NODS to Expand Focus

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Environment Articles

Monday, 28 January 2013 02:29

By caribarena news

Antigua St. John's - With continued pressure from international bodies, the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) is faced with the considerable challenge of expanding the scope of its operations.

This is according to Minister in charge of the office Wilmoth Daniel, who made the disclosure during an address to the House of Assembly recently.

He told his fellow parliamentarians that the international community has placed some level of pressure on the local body to broaden its definition of natural disasters – stepping away from the confines of hurricanes and earthquakes – to include an umbrella of issues complete with adequately manned teams ready to respond.

The Minister said the office is also being called upon to know the capacity of crowds at sporting and other events in order to properly assess the potential effects of threats to life in the event misfortune were to befall the venue.

This, he said, would require in the future that organizers of large-scale activities – both sporting and entertainment – seek permission from both the police and NODS before being able to execute events.

He said that while the recommendations have been well noted locally, there is very little that could be done at this time since there are no legal provisions in place to facilitate implementation.

“We are going to have to formulate the law in order for people to write to the National Office of Disaster Services, instead of only to the police, for permission … they (NODS) are expanding the scope of the operation,” Daniel said.

Events extending even to Carnival would be required to seek NODS permission under the new guidelines.

“Just like the EMS people, they (NODS) would have to go and do the survey and tell you (organizers) whether or not the amount of people that they want to be in that given place is possible”, the minister said.

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