St James Infirmary aces earthquake drill
Published:Wednesday | March 30, 2022 | 12:09 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
STAFF AT at the St James Infirmary in Montego Bay have proven themselves capable of managing the safety of 45 elderly residents in their care in case of an earthquake, following an earthquake evacuation drill that was held at the facility on Monday.
The drill, which saw staff members being tested on how securely they could relocate the residents from the infirmary building to the designated assembly point within a given time limit of five minutes or less, was part of a series of similar disaster preparedness exercises at more than 20 locations across St James, to include businesses and tourist sector sites.
Infirmary Matron Jacqueline Wilson lauded her staff’s capabilities in their successful passing of the earthquake drill, which was overseen by representatives from the St James Municipal Corporation and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).
“Today’s (Monday) earthquake drill was beautifully executed by my staff. They were prepared, they responded quickly and they maintained the safety of the residents,” said Wilson. “I think that in the event of an earthquake or a disaster, this goes to show how prepared the infirmary staff members are.”
ODPEM Training Manager Novia Drummonds-Morgan likewise praised the infirmary staff’s success in the drill, especially when taking into account the limitations of the residents they had to move during the exercise.
“One of the things you have to take into consideration is the constraints and the unique nature of the residents here; they are senior citizens and they have different ailments, as some are wheelchair-bound and some are bed-bound, and so forth. Given those constraints, I think the exercise went well,” said Drummonds-Morgan.
Earthquake readiness at the infirmary and other locations within Montego Bay is crucial, as the western city was at the centre of a seismic tremor that rocked the entire island on March 1, 1957. That earthquake resulted in four deaths and damage to the St James Parish Church’s clock tower, plus damage to several bridges and utility poles.
In 2013, The University of the West Indies’ Earthquake Unit noted that Jamaica is located within an active zone of seismic activity and experiences more than 200 tremors annually.
Additionally, general disaster readiness is a matter of concern for Montego Bay given the city’s recent history with flooding as a result of heavy rains. That level of preparation would be needed if Montego Bay, a coastal town, should be hit with an earthquake, as quakes may also trigger tsunamis.
Tamoy Sinclair, the disaster coordinator for St James, noted that Monday’s parish-wide earthquake drills were designed to help the participating businesses identify how they can improve their disaster management strategies.
“The aim is to have as many businesses as possible within the business process outsourcing sector and the tourism sector participating in the drill so they can test their emergency procedures that they have in place, to identify the deficiencies and what is also going well. When they have identified those things, the municipal corporation and the Parish Disaster Committee will be able to come and assist them to create a standardised version of their disaster plans that they have in place,” said Sinclair.