The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) says that 18 reserve officers from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Second Infantry Battalion were trained and certified in Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Management.
In a press release, the CDC said it embarked on this training in recognition of the importance of inter-agency collaboration and support in the successful management and coordination of disaster relief and response operations. From June 29-30, officers from the rank of Second Lieutenant to that of Lieutenant Colonel, were trained and certified by the CDC to function as Emergency Operations Centre Managers.
“The GDF plays an integral role in assisting the Commission in achieving its mandate. Whenever there is an emergency/disaster, the GDF is often times called upon to provide shelter managers, assistant operations officers and other personnel needed to staff the Emergency Operations Centre,” the CDC said. The Reserve Battalion of the GDF is tasked with supporting the GDF in achieving its mission and with the training of these officers; the Force is now equipped with the requisite personnel needed to manage the EOC during emergencies.
The EOC workshop was facilitated by Major Kester R Craig and Captain Sean F Welcome. The topics covered during the session include Introduction and Overview, Role of the Emergency Operations Centre in Disaster Management, Designing the Emergency Operations Centre. Discussion forums and a functional simulation exercise were used to test the participants’ understanding of the course content.
