GREAT BAY– A number of Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) met in the conference room at the Cay Hill Fire & Ambulance Department Building last week Tuesday to discuss preparations and get an update on the current state of affairs in preparation for the peak period of the 2009 hurricane season.
The month of September and the first two weeks of October fall within the peak period of the hurricane season when most hurricane formation activity takes place.
Chairing the Tuesday meeting was Disaster Coordinator Fire Commander Winston Salomon.
A number of issues were discussed such as flood prone areas like Beacon Hill and Cay Bay, and what solutions could be developed to deal with these challenges.
A representative from the Public Works Department pointed out that they are still finding garbage and other debris in trenches and are appealing to the public to refrain from throwing garbage and other waste in the culverts and water ways. The debris will create blockage and cause flooding of surrounding areas.
Disaster Coordinator Fire Commander Winston Salomon is once again appealing to residents not to throw debris and garbage into trenches and to also take preparations for the hurricane season serious.
The flood gates and the Sucker Garden Pump Station; nation-wide curfew preparations and implementation procedures, the role of the Royal Dutch Marines and the St. Maarten Voluntary Korps; shuttering of government offices and buildings; and a review of back-up generators, were all areas touched upon during the meeting.
The Police informed the group that they are currently on standby and ready to uphold public order before, during and after a hurricane strike.
Those present for the meeting were representatives from the Public Works Department, Government Facilities Management, Police, Tourist Office, Fire Department, and the Government Information Service (GIS).
The hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.