MARIGOT: Usually scheduled on the first of June each year, the Prefect of the Northern Islands Vincent Berton wished to bring together the stakeholders and the press earlier in the calendar to detail the field organization plan related to the hurricane season. This meeting was held this Monday at the CCISM.
The Prefect Vincent Berton was accompanied by Alain Richardson, first vice-president of the Collectivité, representing President Louis Mussington, to present the field logistics related to the hurricane season. The Collectivity will nevertheless gather its partners in the field on Wednesday, June 1st to continue the implementation of prevention measures and the preparation of the next season which will last until November 30th.
During this first information meeting organized by the Prefecture, many officials were present, including the gendarmerie, the territorial police, rescue organizations, firefighters and representatives of the SNSM. The presentation started by reminding the basics such as the classification of cyclones and the color codes of the different levels of vigilance: from yellow to purple during the cyclone and gray in post-hurricane. Each level corresponds to actions and safety instructions for the population. Detailed information will be disseminated by the Collectivity during the prevention campaign from June 1st.
During a natural disaster such as a hurricane, it is the Prefect in place who takes the function of director of operations. “The representative of the State in the department is the only one competent to take measures relating to public order, safety and health, whose scope exceeds the territory of a municipality,” as stipulated in Article L.2215-1 of the General Code of Territorial Communities. The Prefect is therefore in charge of coordinating all the services as well as communicating and commanding the ORSEC (Organization of the civil security response). In terms of shelters, seven are currently operational with a capacity of 1500 places. Special attention will be paid to vulnerable people and residents of the Manteau de Saint Martin.
The Vice President also stressed the importance of improving access to the port and airport of Grand-Case, which, in their current state, could be a real problem in the event of a need for external assistance. The Prefect intends to create a workshop in order to optimize access to the said airport by ensuring, in particular, the cleaning of its surroundings. As far as the port infrastructure is concerned, a training session for the landing of French and Dutch troops is scheduled for June 20 and 21. The warning systems will be reinforced with the installation of three sirens, on the old hospital in Marigot, in Grand-Case and in Quartier d’Orléans. Activated via an application used by the Prefecture, the sirens will emit a code specific to each level of vigilance. Codes still to be defined by the competent services. While waiting for the official launch of the communication and prevention campaign on June 1st, the population is invited to prepare itself, to stock up on the necessary supplies, to build up its emergency kit, to keep itself informed and above all, to show solidarity
The post Meeting to launch the hurricane season appeared first on Faxinfo.
Source: Faxinfo https://www.faxinfo.sx/2022/05/10/meeting-to-launch-the-hurricane-season/
View comments
Hide comments