September 23, 2014 - Teachers in the Territory are the latest beneficiaries of the ongoing Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training being delivered by the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) in collaboration with the BVI Red Cross and the Virgin Islands Fire and Rescue Service.
Eighteen teachers from schools in Sea Cow’s Bay are among 30 persons participating in the latest CERT training sessions which got underway Monday evening at the Ebenezer Thomas Primary School (ETPS).
The session specifically targets teachers at ETPS, Little Litehous Child Development Centre and the Seventh Day Adventist Primary and Secondary School as part of the SMART School Pilot Project currently being undertaken.
Through its adapted format, this session of CERT seeks to support capacity building among teachers and members of Parent Teachers Associations. The teachers, parents and other participants are being trained to respond to emergency situations that may occur at school, during field trips or during emergency situations when schools have to be evacuated. It is expected that the training will initiate the formation of the first ever Campus CERT Teams in the BVI.
DDM’s Information and Education Manager, Ms. Philomena Robertson, who is serving as project manager for the SMART School Pilot explained the importance of emergency response training for schools.
“The integration of this type of training in schools is new and we have chosen a small community in which to test this offering. We are optimistic that the training will support emergency response capacity building in schools throughout the Territory,” Ms. Robertson stated.
During the week-long session, participants will be exposed to various aspects of disaster management, First Aid, fire suppression and light search and rescue. At the end of the training, the competence of participants will be tested in a simulation exercise.
“School safety is a critical component of the strategy established by the Ministry and Department of Education, and the DDM is supporting their efforts by ensuring that CERT teams are trained and available in schools to identify and help to correct hazards; communicate with first responders effectively during emergency situations; provide basic medical triage and treatment; undertake light search and rescue, and support effective record keeping,” Ms. Robertson added.
Ms. Robertson made special mention of the enthusiasm of some parents to be part of the initiative, and she encouraged continued support for promoting safety in schools.
“Parents drop off their children at schools with the expectation teachers are in a position to not only educate them but care for them and keep them safe during any eventuality that may occur. Are we certain that this capacity exists? Are we certain that they will be able to provide an optimal level of safety and security for our children and for themselves if faced with an emergency? As parents, it is important that we support these types of initiatives and that we find time to participate as well,” she stated.
The SMART School Pilot Project will also include the re-assessment of schools based on the Health and Safety Checklist and the application of a Green Checklist that takes into consideration the implementation of green and climate smart intervention strategies. Ms. Robertson encouraged continued support for the project, saying parents and members of the wider community can assist in the provision of supplies, equipment, maintenance and/or retrofitting works which will be identified through the inspections.
The SMART School Pilot Project is funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), as part of the Mainstreaming Climate Change in Disaster Management in the Caribbean Phase II (CCDM-II) Project.
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British Virgin Islands News