizations to assess possible damage to their property.

The hurricane pass application procedure is only intended for businesses and vital organizations with respect to their key personnel receiving an exemption to a curfew.

The Office of Disaster Management is handling the application process for the passes on behalf of the Prime Minister.

The hurricane mobility pass system is a mechanism to maintain public order during emergency situations. The Prime Minister assesses the damage after a disaster has occurred and can impose a curfew if the extent of the damage
poses a threat to the safety and security of the community.

After a disaster has struck, and a curfew has been imposed, the public roads can only be accessed by emergency crews. The Prime Minister will ensure that the curfew is limited to the essential time that is needed to execute emergency and disaster relief and recovery efforts.

The application form has to be completed and submitted to the offices of the Fire Department & Disaster Management, to the attention of the secretary located at Jackal Road 5, Cay Hill before May 23, 2012, with all necessary documents attached.

Applicants will be informed by email or telephone when to pick up the pass at the aforementioned address between office hours, Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

The Sint Maarten Fire Department is currently looking for a young Sint Maarten professional to strengthen the management team. A full job description can be downloaded here: Vacature brandweerofficier 2011 

A brief listing of the job requirements:

1. HBO-diploma (prefarably a technical degree);
2. Maximum age is 35 years;
3. Fluency in the Dutch and English languages;
4. Sint Maarteners are preferred.

In Photo: In the first row, left to right Hon. Minister Cornelius de Weever (third), followed by Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday and Fire Chief Winston Salomon. Also in attendance was the Princess Juliana International Airport Fire Brigade, VKS Officers and Soldiers. Photo DCOMM

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – A church service at the St. Martin of Tours Roman Catholic Church on Front Street was held in honor of fire fighters on Sunday as part of Fireman’s Week celebrations, which started on Sunday.

Attending the service were His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday, His Excellency Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt, Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, Hon. Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Cornelius de Weever, Fire Chief Winston Salomon and Commandant of the Sint Maarten Voluntary Corps (VKS) Jean Illidge, among other dignitaries and parishioners.

Fire fighters took active part in the service with the reading of scriptures, collecting the offering and two fire fighters rendered a well-known song of praise.

Fire Chief Winston Salomon addressed the congregation and thanked them for their support and attendance at the service.

The next main event of Firemen’s Week is a Firemen’s Uniformed Parade on Friday, April 1 beginning in the morning at the old fire depot in Philipsburg.

It will be the department’s first parade as the country’s fire brigade. A Firemen’s Ball is slated for April 2 and will take place at Port de Plaisance in Cole Bay at 7.00pm.

The Fire Fighters Foundation is the body responsible for organizing the various events around Fireman’s Week and through fund-raising efforts throughout the year seeks sponsorship for its activities.

During the past weeks fire fighters have been kept very busy in dealing with large bush fires due to the dry weather conditions. Officers work around the clock to keep our nation safe from peril and responding to emergencies.

The Fire Department falls under the Ministry of General Affairs with the prime minister politically responsible for the service.

Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams told the Department of Communications (DCOMM) on Sunday that fire fighters put the safety of others ahead of their own and we must do our part in reducing fire risks for ourselves and those who are called upon to protect us in the event of fire or a threat of such.

Several young persons have joined the ranks of firefighter in recent times, allowing the more senior officers to focus on training and guiding the recent entrants.

The prime minister added that she is impressed by the dedication and work of the island’s first responders in the event of a fire or other disaster and congratulates them on their national Firemen’s Week.

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Section Head of Disaster Management Paul Martens described the workshop that brought together the 10-Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to carry out a Caribbean-wide earthquake/tsunami exercise, as a success and will lead to the development of a national tsunami response plan for the country.

Tsunami workshop SXM 23-03-2011

The exercise was based on a 7.6 magnitude earthquake near the U.S. Virgin Islands that triggered a 2.5 meter high tsunami.

Also attending the earthquake/tsunami scenario that took place in the conference room of the Fire & Ambulance Dept. in Cay Hill was Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Cornelius de Weever and Emilia Thomas from the Cabinet of the Prime Minister. The EOC meeting was chaired by National Disaster Coordinator Fire Chief Winston Salomon.

