Lead Stories

With seven days to the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, the Adventist aid agencies are taking no chances.

The church called all its community-service leaders - in collaboration with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA-Jamaica) - from across Jamaica to the annual disaster preparedness workshop at the Mandeville Adventist Church in Manchester on Sunday.

"The Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide has had a tradition of ministering to the community," said Pastor Joseph Smith, community-service director of West Indies Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. "In light of the prediction of a very active hurricane season, we are mobilising and equipping our community-services leaders and ADRA representatives to be prepared for any possible natural or man-made disaster."

LaJean Powell, parish disaster coordinator for Manchester, delivered the main presentation of the day, which entailed having disaster-preparedness plans, with a special emphasis on earthquakes.

"The level of preparedness for the parish of Manchester is ongoing," said Powell, adding that a campaign was under way to ensure that critical public service buildings - including hospital, police and fire services - in the parish were disaster-ready.

development order

"We can't tell the level of damage that will be done by any disaster. However, we ensure that there is a development order which is guided by the regulation of the parish council because the structural integrity of some the buildings is compromised by reasons such as persons building without a permit.

While noting that the fire and health departments have inspected ADRA's 10 critical shelters, Powell said the agency suffered from budgetary constraints and was urging volunteers to give a hand.

"I have benefited immensely from the workshop today," said Easton Dixon, the ADRA representative from the Port Antonio Adventist Church. "It was a great help and I know this will help us move forward in the work, and especially now when the hurricane season is coming on, it will ensure that we do a far greater job for the church and the community at large."

Adriana Johnson, a member of the Washington Gardens Adventist Church in Kingston, said, "The training was very informative. There is so much I learned today, especially in the area of earthquake and financial preparation.

As I go back to my church, there is so much that I will impart to others, so that we will all be prepared when a disaster strikes."

Pastor Smith also assured that ADRA-Jamaica and Adventist community-service volunteers stood ready to assist the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and other relief organisations.