MEDIA RELEASE

Wednesday 10th  May 2023                                                                                     For Immediate Release 

NDPPM commences with School Evacuation Drills 

In commemoration of National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Month (NDPPM), the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service (TTFS) have partnered to conduct Emergency Drills in various primary and special needs schools across Trinidad and Tobago.

The campaign forms part of the Ministry of Education’s overall Emergency Operations Plan initiative that highlights the importance of safe learning facilities, school disaster management, as well as risk reduction and resilience education, which involves each school developing its own Emergency Operations Plans to prepare responses to the specific hazards that can potentially impact each of them. This effort aims to incorporate principals, staff, students, parents, school boards, past student associations, the private sector, and other Ministries, Divisions and Agencies. This initiative seeks to not only reduce their vulnerability, but also to encourage and incorporate their participation in disaster risk management.

This year, the ODPM and the MOE, along with the TTFS, have proposed eleven (11) schools to be visited during the months of April and May, for various hazard sensitisation seminars and evacuation drills, with an emphasis on fire and earthquake safety. Following the completion of these schools, additional schools will be highlighted for the subsequent round of visits. The school drills completed in commemoration of the month are:

• Sangre Grande Hindu Primary- 18th April 2023

• Carapichaima A.C. Primary- 20th April 2023

• St. Joseph Government Primary- 26th April 2023

• Robert Village Hindu Primary- 27th April 2023

• Charis Works Christian Academy- 2nd May 2023

• Pointe-a-Pierre Special School- 4th May 2023

• Princess Elizabeth Special School- 9th May 2023

The following schools will participate in evacuating drills in the upcoming days/weeks:

• Cascade School for the Deaf- 11th May 2023

• Audrey Jeffers School for the Deaf- 15th May 2023

• Carenage Boys’ Government Primary - 18th May 2023

• Carenage Girls’ Government Primary - 18th May 2023

While the ODPM and its stakeholders continue to work towards reducing disaster risk, we encourage our citizens to remain vigilant and take the necessary actions to increase you and your community’s resilience.

Our combined efforts work towards making Trinidad and Tobago disaster resilient.

Caption: 1: Mr. Critchlow Lord, Community Outreach Programme Officer, leading a sensitisation seminar on earthquake preparedness at Sangre Grande Hindu School on Tuesday 18th April, 2023.

Caption 2: Charis Works Christian Academy students participating in an earthquake drill on Tuesday 2nd May 2023.

Caption 3: Mr. Eric Mackie, Regional Coordinator, engaging with students at the Princess Elizabeth Special School on earthquake preparedness and response on Tuesday 9th May, 2023.

Caption 4: Students and staff at Pointe-a-Pierre Government Special School participating in an evacuation drill on Thursday 4th May 2023.

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Issued by: 

Public Information, Education and Community Outreach Unit