NEMO briefs media on hurricane dissemination of information plan

The annual hurricane season which commenced on Saturday has seen the National Emergency Management Organization working diligently to tie up loose ends in the event of a natural disaster.  Last Thursday, NEMO held a press conference during which Minister Godwin Hulse, National Emergency Coordinator Noreen Fairweather and Chief Met Officer Dennis Gonguez outlined a conventional preparedness strategy.  That plan includes evacuation procedures, as well as the identification of nearby shelters, among other necessary steps to be taken during a storm.  Equally important is the dissemination of relevant information about the weather system to the public.  The media, which plays a critical role in advising the general public, is the vehicle through which NEMO is able to pass on that information.  Today, the team held a short briefing to devise a simultaneous means of broadcasting media advisories.

Julia Carillo, Station Manager, Love FM

Julia Carillo

“I understand that you might not always be accessible but there are times when we do need that information because we try to repeat the information as much as possible and when you have people calling you [and telling you] that their zinc is flying off and when you’re telling them, “no, this is what’s happening” and they’re telling you [something else].  I mean, when people don’t have information they panic.  The thing is to get the information out and to be responsible with it.”

Noreen Fairweather

Noreen Fairweather, National Emergency Coordinator

“The thing is that at the end of the day people do have their choices in terms of media houses that they prefer and some have national coverage and some don’t but our responsibility is to get it to everybody.  So if you decide to listen to whomever you want and you won’t be disenfranchised in any way. That has been a challenge in the past, we have had to be calling up the stations and sometimes we can’t get through, sometimes we are fortunate with one station and they would allow us to cut in and get the information out.  And it really becomes a challenge when within a half an hour and we can’t get that release out then it’s really old news and so people, depending on which station they are listening to, they are not really getting the current information.  So, as we decided to do another rethink of how we can approach this and really to sit and meet with you guys, listen to some of the proposals that you have.  You all might have some other ideas but really have you all participate in making this work.”

While NEMO, in the event of an emergency, will be transmitting up-to-date information to all major stations from its headquarters in Belmopan, the City Emergency Management Organization, a division of the Belize City Council, will be doing the same from its base here at the Channel Five building should a hurricane threat become imminent.