The Ninth District will this week test its redundant communication system, which was put in place in the event the central communication system fails, as was the case following the hurricanes of September 2017. Photo: VINO/File

The Ninth District’s back up communication system includes an independent radio station called VGROC on frequency FM 95.7. Photo: Internet Source

According to Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration and Ninth District Representative, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley, following the devastation of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, the Ninth District decided it was imperative for a backup communication system in place. Photo: VINO

Backup communication system

The backup system in the Ninth District, which consists Virgin Gorda and Anegada, comprises hand radio communication and a radio channel.

According to Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration and Ninth District Representative, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley, speaking at the Office of the House of Assembly during a live broadcast by Government on coronavirus issues on March 17, 2020, after the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, the Ninth District decided it was imperative for a backup communication system in place.

“The Ninth District has a full telecommunication [system] that we plan to test during this kind of semi-shut down phase,” Hon Wheatley said.

After the hurricanes of September 2017, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke were totally cut off from communication with the main island of Tortola and the rest of the world for many days. This had caused a significant level of panic among persons not knowing what was the state of affairs.

This led residents to move in the direction of making it a priority that they implement measures that would significantly prevent such a recurrence.

“After the hurricanes of 2017 we in the Ninth District had taken a particular position, that we must be more independent should anything like Irma happen again, so we built so we built a number of redundancies into our system,” Hon Wheatley stated.

VGROC

That system includes an independent radio station called VGROC on frequency FM 95.7.

“Now the government has done a tremendous amount of work making sure that what happened in 2017 doesn’t happen again. But just in case that 1% chance that we are cut off ever again, one of the things that we built was a redundant telecommunication system.

“What you will be hearing from us over the next few days is our own radio station,” Hon Wheatley said, adding that the testing of the radio station will commence on Thursday or Friday of this week, in addition to their CB [Cell Broadcast] phones.