PHILIPSBURG–Fifty-two business representatives participated in a recent hurricane and disaster preparedness seminar at University of St. Martin (USM) hosted by St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) in conjunction with the Section Disaster Management of the Ministry of General Affairs. UTS-TDC training centre and University of St. Martin (USM) joined the partnership.
The business and Government representatives shared their experiences, lessons from the past and exchanged recommendations for natural disasters to come.
Section Head of Disaster Management Paul Martens shared insights with attendees on how Government prepares for hurricanes, as well as aftermath disasters such as floods and fires.
Moderator David MacGregor (UTS-TDC) interviewed the panel of professionals after Martens presentation.
Joseph Isaac of the Meteorological Department (Ministry of General Affairs) shared insights in the responsibilities of his office and challenges of the multinational information coordination within the region as Saba and St. Eustatius are coordinated from the Dutch meteorological office KNMI, the French side by Metéo France in Guadeloupe, and Anguilla receives weather condition information from Antigua.
Assistant General Manager Thijs Scheepers of Divi Little Bay Beach Resort dealt with how resorts deal with tourists in disaster situations.
Movies and pictures were shown of the damage caused by past hurricanes like Donna, Luis and Gonzalo. Businessman Danny Ramchandani talked about the devastation Hurricane Luis caused to his company Ram’s and the lessons he learned from that experience.
“Even back then, we were prepared – but it shows you can never prepare enough for a natural disaster the size of a hurricane,” he said. His companies now run an hour-by-hour preparation programme to rapidly respond to hurricane threats.
Marc Groeneveld, representing worldwide insurer AON on St. Maarten, advised businesses to make yearly visits to the insurance company to avoid disappointments. “Many companies do not exactly know what they are insured for during hurricanes, and sometimes even pay too much. As your company is subject to change, so is what you insure for,” he said.
Ramchandani added that after Luis, insurances returned only 30 per cent of what entrepreneurs were counting on.
Robert Judd is the key operational officer for the university. As the university has a unique location amidst the water masses of the Salt Pond, it seals its windows, and barricades lower floors with sand bags to prevent flooding in the case of a hurricane threat.
Judd warned businesses not to overlook details that might seem common. “As a university with both offices and classrooms using pricy education equipment, we have to make sure we unplug everything to prevent short circuits,” he said.
MacGregor, a certified Business Emergency Recovery Trainer by the American Business Emergency Response Team (BERT) programme, told attendees to remember the importance of human capital for the companies. He said BERT not only prepared buildings, but the families who really run those businesses. The programme includes apps to rebuild the social fabric of companies directly after communications restore.
Ramchandani offered a final advice: “Even though Government departments like that of Mr. Isaac and Mr. Martens will act to the best of their abilities, disaster situations are too complex to solely rely on Government emergency assistance. Due to the mere nature of disaster, companies need to be prepared for their own recovery and not build on emergency service assistance alone.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/68755-businesses-talk-readiness-at-shta-hurricane-seminar
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