“Operation Floodgate” to test disaster readiness

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:00 by GxMedia

Guyana will next week stage a mock flood disaster codenamed “Operation Floodgate” to test the country’s emergency response system, government announced on Thursday.

The simulation exercise would be conducted by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) from October 21 to 25 in Regions 4, 5, 6 and 9.

National Disaster Response Coordinator, Dr. Roger Luncheon said the exercise is aimed at examining the overall effectiveness of shift hand-overs and other procedures essential for the effective running of the emergency centres.

“Essentially the exercise will be testing the function of the disaster risk management responses and these will include the activation and deactivation of national and the regional emergency operating centres,” he was quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying.

Operation Floodgate, he said, would be based on the activation of Emergency Operation Centres to respond to flooding caused by increased rainfall and extra high tides.

The second phase will test the functioning of the system in response to a full-blown flood including relocation, and management and collaboration between the CDC and its regional administrative partners. Phase three is expected to review the procedures to deal with deactivation and management of the aftermath of the flooding.
Reports on the exercise will be compiled and submitted to the National Disaster Response Coordinator and Cabinet for consideration.

The CDC has trained more than three 300 persons from several regions in Disaster Risk Management, Shelter Management, Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis and Emergency Operations Centre Management at the Commission, Thomas Lands.