UPDATE: Roles in Disaster Preparedness a major focus for new DDM Deputy Director
During an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online, newly appointed Deputy Director of the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) Ms. Evangeline Inniss stressed the importance of knowing the extent of disaster preparedness, awareness and involvement of persons living in the Virgin Islands.
Ms. Inniss brings to the floor a wealth of knowledge and experience. She has a background in disaster management and has served as a Technical and Programme Officer at the Barbados based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.
“Disaster management is not about a department it’s an every person thing and as Deputy Director that’s one of the areas I am going to be focusing on. One of my special areas is in terms of community preparedness, as you would see from the article online that’s one of the courses I teach,” said Ms. Inniss.
She stressed that it was important to get everyone involved, particularly the average man on the ground, to recognize that he or she has a major role to play in the matter of disaster preparedness “…and if I can get over that message to everybody to see that you in your own individual way can make an impact in disaster management, I think that for me that would be my greatest achievement,” the new Deputy Director stated.
The department is currently executing a Knowledge, Aptitude and Perception Study (KAPS) which is intended to give the department an idea where their strengths are, where they need to continue to work on, where their limitations are and where there is need for improvement, “…and that would be able to give us a better gauge of where persons understanding in the community, how people see us, what they need more from us, so coming out of that study would put us in a very good stead to be able to propel disaster management…”
Ms. Inniss’ is working at completing the study during the first quarter of this year, 2013, following which, would be the next phase of looking at what are the necessary programmes that would need to be implemented.
“I am not one to shoot in the dark, so until I get on the ground, in the community to see what’s there, strategies going in and saying this is what I want to do, without seeing what’s on the ground, to me that doesn’t make any sense,” stressed Ms. Inniss.
She links her passion for health seeking behaviours and practices, with the ideals of her profession.
The new Deputy Director described herself as a very private person who has now taken up residency in the VI with her husband and her 14-year-old daughter and has a passion for fitness, “I feel very strongly about the decision you make today in terms of your health, it has an effect on everything you do, so if you don’t lead a healthy lifestyle now know that down the road you are going to have some challenges,” said Ms. Inniss, adding that Health and Disaster management are closely linked.
The office of Deputy Director of Disaster Management was previously occupied by Zebalon McClean who has now taken up the office of Chief Fire and Rescue Officer.
See previous story posted on January 2, 2013
Barbados national Evangeline Inniss named Deputy Director of DDM
- It is unclear whether any locals applied and could have filled the post!
Word just reaching this news site from its many sources within government can confirm that Barbados national Ms. Evangeline Inniss has been appointed by Governor William B. McCleary as the Virgin Islands’ Deputy Director of Disaster Management.
Ms. Inniss has replaced Zebalon McClean, who is now the Chief Fire Officer at the Fire and Rescue Department.
According to information obtained by this news site, Ms. Inniss has a background in disaster management and has served as Technical and Programme Officer at the Barbados based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.
Earlier this year the H L Stoutt Community college announced an online course in disaster management, targeting local and regional students. Ms. Inniss was named as course facilitator.
Ms. Inniss has been on the job a few weeks now and it remains unclear if any local applied or could have filled the post.
Appearing before the House of Assembly 2012 Standing Finance Committee meeting to defend her department’s 2013 Budget was Ms. Sharleen S. Dabreo- the Director of Disaster Management Department who told the Committee that her biggest concern was the condition of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) building, which also housed her office at McNamara.
She said the Department was affected by rats and snakes, which were damaging the electrical wires and air condition units.
Ms. Dabreo could not be reached for comment as she is reportedly on vacation.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Disaster Management is a government job with a salary range of $47, 371- $75, 282 in grade 14.
It is unclear what Ms. Inniss’ full package and length of contract entails. However, contract workers always receive lucrative packages from government especially when recruited from overseas.
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35 Responses to “UPDATE: Roles in Disaster Preparedness a major focus for new DDM Deputy Director”
how can you blame government for people not wanting to better themselves? you all talk about qualified locals but do they want the job? being a qualified local doesnt mean $h1+ unless you apply. there are many qualified locals living in the US, UK, Caribbean, Canada etc. that refuse to come back home. so we should shut down the coutnry because of that? hush ya'll a$$e$. jus how we are able to migrate to other places for schooling and better oppoprtunities others can do the same. being qualified means nothing. how many qualified locals applied? we had a local in teh spot, he took up another senior post. wtf is wrong wid u people man.
You go Barbados and apply for a position at this level, and let us know what happen.
So what if the qualified BVIslanders do not apply for the posts. Are you going to arrest them, lock them up and threaten them to work? Stop being a jackass man! We don't know who applied for the positions so we cannot make these statements. Stop comparing the BVI to other Caribbean Islands. The BVI have 12,000 locals, 4,000 working Govt, about 3,000 self employed, taxi's, shops, landlords and another set working at the Trust Companies, law Firms then another few thousand overseas who don't want to come back. Those other islands have populations of over 100,000, majority of whom are locals and their qualified pool is more. Further, many of them have more people rushing for jobs since they don't enjoy the industries we do. there's more to it than just a passport, you people make me sick. It has to do with economics and choices. If a company advertise for 2 lawyers and 3 accountants. The pay is great, they're looking for locals. We have locals qualified for each post but NOT ONE apply, for whatever reason. When the company now applies for permits and get them, you will hear people jumping good glory how we have qualified locals here, why they got approved. HOW MANY CASES DO WE HAVE WHERE NOT ONE LOCAL APPLY BUT STILL COMPLAIN! So we got to beg people to work now? I know of cases where jobs have been advertised for over 7yrs and to date, NOT ONE single local applied. Food for thought.