Dominica candidates to participate in 'SYNERGY'

Caribbean Disaster Management Agency is organizing regional operational preparedness and response exercise ‘SYNERGY’, in an association with CARICOM and Global Affairs Canada. The exercise will start with an effect from this coming Thursday. The nature island of the Caribbean, Dominica will also be participating in this event. According to sources, this event will have participation from regional, national and international candidates.

Exercise SYNERGY is the flagship regional exercise programme facilitated by the CDEMA. Deputy Director of CDEMA Elizabeth Riley welcomed the participants’ interest towards the event. Speaking at the opening of exercise, Riley said, “Synergy is regionally owned and operated, which makes it dissimilar to other such events”.

On day one of the event, participants engaged in the pre-impact wargaming session where they were given an outline situation of a regional threat from weather system. This fictitious weather system developed into a major category five hurricane. Whereas, the second day of the exercise tested the activation of then Regional Response Mechanism and joint coordination of assistance through the respective mechanism for the impacted CDEMA participating state. The scenarios propelled discussions around synchronization of resources at various levels.

This exercise has brought together representatives of the National Disaster offices in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, The Virgin Islands and from regional and international agencies such as Regional Security System (RSS), Network of Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM), SOL Caribbean, Pan American Health organisation PAHO/WHO, United Nations Population Fund Caribbean (UNFPA), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS Commission) and the Canadian High Commission.

The Regional Response Mechanism popularly known as RRM consists participation of regional, national and international stakeholders through which relief operations are coordinated through CDEMA’s Regional Coordination Centre.