Children's homes prepared for Beryl
Published:Tuesday | July 2, 2024 | 7:29 AM
The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) says all 50 government and private residential child care facilities across Jamaica have been secured in preparation for Hurricane Beryl.
Chief Executive Officer of the CPFSA, Laurette Adams Thomas, says the agency's disaster committee met on Monday and received reports on the state of readiness of the facilities.
“Each child care facility has its own disaster plan which guides the disaster preparation process for that facility, including checking physical structures for leaks or other repairs to be made, as well as securing adequate food, water and necessary hurricane supplies. It would also state the necessary measures to be undertaken in the event of an emergency at that facility,” she explains.
She says all the CPFSA's facilities have at least a two weeks' supply of food and water for the children and caregivers.
She adds that the facilities have also secured necessary disaster supplies based on their individual needs, such as tarpaulins, flashlights and sandbags.
Adams Thomas notes that there are currently no child care facilities in low-lying or coastal areas.
“We only have one facility that has seen serious flooding in the past, which was due to a nearby river, and we recently erected a wall to prevent future flooding on that property,” she says.
She states that local disaster committees are standing by to assist each facility in the case of an emergency.
“Each facility also has a local disaster committee, which includes members of the local community that would be able to assist in the event of a disaster. Members include medical and health care personnel, such as those from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, transportation personnel and fire prevention personnel from the Jamaica Fire Brigade, as well as members of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Jamaica Defense Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” she explains.
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