The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) hosted a national showcase aimed at strengthening public awareness and preparedness in the face of disaster, at St Ann’s Fort on Tuesday.
The event, held in collaboration with the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) and Sagicor General Insurance, brought together key emergency response agencies and private sector partners in a unified push towards national resilience.
“Today is about collaboration, and it is about public education and awareness. We take every opportunity to raise awareness about disaster risk reduction, about the hazards that affect our little island, and that impact the population, maybe every day,” DEM Director Kerry Hinds told attendees at the opening ceremony.
Referencing the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl last year, Hinds reminded the audience of how quickly disaster can strike.
“You can cast your mind back to last year this time. We were impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Most of us here—most of the emergency services—were bunkered down at the National Emergency Operations Centre, just waiting out the storm, waiting to be pressed into service,” Hinds recalled.
The open day featured booths and demonstrations from a wide range of partners, including The Barbados Police Service, Barbados Fire Service, Barbados Water Authority, Barbados Light & Power, the Barbados Citizens Band Radio Association, the Amateur Radio Society of Barbados, and others.
“These are the men and women who make up the emergency management system,” Hinds said. “It is not just DEM or the police or fire service. All of these various persons you see exhibiting today play an integral part in assisting the country in times of emergency.”
Visitors to the event were treated not only to informational displays and interactive games but also to rare tours of St Ann’s Fort, offering the public a glimpse into the daily operations of the BDF.
“It is not a usual thing for us to be up here,” Hinds said. “I hope you take the opportunity to see what the Barbados Defence Force does on a daily basis and what they have to offer.”
She also stressed the significance of insurance in building national resilience. “Having insurance is a very integral part of emergency preparedness,” the DEM director noted, praising the long-standing partnership with Sagicor.
Donelle Belgrave-Young, manager of Direct Sales and Support Services at Sagicor General Insurance, echoed that sentiment.
“This season is one where we really want to push the awareness of preparing for any type of emergency,” she said. “At Sagicor General, we have a Risk Management Unit and that is a very prominent department which pushes this narrative of being prepared. But this year, we are focusing on the word ‘resilience’—and in that word, we are talking about insurance a lot.”
Belgrave-Young explained that it goes beyond financial recovery after a disaster.
“We also in risk management tell you how to mitigate your losses. That may include coming to do a survey of your property or an assessment and recommending small things—even probably just looking at hurricane straps, or cutting down your trees,” she explained.
The Sagicor executive added that risk reduction begins with awareness, a message the insurance company is taking directly to communities: “We want our interns and the public to really see what Sagicor General means to the Barbadian landscape of education and forward movement for the youth.”
The theme of the open day was Preparing for the Changing Climate, with a focus on educating children, teachers, and families about building climate and disaster resilience.
“We’re about raising awareness,” Hinds said.
(SZB)
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