K1 Direct Co-Manager Iris Hakkens during a recent information session.
PHILIPSBURG–K1 Direct, K1 Britannia Foundation’s volunteer-based Disaster Relief and Crisis Team, will host an information and question-and-answer session for persons interested in joining at K1’s office in the Brooks Tower building in Philipsburg this Wednesday from 6:30pm.
Since the passing of Hurricane Irma, K1 Britannia Foundation has conceptualised and materialised this official disaster relief and crisis team to assist St. Maarten and the region during disasters.
K1 was in the forefront of first response, mass distributions and shelter management immediately after destruction struck in 2017, working diligently with the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, the Koninklijke Marechaussee and Government entities such as Emergency Support Function 7 (ESF7) to bring relief to care institutions and the general affected population.
Since then, K1 DIRECT has set up two completely voluntary teams of approximately 40 persons co-managed by Iris Hakkens and Alan Schet in St. Maarten and in Curaçao. The team was set up in Curaçao as a contingency team outside the hurricane belt, in the event K1 Direct St. Maarten becomes deeply affected.
Members have been working hard to complete a variety of trainings. All K1 Direct St. Maarten members have completed their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)/First Aid/AED (automated external defibrillator) training and six have gone on to become emergency medical responders (EMRs) certified through Windward Islands Emergency Medical Services (WIEMS).
Most recently, both the St. Maarten and Curaçao teams participated in a six-day training facilitated by Jacob “Sjaak” Seen of United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC). The course covered everything from Principles of Humanitarian Aid, Disaster and Crisis Management to Search and Rescue Phase, Emergency Logistics, and much more.
K1 Direct is a voluntary team comprising dedicated persons in various fields who are committed to giving back locally and regionally when a disaster hits.
The team extends an invitation to the community and those who may be interested in joining the team to attend the information session. The session will cover the predetermined roles of K1 Direct in St. Maarten, its role in the Caribbean region, criteria for interested persons, what K1 expects of volunteer responders, and what volunteers can expect from the foundation.
If persons have any questions, e-mail
direct@k1britanniafoundation.org or call +1 (721) 580-3923 or +1 (721) 543-3332 or send a message via Facebook at
www.facebook.com/k1sxm.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/87635-k1-hosts-disaster-relief-info-session
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