The scenario was based on a 2.5 meter tsunami striking the airport and the village of Simpson Bay.

During the table top exercise, communicating the tsunami warning information to the Fire Department and Police quickly was key in order for them to be mobilized to direct traffic in order to prevent traffic jams and for the effective evacuation of the area to be impacted by a tsunami.

The ESFs were informed that a tsunami wave effect model is being created for the island with the assistance of UNESCO-IHE and the R3I project. The model is seen as a critical component that would benefit disaster prevention and preparedness.

Another essential point was that the island needs its own Meteorological Office that would issue the warning rather than depending on the Curacao Meteo Service.

Evacuation of residents along the coast and low lying areas inland was discussed extensively. Such an evacuation process would have to be done in an orderly manner and designated safe areas would have to be determined.

Early warning of coastal communities would be done via the disaster office sirens, emergency service vehicles, radio stations, SMS text messages, and email linked to blackberry services. The message would be multi-language, clear and instructive.

A public awareness tsunami campaign is the foundation for having the population prepared and also knowing exactly what action they would have to take once a tsunami warning has been issued by the authorities.

Other major points of discussion were the evacuation of the airport, how to deal with cruise ships in the harbour, the evacuation of hotels and schools. Further study is required with respect to the aforementioned, and the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) and the Police are busy developing a new evacuation plan for certain areas of the island. A tsunami scenario will also be included in this plan.

Cooperation with the North side of the island was seen as essential during a disaster situation and a tsunami in particular.

The workshop was based on a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), earthquake/tsunami exercise.

The goal of the exercise was to test the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions, which was established in 2005 by the countries of the region in collaboration with UNESCO and IOC.

The region-wide tsunami drill was referred to as “Exercise Caribe Wave 11/LANTEX.”

Over the last 500 years, 75 tsunamis have occurred in the Caribbean. This figure represents about 10 per cent of the entire number of oceanic tsunamis in the world during that period.

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Office of Disaster Management will be partaking in a Caribbean region-wide tsunami warning exercise on Wednesday, March 23.

(image source: Wikipedia / Veit Mueller) 

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which includes the 10 Emergency Support Functions (ESF) will be mobilized to participate in a workshop at 10am on March 23 at the Fire & Ambulance Building in Cay Hill.

The region-wide tsunami drill referred to “Exercise Caribe Wave 11/LANTEX” will allow the country’s ESF coordinators in a workshop setting to discuss possible actions to be taken, the flow of information, warnings to the population, evacuation etc. The end result of the workshop is to develop a plan of action which will lead to the development of a tsunami plan for Sint Maarten.

The overall region-wide exercise is being conducted to assist tsunami preparedness efforts throughout the Caribbean. Recent events, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean, 2009 Samoa, and 2010 Haiti and Chile earthquakes and tsunamis, attest to the importance of proper planning for tsunami response.

Historical tsunami records from sources such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) and the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) show that over 75 tsunamis with validity greater than one have been observed in the Caribbean over the past 500 years.

Since 1842 at least 3,510 people have lost their lives to tsunami in the Caribbean.

“The purpose of the regional exercise is to improve tsunami warning system effectiveness along the Caribbean coasts. The exercise provides an opportunity for emergency management organizations throughout the Caribbean to exercise their operational lines of communications, review their tsunami response procedures, and promote tsunami preparedness.

“We see the importance of this and our workshop will lead to the development of a tsunami response plan. Preparing for an earthquake/tsunami situation is very different than preparing for a hurricane. There is no warning of an earthquake; however you do get some time to take action when a tsunami warning has been issued.”

“We need to take it from that perspective. Last year the French side along with our disaster management office had a joint earthquake awareness campaign which went very well. A tsunami awareness campaign will be needed in the future once we have a plan in place. The earthquake/tsunami that took place in Japan last week only emphasizes the importance of having an exercise,” Fire Commander/Disaster Coordinator Winston Salomon told the Department of Communications (DCOMM) on Thursday.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Coordination Group for Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions, the Caribbean Emergency Management Agency, the Cento de Coordinacion para la Prevencion de los Desastres Naturales en America Central, the NOAA, and the U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, are providing the framework for this exercise as a means for emergency responders throughout the Caribbean to test and update tsunami response plans.