HERALD WEEKLY ISSUE 587: 27 October 2011

Workshop to prepare for cyclone season
Emergency Management Cook Islands (EMCI) under the Office of the Prime Minister is hosting a Disaster Management Workshop for national ministries, department, agencies, Red Cross personnel, outer island representatives and community disaster risk management (DRM) committee members this week in Rarotonga. National and regional personnel who are DRM trainers under the Pacific Disaster Risk Management Training Program (PDRMP) are facilitating the workshop. The Asia Foundation (TAF) and SPC - Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC) with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) implement PDRMP. The workshop is also been supported by NZ Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management (MCDEM).
The main purpose of the workshop is for agencies, outer island administrations, and Rarotonga communities to ensure their disaster response plans are developed and reviewed as the cyclone season approaches. The workshop also enables EMCI to take participants through some refresher training in the area of Damage Assessment, Emergency Operations and Exercise Management (test staff) to ensure everyone is better prepared for the storm season.
The workshop is to highlight the importance of the need for information and baseline data to be gathered and collected by the various agencies and communities prior to disasters. Having this information ahead of time will certainly enable a more timely assessment which greatly assists more appropriate response efforts by both the government and other response partners.
The workshop is intended for those who are required to management events for their respective ministries/agencies, outer islands and communities around Rarotonga. Following this week participants will have greater awareness on the issues of assessment and operations and be able to better perform their roles and responsibilities. EMCI looks to better coordinated support form those who have attended the workshop, as it is through regular training and dialogue that all who have a role to play in times of emergency and disaster will be more prepared in times of disaster.
Twenty-two participants are attending the week-long workshop at the Edgewater Resort’s conference room. The facilitators, comprised of national and regional trainers from Cook Islands and Fiji include: Charles Carlson and William Tuivaga of EMCI; Charlie Numanga from Red Cross; Tony Wearing from Air Traffic Services; John Strickland from Police; Anthony Blake from PDRMP, Fiji) and Ms. Kathryn Hawley (Director Pacific Program, The Asia Foundation – Fiji). Course coordination is being handled by EMCI personnel.

Herald Issue 554 09 March
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- Briefs from PM’s media conference Tuesday
- Tourism Industry ponders $5 million draft strategy
- Norman George resigns from Cook Islands Party
- Letter of Resignation from CIP
- Norman selfish says Prime Minister

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